I began to massage as a young boy. In my family, if you lost a bet, your payment was due in the form of a back rub. I never lamented a win nor a loss. I began a professional massage practice as a teenager and continued to attend clients for several decades.
In my early 40s, my technique expanded to include energetic healing in the form of the Frequencies of Brilliance. I cherish massage and my experience with sacred touch. Although my work is now wholly focussed on a different modality, this does not devalue the importance of massage in my life.
I now teach the Frequencies of Brilliance in several countries. Leading these courses entails two weeks in a continually expanded state. After completion, my preferred method to re-establish my footing on the Earth plane is to receive a massage. As I follow the masseuse’s hands with my consciousness, inch by inch crossing my flesh, I am slowly reminded that I have two hands, two arms, two legs, and areas of tension and pleasure. Massage helps me anchor into my cells all the new energy accessed during the course and to relax as I become accustomed to a different equilibrium.
The physical and emotional benefits of massage are well documented. I’d like to suggest a third: the spiritual.
For those dedicated to a path to Enlightenment, the emphasis on non-physical states can sometimes lead to a devaluing of the body. We might sense a harsh contrast between ecstatic spiritual experiences and physical discomfort or pain. It is tempting to battle with our bodies, assuming that they block the path to higher states. We all are growing older and many are contending with illness. These challenges can lead us to miss the true gift, the miracle of the human body.
We can diffuse this conflict by applying the wise teaching of Buddha by accepting his invitation to non-dualistic thinking: I am an immortal, spiritual being, and I am body, with limitations, pain, and eventually, death. As we expand to encompass these two, seemingly contradictory truths, we anchor the sacred into our physical form.
An essential aspect of our third-dimensional experience is developing practices that support the body. When I decide to receive a massage, I am establishing a devotional practice. It is a non-verbal retreat from the world to nurture my inner focus and discover the current state of my musculature. I use the touch of the masseuse to locate where I am tense and, with my consciousness, gently nudge myself towards deep surrender.
Massage is a precious event where I stop all activity and enter into a deeply passive state. It is meditation; the movement of the hands across my body is the mantra, asking me to relax, trust and let go. Those who offer massage and those who receive it are answering a call to an ancient, sacred art.
