I like getting a massage every now and then. There’s nothing like a massage to set me right after road trips and more-stressful-than-usual times. All that pressing, kneading and stretching leave me feeling wrung out and fresh, like newly-washed clothes hung out to dry — ready to face another drubbing (kidding there).
It’s probably an indication of the high levels of stress that city dwellers have to endure that massage parlors are sprouting left and right. Take Davao for instance, from the high-end spas to the freebie massage bundled with the haircuts at the neighborhood barberohan, massage opportunities are available to Davaoenos on a 24-hour basis.
Obviously, it no longer is a perk exclusive to haves. Factory workers and those in the informal sector take recourse to a good session and many massage outfits are filled to capacity on paydays. Going rates for an hour of a no-frills session are Php180 on one end to Php900 on the obviously high end. (Tips are de rigueur. Put yourself in the shoes of the masseuse).
I frequent a center run by a cooperative of blind masseuses. I like the no-nonsense service, the fact that they’re a self-help organization, and the friendly banter which sometimes includes collective worry over whether they are making enough for the overheads. Once there was a big to-do because they had to turn away somebody who had come in a little late. One of the members argued that the customer shouldn’t have been turned away because “basi’g kapoy ‘to ug nanginahanglan og serbisyo.” If that’s not a clear orientation for service I don’t know what is. They run two branches; one at NCCC and at South Mall (aka JS Gaisano Mall). Check them out.
Massage roughly translates to masahe and hilot in Cebuano. Have you thought about the difference between the two? Is it masahe when it’s meant to mainly bring about relaxation, whereas hilot is more oriented towards healing? I remember being brought to hilots to fix childhood sprains and maladies. Some of the manghihilots used oils that were vaunted to have healing powers. Others used saliva (was that the power of spit?). But that’s another story.
I appreciate massages for another reason, because of the analogies I can draw between reflecting and getting a massage.
Some massage techniques, particularly shiatsu, are oriented to take out the knots in one’s muscles. Much like accupressure, the emphasis is on applying pressure to specific areas using fingers. The sensation is akin to probing and bearing down on points much like what what happens in reflection when we mull over things to unlock them and get to their roots. Chances are it will be initially uncomfortable. In accupressure, a sensitive spot signals blockage or sluggishness in the associated organ. A point’s significance is likely to be directly proportional to the pain one experiences in the exploration. So one endures the discomfort in anticipation of relief and release. Truly, isn’t it wonderful when one finally “gets” a point and connects to it? Sometimes when that happens, the buzz is almost like a jolt of energy, motivating one to act and to change.
Other techniques emphasize paying attention to muscle systems. The Swedish style emphasizes long, flowing and repetitive strokes to improve circulation. Some days it feels like I’m hopelessly stuck on a groove, going round and round the same mass of thoughts. But then I become unstuck and things flow again.
Thai massage features stretching, bending and vigorous slapping. I find that inner conversations can help us flex our systems and enable us to become more resilient. And sometimes, the “slaps” bring us back to our senses and reactivate our clogged value systems (”whap! what was I thinking?!).
For the spa-bitues, a spa session nicely rounds up the massage, and the steam lets one sweat. A good sit-down with the self can do that too — make one sweat (to become uncomfortable with the way things are), open up, and flush out the toxins of negative thoughts and emotions.
Taking recourse to massages and periodically stopping to reflect are measures that can help us cope in today’s constricting environs. They can enable us to relax and avoid excessive grasping. They can aid healing and be a source of daily renewal.
They also fulfill what I would consider a basic human need: the need to be touched and to get in touch. Babies apparently respond well to touch, and perhaps a massage serves the same function. Receiving ministration and attention, our body feels encouraged to perform the myriad functions that spell out our survival. When we reflect, we tune in to our selves and our sense of what is sublime, and tune out the noise of everybody. It is a way of saying “I am not totally lost, I am still in touch with my mind and soul, the inner me.”
I wonder if the number of people who get massages approximate the number of those who also take time to reflect?
I’d like to think so. After all, if one cares enough for one’s physique to get a massage, why won’t one similarly tend to one’s psyche?
