For massage therapists and bodyworkers who are just starting their careers, fresh from training, every part of a daily practice can seem wonderful and charming. As time goes by, however, it can be easy to get used to one’s daily doings and lose that positive, open and embracing fresh perspective. Fortunately, this is where a bit of mental practice can come into play to help veteran massage therapists and bodyworkers continue to see their work through objective eyes.
Such mental practice can be so important, not only because it can help the massage therapist or bodyworker reap more rewards and derive more joy from his daily work, but also because a consistent, objective outlook can be crucial when it comes to continually improving one’s practice. It can be difficult to remain vital when one stops growing and improving, so making a commitment to continue evolving in your practice can be one of the keys to lasting success.
One place to begin your mental practice of creating fresh eyes and viewing your work with an objective perspective is by thinking about your massage cream. Massage cream is a great place to start because it is one tool in the massage therapy and bodywork trade that is used on a regular basis—often during every massage session. Therefore, it is easy to lose one’s fresh perspective about massage cream and rarely think about it at all.
Going on autopilot about any aspect of your practice, including your massage cream, can be a recipe for less satisfied clients, a duller practice and decreased joy in your daily work. So, begin by making a commitment to view your massage cream with the fresh eyes of a beginning practitioner, and to observe the way your massage cream works from an objective perspective. This mental exercise will prevent you from going into autopilot mode when it comes to your massage cream.
To start, next time you reach for your massage cream in the session room, be fully aware of everything about it. Do you like the dispenser that contains your massage cream? Is it easy to access the massage cream, and does it dispense it in the right amounts? You may notice the container makes it easy for you to get just the right quantity of massage cream throughout each session, and to do so quickly and smoothly.
On the other hand, after performing this mental exercise, you may realize you waste time trying to get the right amount of massage cream out during each session, and that a better dispenser could make your daily session work flow quite a bit better.
Once the massage cream is out of the bottle, continue paying attention to every detail, from the way the cream smells and whether this scent fills the session room to the way the massage cream feels on your hands and how fast it sinks in to each client’s skin.