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Table of Contents Ate
So Little Time, So Many Massages 69
Massage for relaxation 70
Ftx massage 72
Remodeling your body for fun and profit 73
Touch Terminology 73
Chapter 6: Look Who's Coming to Touch You 79
Stalking the Elusive Referral 79
Getting a Helping Hand 82
Locating a Massage Therapist 82
Checking the ads 83
Letting your fingers do the walking 83
Opening the bureau door 8• 3
Going back to school 8• 4
Pampering Your Massage Therapist 85
Licensing Touch 86
Chapter 7: The Rules for Receiving Massage 89
Rule #1: Keep Breathing 90
Going with the diaphragm's flow 91
Exercising your breathing muscles 92
Rule #2: Stay Loose 92
Rule #3: Let Go 93
Rule #4: Stop Thinking, Start Being 95
Rule #5: No Pain, No Gain? No Way! 95
Rule #6: Listen to Your Emotions 97
Rule #7: Blissing Out Is Okay 98
Rule #8: It's Cool to Be Nude (Or Not) 99
Rule #9: You're the Boss 99
Rule #10: Be Grateful 100
Chapter 8: Your First Massage Appointment — Step-by-Step 101
Your First Appointment with a Pro 101
Preparation 101
Communication 102
Getting comfortable 103
The first touch 105
During the Massage 106
Coming back slowly 108
Afterglow 108
To Up or not to Up 109
Where to Go to Get Massaged 110
Your own home 111
The massage therapist's home 111
Spas 112
Cruise ships 112
Hotels 113
Health clubs 113
Clinics 114
Student massage clinics 114
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xx Massage For Dummies
Part 111: The Art of Giving Massage 115
Chapter 9: Massage Moods: Getting the Setting Right 117
Creating the Inner Chamber 117
Scents 118
Sights 120
Sounds 121
Location location location 123
Privacy, please 124
The "massage mood" 125
Trading Places 127
Chapter 10: All The Right Moves 129
Don't Do It, Mon! 130
Contraindications 130
Bad moves 132
Danger zones 133
Please don't do that 134
Building Your Massage Muscles 136
You Got 'da Moves 137
Slip-sliding away: The pleasures of gliding 138
"X" marks the spot: Pressing 140
Let's do the twist: Kneading 142
Wax on, wax off: Rubbing 145
Shake, rattle, and roll: Shaking 146
Get into the rhythm: Tapping 149
Keep it loose: Stretching 151
Massage moves in a nutshell 153
The Massage Dance 154
Massage Gizmos 156
Gravity-assisted gizmos 157
Pressure tools 158
Mechanical devices 159
The best gizmo of all 160
Chapter 11: Putting the Moves Together 161
Setting Up 162
Table for one? 162
Sheets, towels, and so on 163
Oil's Well That Ends Well 164
Bottle placement 165
Your own oil blends 165
The Rules for Giving Massage 166
The Massage 168
Cleanliness first 168
Take your positions 169
Invocation 170
The Force, Luke, remember the Force 170
The first touch 170
The back 171
Back of the legs and buttocks 176
Face and scalp 180
Neck and shoulders 183
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Table of Contents kkl
Arms and hands 185
Torso 188
Front of the legs and feet 189
The grand finale 194
Pan IC/ Massage at Work 197
Chapter 12: The New Coffee Break: Corporate
Massage for a Digital Generation 199
Corporate Massage - 200
Massage Chairs 202
The Chair Routine 205
Shoulders and upper back 205
Arms 206
Lower back 207
Neck 208
Head 210
Finish 210
Chapter 13: Cubicle Maneuvers: Self-Massage for the
Keyboard Jockey 213
Self-Massage: The Basics 214
Self-Massage Mini-Routine 214
Irrigate your head 214
Stretch your arms and upper back 215
Massage your temples, face, and Jaw 216
Rub that neck 218
Squeeze your arms and hands 218
Massage your lower back 219
Squeeze your legs 220
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 222
Do you have CTS? 223
What you can do about CTS 224
Exercise and self-massage for CTS 225
Chapter 14: Relief for the Feet with Reflexology 229
High Heels and Other Enemies of the Feet 230
Reflexology 230
Zone Therapy 231
Foot Massage Routine 232
Positioning 233
Points to remember 233
Basic moves 234
Step-by-step 236
Part t Living the Good Life: Massage for Every Body 241
Chapter 15: The Spa Lifestyle: Massage, Youth, and Beauty .243
Spas: More than Just a Pretty Jacuzzi 243
Choosing a Spa 244
Visiting the spa down the street 245
Choosing a spa that's right for you 245
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Massage For Dummies
xvii
Spa Treatments 246
Scrubs 247
Facials 249
Wraps 250
Hydrotherapy 251
Mud, seaweed, and other messy things 253
Massage-O-Matic Specialty Stores 253
Manufacturers' outlets 253
Ergonomic specialists 254
Massage-o-matics 255
Chapter 16: Higher, Faster, Stronger: Sports Massage .257
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get a Massage .257
Good times to use sports massage .258
Where to find sports massage .258
The Techniques .259
Sporty moves .259
Stretches 260
Routines 262
A Pain in the Elbow, a Pain in the Butt 262
Tennis elbow 262
Runner's cramps 263
Chapter 17: Taking It With You: Massage On the Go 265
One World, Many Massages 265
Massage on the Road 267
Massage in Coach Class 268
The coach-class self-massage 268
A couple extra tips 269
Chapter 18: Massage for the Whole Family .271
All in the Family 271
Baby Massage 273
Why baby loves massage 274
Baby massage moves 274
Baby massage routine 275
