DIVI9 CHAT

{ DIVI9 }{ DIVI9 CHAT } AN ACCUMULATION OF THOUGHTS

BY RAQUEL WALKER

My body screamed at me all week and as if in a final stand of displaying it’s dismay my ovulation was a painful one. I have noticed this to be the case for the past few months. Today, I paid careful attention. My energy levels became low, I barely wanted to make use of my energy to speak. I was engaged in a conversation about the choice between resting or being productive. Once home the dog hoped for her walk and my husband called for team work in folding laundry. I continued to pay close attention, though not making mention of the pains I began to feel, that is until they no longer allowed me to pretend.

I finally told my husband I wasn’t feeling well and went to lay down with my defeated dog by my side.

What’s the matter?

Discomfort is your body’s way of bringing your attention to a matter. The problem is we don’t bring conscious awareness to our discomfort. One of my most repeated conversations is how we often rely on the expertise of others and hold them responsible for our healing, while they are in fact to play a supporting role, responding to our needs as we jointly sort through the signals of our body.

It’s not often that pain forces me to rest, forces me to check within, forces me to acknowledge its presence in such a loud manner. I quiet my mind so that my body could speak, my mind going deeper with each breath. I felt fluttering within my womb; my pelvic floor was in spasm. The last time this happened the sensation of pain lasted two days. It was an awful two days, especially because discomfort of this kind also makes shared company and space challenging.

Massage supports the elevation of mood,

The science is simple, massages lower the production of cortisol produced under stress and increase the production of hormones such as oxytocin. Client 1 shared, “The emotions that you experience during the healing process, for example, of lipo or Brazilian butt lift (bbl) are not talked about. It’s depressing to have to lay on your stomach all day for weeks and months waiting to heal.” According to American Psychological Association (APA) depression is known to suppress the immune system which affects an individual’s overall health. A second client is notorious for mentioning that each time she comes in for a massage someone lives a day longer. I laugh, but I know just how significant her massage is. It is a matter of peace; restoring a sense of balance to life’s ever changing demands. She says, “I always leave in a better mood.”

Yes, I get massages

Recently a third client said “When I decided to begin to get massages I wasn’t sure if it was something Black people did. I wondered if our culture knew about and believed in the benefits of massage, even now in groups I’m in, people ask why I get them and comment that I don’t need them.” It is quite ok to receive support, that is what your massage therapist provides, regardless of the style of massage that is needed, ranging from swedish to lymphatic.

My husband saw the pain I was in and though he felt compassion for me he didn’t know how to care for me beyond that. As I prepared to continue to deal with the pain myself I watched him exit the room. I decided to call out to him and ask him to help. I know that stopping the spasm requires pressure. Often when you are in pain the last thing you feel capable of is applying steady firm pressure yourself. However, being superwoman and all, I’m sure I was quite capable. However, it was comforting to receive his support and he helped me to apply pressure as I directed him. Over the years, I have realized that one of the most harmful things I had done was to downplay my need for support. Additionally, my failure to express my physical pain had produced counterproductive outcomes.

As the physical pain dissipated in less time than I would have experienced had I worked through it on my own, tears began to flow as I explained my realization and appreciation of the moment.

It has been my experience that massage elevates the feelings of connectedness which boosts the immune response leading to a greater sense of well being. Emotional releases are also common and beneficial. The therapeutic benefits of massage to all the systems of the body is truly remarkable.

“When I decided to begin to get massages I wasn’t sure if it was something Black people did.”

310 ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE : AUGUST EDITION 2021