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I hold everythingstress, emotion, fatiguein my body.
Design by Channing Smith
My body often feels my emotions before I do.
Chalk this up tobeing an Aquariusor being an overachieveryour guess is as good as mine.
When our bodies feel good, we function better, physically and mentally.
And yet Id never had a massage until I was given one as a gift in my 20s.
But I never considered getting them routinely, mostly because good massages can be expensive.
And when I was stress-free (or rather, stress-minimized), it wasnt top of mind.
Why buy something before you need it?
That changed after I moved to LA from New York.
I was there thanks to a brand launch that involved treating editors to a massage.
And as with most massages, I felt great after.
It was almost a primal feeling, which, it turns out, has some science to it.
Physical contact and positive touchsuch as being held and hugged in early childhoodare crucial for cognitive and emotional development.
Inadequate touch not only affects infant development but also plays a role in adults with regard to depression andloneliness.
The best part about touch therapy, Moy says, is that it doesnt involve any drugs or medications.
In short, it locks in a lower rate than paying for one-off massages.
(In my case, I spent $80 versus $110.)
And afterthatexperience, I knew I had to make room in my budget for this as a continuedself-care practice.
My body and my mind truly needed it.
Competitive athletes do it one to two times a week.
The average person should aim for once a month or every other month.
Moy believes its better to start with more frequent treatments for the first few weeks.
This can also include reflexology and acupuncture.
The pandemic spawned what is being termed a wellness revolution, says Mendez.
Im better at handling things that in the past would have made me frustrated and irritated.
And the times I do feel on edge?
Its when Im due for my monthly appointment.
Partnered with therapyand other self-care things like aromatherapy and journalingI feel…honestly, better.
Isnt that how we all want to be?
