Let's face it yogis and massage therapists: we need each other.
The union of bodywork and yoga create a beautiful reciprocal relationship that nurtures and deepens mind/body awareness, acknowledges our functional limitations and works to move through, and eventually, beyond them.
Restrictions are openings to maximize potential. When you feel the sensations of pain and burning and you think to yourself "I can't release anymore!", you actually can. When you arrive to this state in your practice, it is because this is where you have to pay attention much more than if things were easy. If there is restriction from injury or chronic pain, it calls for resiliency and inspiration to continue to expand. Yoga allows a person to feel their fascia and underlying muscle structures as they move in and out of asanas, training the mind to deepen its growth of awareness and presence in the moment.
Massage genuinely complements a yogis practice by allowing the breath to rule and approaching pain as a teacher. Both practices increase the speed of healing from injuries and accidents and present sublime opportunities for the mind to rest and body to speak. Massage and yoga see the body as whole, unified, interactive and seeks to erase traumatic imprints through patience, understanding and thoughtful practice.
By combining breath, presence and embracing the art of letting go, massage and yoga are truly the perfect couple. Both practices provide a space that is raw, beautiful, painful and therapeutic all at once.
