I first realized the value of a massage after an auto accident I was in. It was a small accident that actually did a lot of damage to me. I was parked downtown Pendleton, seat-belted into the driver side of my Nissan Exterra, looking down at my tablet as I typed up an article from an interview I had just been on.
I thought I was perfectly safe, but I was wrong. A lady in a larger vehicle was trying to parallel park and when she pulled into the parking space behind me she ended up rear ending me with such force my rig jolted forward.
For a moment I thought I had let off the brake, or pushed on the accelerator, I didn’t realize that I had nothing to do with me lunging forward along with my Exterra, while my seatbelt held me tightly to the seat.
My head whipped forward, pulling muscles and tendons along with it, all the while my seatbelt tried to hold me securely in place. When all was said and done, when my rig quit moving and my body settled back to its original position in the seat nothing was as it was before the impact.
A rib under my right shoulder blade was dislocated, my ears began ringing, the cartilage was separated from my breastbone and my neck was once again traumatized from a vehicle accident.
For the next several months I went from physical therapy, to a chiropractor, to a massage therapist. It was a time when the economy was crashing and so was my marriage. All these hands that tried so desperately, efficiently and lovingly to repair my broken body were so appreciated and always looked forward to the days of the week that I got to spend being taken care of and loved by these strangers who decided to help people heal; strangers who became friends. It was a beautiful time in my life and I gained an appreciation for people who are called to be healers.
So today I was more than a little willing to go spend an hour under hot sheets and heavy blankets while my new massage therapist, in my new town, went to work pushing, and prodding my body. At times it was almost to much, the line between pain and pleasure is very fine, but I knew if I could withstand it when it was a little uncomfortable my body would thank me later.
A massage doesn’t just last the hour a person is on the table, it lasts into the rest of the day and into the night, and that is exactly what this one has done. I can tell I got a massage today. My body is slightly sore, but so relaxed. My neck, so used to being tense and tight, feels limber and moves easily. My rib that was dislocated all those years ago in that car accident is resting in place, the muscles and ligaments around it are relaxed, a huge difference from the knotted up tenseness that area feels so often.
We chatted more than usual this time around. I usually like to just relax and feel ever little bit of pushing, pulling and kneading that she does to every muscles she puts her hands on, but today was different. We enjoyed some small talk and got to know each other a little better before I drifted into silence.
She worked over my back, my shoulders and arms, my legs, and my neck…an hour flies by when you are on the massage table and just like that she was done. I would have liked to lay there for another hour and take a nap. Amazing how comfortable a little massage table can be after an hours worth of therapy.
She left the room, I laid there telling myself I couldn’t fall asleep. I finally sat up and looked around. It was only my second time here, so I took some time to take some pictures and to notice how peaceful the room was decorated. From the salt lamps, to the mirrors and macrame that hung on the walls, it was a perfect place to spend an hour a month. I feel very blessed that I can have this luxury of getting a massage once a month, and I am looking forward to my March appointment. I highly recommend Massage Now in Hermiston, Oregon for all of your massage needs.
