Imagine the scene: dimmed soothing lights as you enter, a faint smell of sandalwood wafting through the air, meditative music and a heated bed: nothing more than a sensory delight. This is my experience every time I visit Natural Balance Therapies.
At the beginning of each session Mark, my therapist, always asks about my health and massage needs. We discuss what pains I have and agree on what he will be working on.
I suffer from back problems and neck and shoulder problems which come about for a number of reasons. I am a mosaic artist and painter and do a lot of concentrated work which plays havoc with my neck and shoulders. I also write a lot and spend long periods of time on the computer which exacerbates the problem. I also have very large boobs which are a strain on my back and although I do a lot of back strengthening exercises there is a daily strain on my body.
A massage from Mark is like some kind of magic and I often refer to him as having magic hands. He has strong firm hands which really get deep into the pain and tension and slowly I feel my body uncurling and my muscles breathing a sigh of relief. At this point, he brings out the hot stones and as he places each one on my back muscles, I can feel myself melt. The heat spreads through my body and I feel calm.
As Mark works on my tired aching muscles the heat from the heated bed through my body and I relax. Sometimes I even begin to nod off. But that just goes to show how relaxed the experience can be.
When Mark has finished I feel a newness in my body, the pains are lifted and I feel once again that I can get stuck into a fresh piece of art with new energy and vigour. Thank you Mark for lifting my spirits and my pain.
By Kathy Serinturk, Mosaic Artist
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