Recently I received a spa service, a Custom Massage and Indian Head Massage. Prior to the service, I was experiencing stress. So, this service was very much needed. However, not in the way I thought I would need it.
Although I felt better by the time I received the service, I felt something else entirely during the service. I was brought back to childbirth due to lower back pain. Then, I was brought back to the age of 16 when I experienced stomach pains. How come?
My body must’ve never healed from the trauma, physically and psychologically speaking. That makes sense. When I think back on my labor and birth experience with my daughter, the hardest part for me was the back pain. Not to mention, the healing process of that. I felt back pain for months afterwards. Even as I write this my back is sore! (The service was almost a week ago.)
When I was 16, the doctors didn’t know what was happening. They said I had costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone) and a sensitive stomach, then sent me home. However, at that time, I’d just finished the season of Cheer and Stunt. I wasn’t ready to. I wanted to go for another year. My body told me, “No.”
Looking back at it now, my body was carrying a lot of weight. Not only was I physically throwing people in the air, life was throwing things at me. I was dealing with personal issues during this time. Cheer and Stunt was my escape. It forced me to be happy, with all the smiling and cheering. Eventually I became happy, and I loved what I could do with this sport. When it was over, it made me feel incredibly sad, amongst the other events occurring in my life. I no longer had an escape.
Our bodies carry on much more than they should and are capable of. It holds tension, sometimes in the most random places. It’s up to us to release that energy and give it rest. As a professional who works in helping to heal people and bring them comfort, I see it all the time. I see and feel the stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, congestion, and more. Read about how I self-care here.
Listen to your body. Give it what it needs. We only have one.
