I used to give massages to another therapist, a rather interesting woman, middle-aged and artistic, who said, “Under every tickle is a hurt.” I thought her adage was too simplistic, yet it did give me something to think about, especially when a non-ticklish person gets tickled during a massage. And it supplied me another story to tell.
Ray came to me regularly for massage. Among other things, I worked hard to relieve his sciatic pain on the right side. During a period when I had been reviewing class notes on deep tissue work, I determined to get Ray’s hard right calf to relax. So I set to work applying the deep tissue routine I was taught. Of course the work was painful. Ray directed me by reporting levels of pain as I worked. When finally I felt the muscles relax, I finished up and excitedly asked, “Does that feel better now?” Ray quickly replied, “Well yeah, a lot better since you quit!”
I laugh at this point in the telling, hoping the client I am currently hurting will have the same good humor as Ray.
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| Mixed media on paper. Phillip Hoyle |
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