Baby massage training 276
Not for Women Only 277
Massaging mommy-to-be 277
PMS (Please Massage Soon) 279
Meno-possiblities 279
Senior Massage 280
Reach out and touch someone older 280
A chance to give back .281
Professional senior massage 281
Touch at the end of life 282
Chapter19: The Lover's Touch: Massage and Intimacy .283
Sensual Touch 284
The right intention 284
Spontaneity 284
Sensitivity 285
Soft hands 285
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Table of Contents
Setting the Sensual Mood 286
Flavored massage oils 286
Little devices 286
Videos 287
Sensual Moves 287
Creating fuller contact 287
Limb draping 288
Hair gliding 288
Belly touching 288
The most sensual organ of them all 289
Fantasizing is okay 290
Chapter 20: Have Hands, Will Travel: Doing Massage for a Living .291
Is This the Career for You? 291
The ten traits of a born massage therapist 292
An honest look at yourself 293
The Massage Adventure 293
Getting trained 294
Obtaining licensing and certification 296
Discovering your new lifestyle 297
Where the Profession Is Headed 299
Where you can go as a massage therapist 299
The gift beyond price 300
Part 0: The Pan of Tens 301
Chapter 21: Ten Top Places to Study Massage 303
Chapter 22: Ten Outstanding Places to Receive a
Topnotch Massage 309
Chapter 23: Ten Inventive Ways to Give Massage as a Gift 315
Chapter 24: Ten Massage Techniques That Your Dog or
Cat Will Love 317
Chapter 25: Ten Quick and Easy Massage Techniques for
Easing Stress 321
Appendix 325
Index 339
Book Registration Information Back of Book
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Astrig Massage For Dummies
EFTA00008044

Foreword
andrefresh your soul. I'm of course talking about massage.
Logging 20,000 miles a year may have made me somewhat of an
expert on the lifestyles of the rich and famous, but it also taught
me to value some of life's simple pleasures, like massage.
Whenever I arrive at a new destination, be it the Oriental Hotel in
Bangkok, Thailand, or the Canyon Ranch Spa at the Venetian in Las
Vegas, the first thing I do after I check in is escape to a good mas-
sage. It's the only cure for whatever ails you. Being a devotee of the
art of a good massage, my mania isn't confined to Just when I'm
traveling. I have a massage table in my home in Jumby Bay,
Antigua, and SueHua, my Chinese masseuse, is a daily treat....
Perhaps the best thing about massage is that absolutely everyone
can enjoy it, recreating one of the greatest pleasures of the jet-set
crowd right at home. And now, finally, there's a way for all of us to
learn the secrets from one of the great masters of massage, Steve
CapeRini. This book reveals dozens of healthy tips to help you
achieve inner harmony, peace of mind, and an entirely new level of
well-being, whether you're receiving your massage at a great
luxury hotel on the island of Maui, or on your very own living room
floor.
Massage is truly one of the greatest gifts that is a delight to receive
and a joy to give. Have fun as you read along and practice because
you may even make a few new friends.
Robin Leach
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Atni Massage For Dummies
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Introduction
For
n those of us who've already discovered it, massage Is just about the
niftiest thing on the planet. Better than chocolate. Better than pizza. It's
a great way to feel better, look better, treat people better, and treat yourself
better, too. It's one hundred percent good for you, with no artificial additives
or ingredients, and it's easy to do. In fact, one of the best things about mas-
sage is that you don't need a lot of fancy expensive equipment in order to get
one or give one. All you really need to get started is a human body. Got one?
Great! Then you're ready to go.
First, let me introduce myself and explain what qualifies me to teach you about
this subject in the first place. I've been massaging people for a living since I
was 23 years old. That's more than 16 years and well over 10,000 massages.
I've trained other massage therapists around the world at resorts, in work-
shops, and in massage schools, and I've written a few books on the subject.
But there's something more to it than that. If all I were offering you was tech-
nical experience, analytical knowledge, and rah-rah enthusiasm, I wouldn't
blame you for approaching this book with indifference or even boredom.
Yet another book about the beauties and wonders of massage strokes and
maneuvers? Wax on, wax off. Yawn.
The Massage Adventure
What I hope to offer you is more than technique, more than know-how, even
more than increased pleasure and greater health in your everyday life. What I
will be trying to get across in all of the pages to follow is a new way to be. I've
transformed my own life into an ongoing, unfolding massage adventure and
would be most sincerely honored to act as your guide along a similar journey
of inner and outer exploration. There's a big, wild world out there, and
there's an even bigger, wilder world inside your own body and mind. Massage
is an excellent vehicle through which to explore both.
