By Adrienne Hardt |
Whether or not you believe in intuition or have had an experience of intuitive insight, many people, in nearly all walks of life, attest to its existence and use it in their lives.
In massage, the intuitive massage practitioner has an inherent ability to sense more than the qualities felt by fingers and hands.
Tension and pain in muscles and tendons are easy to palpate. The cause of tension, however, is not necessarily clear. It may come from over-exertion, accident or strain or from emotional causes such as fighting with a mate or coworker; worry about a family member or close friend can also produce tension, as can problems with a business partner, boss or employee.
When emotional problems are present, the client receiving a massage may or may not decide to tell the practitioner about them. Most often emotional issues are sublimated, as the client desires to simply let go and enjoy the relaxation and separation from problems.
During the massage, however, an intuitive therapist can sometimes feel and identify such issues – and even the person(s) involved. When this happens, a door is opened for exchange in which the issue can be discussed in a safe and comfortable environment, without judgment or rancor. Resolution may result or the issue may be seen from a different point of view, and shed light on possible solutions.
When touching a part of the client’s body, e.g., the shoulder, the intuitive practitioner may “see” an image or feel an emotion or a pain, or even “hear” words that are connected with the problem causing distress to the client. Such an experience is usually repeated once or more during the massage, making it less likely to be overlooked or ignored. Usually a client is very interested to hear what the therapist shares and wants to know more, even if the subject matter is uncomfortable or difficult for the client to think or talk about. The fact that the experience was felt by someone else validates the client’s feelings and makes the issue safer to talk about and work through during the session.
An intuitive session may go something like this:
Therapist touches client’s lower back and senses anxiety/stress. Upon probing deeper it becomes clear that there is an issue about client’s father. Therapist says that she feels something about client’s father. Client agrees that there is indeed an issue. Therapist, feeling more specifically into the point from which the anxiety arises, “sees” that it is an issue about feeling like the father considers the client a failure. The client may sob or cry at this point, as he begins to uncover the long-standing but deeply buried pain and fear. A conversation ensues in which a good therapist asks questions without judgment or solution, which are full of support and encouragement, believing that the client can heal his pain, realize his strength and move forward in his life. All of this happens as a result of bringing the fear to the surface and giving voice to it. The client may go on to obtain professional counseling.
Another scenario may be:
Therapist is working on client’s back and feels some tightness that leads to the idea that there is conflict at client’s work. He mentions this to client, who concurs that things are not going well at work – too much pressure, assigned work is not getting done, etc. Therapist feels that the pressure is not external but originates internally. Is there something client might be doing to create this kind of pressure? Client agrees that she has “had” to take control of the office because the office manager isn’t doing her job. There is an air of resentment and lack of cooperation in the office. Therapist may ask more questions which help client to see that she may be micromanaging and her staff is actually capable of handling the work, just not the way she would do it. Client has an epiphany and decides to step out of that arena and just focus on the other aspect of her work.
This type of work is remarkable. Not only does a client receive the body work needed to decrease the pain in tense and overworked muscles, but they also gain insight into patterns of behavior in their lives that are not serving them. Such insight makes it possible to change and open new doors to future possibilities.
People who do well with intuitive massage work are those who are willing to go to the dark and hard places inside, and take a look around. Pain usually plays a part in this looking, but once these feelings are walked through, they are very soon replaced by freedom and a sense of lightness that comes from unburdening one’s psyche. Nothing compares with this feeling…
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/intuition_(knowledge)
For more info, contact Adrienne Hardt, 775-825-7727.
