Part of my birthday present from Jelaine was a trip to the spa. Yes, Lawd…
Leading up to the day of our appointments, things had been more hectic than usual with all the holiday shenanigans and the end of the semester. Needless to say, I was… knotty. And really eager to get on the massage table.
Checked-in and robed, I was led by my massage therapist to a darkened room. She prepared the aromatherapy while I got settled under the sheet, then prepared herself to begin. And, before laying a finger on me, she said, “Wow,” and pressed a digit into my shoulder, “You’re really tense, huh?”
I laughed through the face-hole, hard enough that it echoed off the floor and around the room.
Tense. Ha! Since birth. It’s no secret that my mind goes a million miles an hour, not even considering bad things, but considering in general. I’m what you might call “high energy” and there’s no two ways about it.
That magical “mind/body technician” then proceeded to rock my entire being, knots and mental enrichment and hot spots and all. Not only did she work out some of the adhesions in my neck, she introduced me to the importance of pancreatic health and quite a few techniques to help me eliminate stress as it manifests in my body.
One of the tools she suggested was a foam roller.
So simple.
Yet so effective!
And it has seriously changed my life in only about a week of using it. Oh man… the impact that using it on the front of my thighs alone has been noticeable and really great–from that area alone, I relaxed my core and lower back. Amazing.
It’s the time of year for people to start fitness routines, and this is a really great tool to help recover from workouts and work out sore muscles. There may also be a book or website out there about how best to utilize the foam roller. It’s totally worth it, to alleviate tension and maintain healthy tissues. I wrote about adhesions and restoring health in this article.
I checked out this article for some usage ideas, but am interested in finding out more about the connectedness of our body on a deeper level. Will share!
Taking care and recuperating is just as important as going hard in the paint–it’s all in the balance.
And, please, think of me and sing Ludacris while you use yours.