This is How I Pause: I help Others Relax through Massaging
Madeleine is a qualified somatologist and has many years of experience as a massage therapist. Her passion is helping women discover their identity and inherent worth. She loves witnessing how God uses massages to help relax and revive people, unburdening themselves in her care.
This Is How I Pause: I Help Others Relax Through Massaging.
After my sister passed away, I started working in the sales and beauty industry. I was overwhelmed by the everyday pressures I faced working in a very target-driven industry while grieving for my sister and processing her sudden death. As a result, I became agitated and emotionally exhausted. I was not physically exhausted, but my mind remained busy with work even while off duty, and at times I would just burst into tears for no apparent reason.
Looking back on this experience, it is all too clear what the reasons were. If you have ever felt like you needed to cope with everyday life while dealing with personal struggles, you will understand the major toll it can take. I know, during this time, what I had needed was to spend time with the Lord and lean on his promises for me, and I needed a long comforting hug. Being touched felt like reassurance that everything, although maybe not now, but later, would be okay.
In our busy modern world with overly packed schedules, we often miss out on an integral part of our Christian walk. Jesus demonstrated this well by serving and then taking time to pause. A stop-and-go type of scenario, if you would like to call it that – as seen in Mark 6:31-32, Matthew 14:13, and Luke 9:10; where Jesus withdrew to a quiet place to be alone and to rest. These days we can go-go-go without stopping to breathe, pray and feed our whole person – our body, soul, and spirit.
We want an all-expenses-paid trip, far away from any problems and crises. What we long for is quiet and the company of a close friend. The reality stands in stark contrast because of money restraints, time limits, responsibilities, and personal struggles. It seems like we will never be able to fulfil our longing for much-needed rest. However, if Jesus sets the example to rest, who are we not to follow?
You might wonder what massage has to do with pausing and resting. We were created body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). If we want to develop as a whole person, we must remember that the one is not more important than the other, for they are interconnected. Therefore, it is essential that all three areas (body, soul, and spirit) will experience refreshment.
As a massage therapist, I hear the phrases:
“I didn’t realize I needed a massage this much.”
“I will have to come for massages more often.”
“This was divine.”
“Being a mom, I am always busy, but I have to treat myself to this more often.”
“I sometimes forget that I am worth being made to feel special. I need to do this every month.”
It is so important that we take time to relax. During a massage, your muscles that are pulled tight because of stressful events or sitting or standing in a specific way, or even because of strenuous physical work, can be manipulated and moulded to regain flexibility and stop the pain caused by those activities. It is also physically impossible to do anything other than lay back and receive while on the massage bed, so it forces us to relax. For 30 to 60 minutes, we have to lay still and rest and can revel in the fact that we are being touched with respect and care. It always makes us aware of just how much our bodies need this.
I always think of the analogy of the empty cup. You cannot pour from an empty cup because there isn’t anything in it. The same goes for us. If one of the components of ourselves is not filled – think again of the body, soul, and spirit – how will we be able to give to others? The reality is that most of us are just continuing with our lives, running on empty. You are worth being treated with kindness and care. You are allowed to breathe and rest. Jesus paid the ultimate prize because He deems you valuable. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is one of my favorite verses, and I would like to conclude with it:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies.”
