Massage Therapy Journal Spring 2025

Spring 2025 • 17

All of these qualities are hard to teach as part of a curriculum because they are unique to every person. What is common is that they are all part of being a human being—and we can’t separate our being human from our work. The more we can synthesize our work with our humanity, the better able we’ll be to transform the way we work into a way of caring for ourselves. We’ll dive into this by looking at a few practices that may be easily woven into your current self-care regimen, including: taking time to discharge, developing a positive relationship with stress, maintaining a beginner’s mind, cultivating neutrality, knowing your worth, taking ownership of your awareness and having patience in your practice. “The whole world can be explained in just one sentence. ‘What is being discharged is old and what is being charged is new.’” —DADA BHAGWAN Understanding How Discharge/ Recharge Can Help You Maintain Your Energy We are in a state of continual charge, and much like batteries we need to recharge ourselves. If we go too long without a power source, we run out of juice. What’s more is that our charges are shifting positively and/or negatively per our interactions with sources of energy that possess their own charges, including other people. When energies mix and mingle in as intimate a setting as a massage, it’s prudent to pay attention to how your own energy feels afterward. You may feel the need to recharge from the expense of energy or you may even feel the need to discharge an accumulation of extra energy. Either way, there is an energetic imbalance that you would do well to correct before your next session or before you go home.

You may not have any real opportunities to fully rebalance your energy until the end of your day. There are quick ways to restabilize yourself between sessions, however: 1. Taking a minute of mindful breaths 2. Step outside and stand in the grass, if it’s warm enough, or just stay quiet for a minute and listen to what’s going on in nature 3. Brew a quick cup of herbal tea and take time to enjoy, noticing the flavors and warmth on your tongue These little respites can help you maintain your energy throughout your workday. Still, you should plan for a full discharge session at the end of your day that is ideally long enough to create a sufficient buffer between the workspace and your home whenever possible. This self-care may look like stopping by the gym to exercise on your way home, taking some time to lay down before moving onto the next thing, or even talking with colleagues. Work has a way of coming home with us and even more so nowadays with text, emails and social media. Resist the urge to dive right back into work mode at home through such mediums and do your best to give those things their own space to be addressed.

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