Touch is one of the most ancient expressions of our living being.
When we are happy to see a person, we are happy to embrace them.
When we have a headache, we instinctively put a hand on the part that hurts.
When a child has a tummy ache, parents instinctively massage the child’s belly.
When an animal is injured, it licks its wound.
The touch can be a caress but it can also be a massage or a self-massage. Touch is beneficial in itself, and it brings relaxation.
The WellnessDayByDay project aims to help people create the habit of performing simple, easy and short techniques of self-massage, movement and stretching whenever they can, anywhere and at any time of the day. Yes, movement and stretching are also a form of self-massage.
If we do not have the time or the possibility of being massaged/treated by someone competent, (which I like twice a month, but am not always able to fit it in), self-massage, movement and stretching can relieve the tension accumulated during the day.
Wellness should not be a special event that we prepare for by expending a lot of effort, nor should it be the desired vacation that we have waited for months.
Wellness should be easy, affordable and regular. Self-massage, movement, stretching are all part of wellness.
Therefore, rhythm and regularity. At home, in the office, wherever and whenever we can. Animals actively and spontaneously take care of their wellness every day. Think of cats and tigers and how many times a day they stretch. Think of dolphins leaping out of the water. Stretching and moving is a pleasure for them. It should be a pleasure for us too.
One day I was talking to a friend who had a chronic headache caused by the muscular tension in her neck. Long hours in front of the screen can cause tension in the jaw and neck. I suggested she try stretching her back and neck, every once in a while during the day, even only for a few seconds, even in the office at her desk. She tried and found that the movement and stretching gave her a sense of relief and pleasure.
This is exactly what we should look for when we stretch and do our self-massage: relief and pleasure.
Furthermore, with self-massage, we develop a very important natural skill that animals possess and that we – civilized beings – have mostly lost: self-listening.
Self-listening helps us intervene at the time of the slightest annoyance before it becomes a big problem. Our body speaks to us continuously. Self-listening should be a normal and daily part of our routine. If we get into the habit of listening to our body correctly, the body will guide us because it contains its own wisdom.
For this reason, at some point, we will find out that there are no rigid instructions for self-massage because it is our body that will tell us what it needs, what it does and does not like.
So happy self-massage, happy self-listening and happy Wellness Day By Day!
Please note: the self-massage and stretching techniques proposed on this website are derived from Shiatsu, an energy rebalancing system that facilitates psychophysical wellness, and other Oriental disciplines. Remember that Shiatsu, self-massage, stretching and other disciplines do not replace any medical therapy. If you have a particular physical condition, please consult your doctor.
Picture courtesy of Pagie Page on Unsplash