At the risk of sounding old here, when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, in the lower east side of Manhattan, massage was definitely thought of as a luxury. When I started working and making money, I still considered it a luxury. Why? Because that’s what I saw on the commercials. I distinctly remember seeing women wrapped up in these great big comfy robes, with their hair wrapped up in a fluffy towel. They were laying on a table with their eyes closed and a satisfied look on their faces, while they were being worked on. Girl, did I envy them! (On a side note and thinking back, I only remember seeing the therapists hands or their backs. Interesting.)
Honestly, I had never thought getting a massage as a treat to myself or as a gift for anyone else. It just wasn’t something you gave. Can you relate or is it just my mentality because of where I came from?
I can, however, remember when I was first introduced to the wonders of massage. Well, back then, I would not have described it as a wonderful experience, because I had just been involved in an automobile accident. And let me tell you, it was a doozy.
You are now wondering about the car accident, am I right? It happened on my way to pick up my mom from the airport. I had borrowed a friend’s car (never lend out your car) because mine was not working that morning. Anyway, my then 4 year old daughter and I were headed to the airport when we were side swiped by an individual that apparently should not have been driving. We never found out the details, but we are certain that he was driving under some kind of influence. He actually hit us twice, driving approximately 60mph. I remember looking back at my daughter and feeling the most horrendous feeling emanating from every pore of my body and soul. I clearly don’t know if souls have pores, but that’s as accurate as I can describe it.
Thankfully, my daughter and I survived without a scratch. We were checked out by the EMT crew and sent home. We both felt fine the first day. So let me ask you…Have you been in a car accident? Have you walked away thinking, I’m lucky, I have no pain? Did you feel it the next day? THE VERY NEXT DAY? Yeah, so did I. Thankfully, my daughter did not.
I was referred to a chiropractor, which honestly did not seem to help at all. I would get a massage after seeing the chiropractor. Can I say it was HORRIBLE! It hurt so bad, I couldn’t stand up afterwards. I would crawl off the bed to my knees and then slowly get up on my feet. The massage therapist was horrified, but neither she nor the chiropractor helped me with the pain. Or even get up off the floor, for that matter.
So by now, you are probably asking yourself where is this story going? Well, the simple truth is that I learned so much about my muscles and joints because of this experience. I became aware of the muscles I use for certain movements. As a massage therapist, you learn the muscles of the body and their movements so that you can better service your clients. And so, it was interesting becoming hyperaware of my body from a different perspective.
I’m going to back to my original question: Is massage a luxury or a necessity? Well, it really depends on you. If you want to completely pamper yourself, then a spa is for you. They offer so many amenities besides a massage, and as such, you will be paying extra. On the other hand, if you are looking for pain relief, then that’s a whole other experience. Depending on the massage, it may be painful. It’s that hurts so good feeling you get that lasts for a while and you know the pain is going to eventually subside. I don’t know about you, but my mind actually savors that kind of pain because it feels satisfying and you know that oh so good feeling is around the corner.
I hate to say it, but the older we get, it seems we become accustomed to living with pain. It becomes part of our daily lives and we just stop thinking about it until it becomes unbearable. And that’s when we realize that we need help.
So, my answer is that massage can either be a luxury or a necessity. It just depends on you and how you are feeling.
Please comment below and let me know what you think. Feel free to share your experiences. I’d love to hear from you.