If I have a work shift of 5-8 massages on a busy day more often than not there are going to be a few clients with what I call "Wow Factor". For any number of reasons I'm amazed they are motivated to have a massage, make the appointment and show up. I am always glad they did.
In the last few months I have had a multitude of Wow Factor clients.
A beautiful young woman came in for an hour an half treatment this past weekend and let my know she had just been diagnosed with MS. She shared she was on medication for excessive convulsions and would take more medication if I was concerned said convulsions might "freak me out" (her words). I assured her that I prefer her not take more meds most especially for my benefit and that with her permission I would just work with and through the convulsions should they come. This is what she hoped for she told me so we began our session. There were a few minor convulsions which we just went with the flow through and I found myself very grateful she was on that table because her traps and entire shoulder region were like rock. I wondered if it might be due to literally holding her breath and trying not to worry or upset other people with the inevitable convulsions. It touched me and saddened me that though she was in pain, discomfort and fear she was more concerned about the comfort factor of those around her. How happy I was to give her that time where the one and only thing to think about was her and how she might just feel good. I could feel her apprehension, anxiety, concern, and bone weariness. I could also feel her trance out with me and move into deep relaxation. All of this and still she shows up.
I then had the pleasure of knowing one of my long standing clients who comes every two weeks was in for the day and since she travels around the world on business and I have been traveling a little recently too, I haven't seen her for a while so I was happy to see her on the roster. I was surprised to find her in a wheel chair with cast on one foot and ankle and leg. It seems while in India she had missed a step and broke her foot. Not a petite woman and with the chair, the smallness of spa rooms, and the goal of not hitting or knocking her leg and foot against anything we were able to arrange her onto table. I should mention she is one of my favorite people to work on, I love her particular body type and she is capable of trusting and just letting me do my work which always makes for a pleasant session as care giver. As we work together often we have come to have custom and rituals that are exclusive to her sessions. I know her muscles and posture, breath rhythm and way she moves. A broken foot throws a distinct wrench into my beloved choreography of the familiar to say the least.
The fun part, I get to relearn her from scratch all over. The disconcerting part, what I think I know about her muscles and aches and pains has to be scrapped and ignored because everything is jangled and unsettled. I can even feel the distress of the foot in her spine which is usually quite fluid. This week her spine feels brittle and anxious. All of this and yet she showed up.
A while ago a dear long time friend brought me a young friend to work on who had been through many medical and healing procedures in his young life. An against all odds situation with a very sweet spirited and interesting young man. I felt instantly a kin ship between us because we are united in whatever life tosses us we keep going, not only because it is the only option but because we love and enjoy life even with the indecipherable and deeply painful appear. The doctors of this young man are as you can see from video below (used with both his and his mother's permission) experimenting with bionics and literal bone replacement of the femur. You can see how the muscles, cells and skin with have to re-heal and re-grow. This is a boy who moves well and gracefully which I find interesting because he is so young and very tall, a combination which often renders one gangly. Not this guy, graceful with all this you see in his leg. Now, Im thinking this is a kid who has already endured more medical attention and pain in his young life than most people will ever know, yet he is cheerful, interesting and interested, open and clear. I loved how he was able to clearly and directly convey he wanted very deep work and that it did not put him into pain or discomfort. I like that he had very clear needs and ideas for his massage and how he manages pain and his body settling around all of the new.
Most of all I love the fact, all this, and he shows up.
You know the old saying: More than half of life is just showing up.
I think yes yes, but what if showing up is daunting and requires iron willed determination. What if showing up is a herculean effort unto itself? What if the prize for showing up (in my case a massage) is moot to the very action and where with all that showing up requires. It seems to me this very journey of showing up is part of what makes the actual journey so worth the doing. I am sure you can see gentle reader, how very grateful I am for all the various and eclectic individuals who endeavor and succeed in showing up to my table.
Yet another awe inspiring reason its so easy to love my work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
YouTube - Videos from this email
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