Something really strange has been happening in our home lately.
First of all, our house has been clean and seems to always be picked up. This, in and of itself, feels quite monumental. And quite foreign considering we have two kids ages 5 & 8.
Getting the kids off to school has been a breeze. We never feel rushed and even arrive early. Alarming, right?…
I’ve written before about the stigma of massage. I won’t go into it here for two reasons: one being that you can read about it here, and two, because the stigma surrounding massage therapy is hard to break.
Many massage therapists (myself included) have spent a lot of time and energy over the years trying to educate people about what massage therapy isn’t. It’s often felt to me like I am fighting a battle against something that is maintaining solid ground.…
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a luxury as “something that is expensive and not necessary” and “an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease”. The word indulgence is defined as “the act of doing something that you enjoy but that is usually thought of as wrong”.
These definitions carry connotations of guilt, negativity, judgment and stigma. Yet these are two words repeatedly associated with and used to describe massage therapy. How many times have you said or heard someone say these phrases?
“It’s just a luxury.”
“It’s my birthday, so I thought I’d splurge.”
“I got a promotion, so I wanted to treat myself.”
“I need to do A, B, and C. If I get those done, THEN I can…”
I am here to break it to you; receiving a massage is not equal to giving a puppy a treat when he sits.
It is much greater than that. Can it be purely a relaxing experience? Absolutely. Can we book a massage with the intention of rewarding ourselves after achieving a milestone? Of course. However, assigning such words as those listed above set a certain tone and creates a certain stigma devalues the importance of self-care …
