It
is well known that muscles and other tissues in your body hold tension and
patterns from previous experiences. Most people associate this with traumatic
physical events like falling from the top of a cheerleading pyramid or perhaps something
as simple as twisting the wrong way when reaching to pick up a box. But did you
know that there is also a certain amount of emotion held up in those tissues as
well? It’s true! Your body, not just your brain, plays a key role in memory and
emotional storage.
This
can be a bit of a double-edged sword however. As I am sure you have noticed, in
times of great emotional stress, you begin to feel physically stressed as well.
If left unresolved, the buildup of stress can have long-term effects on your
body, lasting long after the emotional stress has faded or been suppressed. Your
body moves into a holding pattern that feels safe, even though it may be having
a detrimental impact on your health and wellness. So what happens when you go
to have the physical stress dealt with?
The
term "emotional release" has been around in the massage therapy world
for quite some time now. Perhaps you have heard the term but have never thought
about what it really means. The fact is, most
people have experienced emotional release during or after a massage and have
had no idea that this is what they were experiencing. The body-mind
connection is very strong. When your body finally tells you it has had enough
and you go in for a massage to correct the ailment that is reducing your
quality of life, things can get tricky. The therapist begins work on an area
and suddenly whatever emotions you though had faded or been sufficiently
supressed flood back to you. For some, there comes an image attached to the
emotion that you can relate to; for others there is no rhyme or reason to it –
you just feel. Whatever the emotion was that was tied into your tissues, it is
suddenly being let go and you are left with emotions you didn’t know were
there. This can be anything from mad, sad, glad, scared, or even frustrated. It
can happen during or even after a treatment. This is called “emotional release”.
So why is it important for you to know what “emotional
release” is? First, when emotions come up out of nowhere, you can be assured
that it is normal – you are not the only one this has ever happened to and it
isn’t something to be afraid of. Second, knowing what emotional release is
helps you to process it better when it occurs to you. Third, it is important to
know that the massage therapy treatment room is a non-judgemental, safe
environment. Most, if not all, RMTs have dealt with some form of emotional
release on the table. They know that it happens, and while they cannot counsel
you through your emotional trauma, they will sit and be an ear to talk to if
that is what you need, and they can help you to regain your focus. Finally, if
you need your treatment to stop or change at any time to accommodate dealing
with your emotional release, please say so. You have the right to stop or alter
your treatment at any time. Some people need the RMT to keep working for them
to deal with their emotions, and some need complete hands off time.
Whichever
you need, inform your RMT so it can be done: many times orthopedic conditions
are held back from progressing by emotions that have not been dealt with
because you didn’t know they were there to begin with – my suggestion would be
to embrace it and figure out how you need to deal with your emotions on an
individual basis. It is important for your body and mind to embrace emotional
releases, however they come up.
<Photo Credit: http://atelierenews.blogspot.ca>