MyMa Movement
by Angi Purinton
There is the common echo I hear people say - “I need a massage/ I should get a massage,” as they rub their neck or grab their lower back. Many understand the importance of touch the minute their body screams out in pain. The body speaks to us long before that breaking point but with our daily activities, we tend to ignore that warning signal our body will gently provide. Warning signs, as simple as stiffness in the neck for just one morning, can go unnoticed until a week later, when we cannot move our head left or right. Why wait until immobility to receive bodywork?
Awareness of My Maintenance
There is the need of body awareness. People have become so disconnected from their bodies. One of the most amazing sights is watching a baby discover their body. I recall my little cousin would stare at his hands and squeal with delight realizing he had these useful grabbing tools at the end of his arm. What a discovery, to become aware of our hands! At least it was for him….
But this is the same attitude we should take in re-discovering our bodies. We have the ability to self-heal, to regenerate, to reproduce, to adapt, and to control ourselves through our brain. What a powerful tool are we? Within that power, we should know how to care for this glorious machine; and by caring we need to listen to subtle signals that our body will provide.
Body Wellness Maintenance
Before the comment of “I need a massage,” we should take the time to maintain. Exercise and diet are pounded in our brain as necessities in maintaining a healthy body. However, maintaining a healthy body is just like the care of a car. You would certainly drive it and give it gas but with wear and tear, cars need maintenance on the tires, oil filters, engine coolant, etc. The list goes on. As does for our body, there is a checklist that we need to follow just as we do for our automobiles. Stretching is important to open up and expand muscle fibers, stretch tendons and ligaments and understand our tight areas. Meditation is important to open our minds, expand our thoughts, stretch the sub consciousness, and understand how we are inside our bodies.
The Importance of Bodywork
Massage therapy, circumferences all the above; without realizing the importance of maintaining constant bodywork throughout the year, our bodies wear out and slow down. Limited range of motion and stiffness can affect our daily activities. Hips and low back, shoulders, as well as the jaw and neck, tend to be problem areas. Massage therapy opens tight areas of the body through passive stretching, deep tissue and pressure point work. By releasing this tension through massage, we can continue our day and nights pain-free. Bodywork also expands our lungs as we breathe with each stroke. We are able to relax our minds as well as our muscles.
Through this awareness that massage therapy affords us, we are able to stay more balanced, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Thus, we come to understand the importance of the maintenance of our body through massage therapy.
Angi Purinton is a New York licensed Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor. Angi is the creator of the MyMa Movement, a movement to educate all on the importance of maintaining a healthy balance. She is implementing a massage/stretch class called MyMa Stretch that teaches awareness and self care.
Her Message Is Simple: MY BODY :: MY TIME :: MY MAINTENANCE