Touching other people with the intention of making them feel better and
improving the quality of their lives is one of the most worthy ways to spend
one's time as a human being. Massage, in this sense, Is more than a Job. It's a
calling, a cause, a mission. I realize, of course, that this may sound a tad
overzealous. Not everybody feels this way, which is good because if they did
EFTA00008047

2
Massage For Dummies
feel this way, then they'd all be massage therapists like me, and there would
be nobody left to do other important Jobs like delivering office furniture,
piloting commercial airplanes, and making incorrect predictions about the
stock market.
But regardless of their "real" jobs, whether they know it or not, everybody in
this world is a living, breathing massage sponge. Take you, for example. Right
now, before you get to the next paragraph, take a moment to become aware
of your body. Where are you? What is touching you? A chair on your bottom?
A bed on your whole backside? A carpeted floor pressing against your feet?
Somewhere, something is touching you, unless you are reading this introduc-
tion to Massage For Dummies in free fall during a skydiving expedition (In
which case your clothing and the harness over your shoulders are still touch-
ing you, not to mention the friction of the air rushing by). In fact, this entire
world is reaching out and massaging you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Gravity is the grip, and everything else is the hand.
Those people with a more spiritual bent may even be tempted to say that
"God" or the "Supreme Being" or the "Ultimate Massage Therapist" is touch-
ing us all the time, as reflected in mystical songs throughout the ages, such
as the ancient Gregorian chant, Omnis Mundus In Manus Hobe°, which,
roughly translated, means "He's got the whole world in His hands. He's got
the whole wide world...."
You're not atone
The world is filled with millions of people who have already started their own
massage adventures. In fact, in the U.S. alone, approximately 28 million
people have received a professional massage, and that number is growing
quickly. Millions more have exchanged massages on a non-professional basis
with friends and family. Insurance companies are starting to reimburse for it,
doctors are Including it in their practices, and practically every hair salon in
every city is turning Into a day spa and offering massage to clients. You've
probably seen massage on shows like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It's
everywhere, and yet, if you're like most people, you still haven't received a
massage, and you have quite a few questions about how it works and what it
can do for you. If that's the case, then this is the book for you.
You don't have to be a hippie
Let me reassure you right here at the beginning that I'm not going to ask you
to do anything you're uncomfortable with. In fact, if you want to receive a
massage while wearing a formal, ankle-length ball gown or a football uniform
EFTA00008048

3
Introduction
complete with pads, that's fine with me. It may cut down on the effectiveness
of certain massage techniques, but I'm not here to tell you what your style
should be. I'm here to help you feel comfortable about including massage in
your life in whatever ways you see fit.
In this book, you're going to find lots of ways to make massage a part of your
day-to-day activities so that it becomes as natural as brushing your teeth, dri-
ving your car, or peeling the stickers off sales items you buy as Christmas
presents. And in order to help you accomplish this, I've enlisted the help of a
pretty impressive character, my co-author, Michel Van Welden. First of all,
you should know that Michel is a man. In France, where he's from, many men
are called Michel. He's a physical therapist and naturopathic therapist who's
traveled the world teaching other therapists and physicians about massage.
An expert on physiology and the skin, he has been personally responsible for
getting the FDA in this country to sit up and pay serious attention to the
effects of certain kinds of massage. The way he accomplished this was
through several highly complex laboratory experiments studying (I'm not
making this up) the effects of massage on pigs. I defer to Michel's clinical
expertise on many crucial issues, and my hope is that his scientific knowl-
edge sets your mind at ease regarding the effectiveness and safety of
massage. Throughout your average, everyday paragraphs in this book,
though, it will be me, Steve, acting as your guide. Together, Michel and I have
created a book that goes beyond any other of its kind to offer you everything
you need to know to change your life from a dull, drab, non-massage exis-
tence into an exciting massage adventure.
This Book Is for You It...
As I stated earlier, this book is for anyone with a body, which should qualify
almost every single reader. Disembodied spirits and poltergeists may find it
difficult to get the correct amount of friction necessary to perform effective
massage maneuvers and should therefore abstain. Certain people in particu-
lar will quickly discover the most obvious benefits in reading these pages;
you know who you are, and this book is especially for you if ...
3 You've ever wanted to touch another person with grace, compassion,
and caring.
3 You want to share a new level of communication with the people you're
close to.
3 You want to increase your well-being and reduce many types of pain.
3 You have a desire to enhance various aspects of your life, including ath-
letic performance, job efficiency, and even your love life.
3 You have a handicap of some kind and would like to discover how in
fact massage is the therapy of choice for many people with physical
limitations.
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4
Massage For Dummies
3 You want to pursue this adventure more seriously and are perhaps
thinking about becoming a massage pro yourself.
3 You think knowing how to give a good massage may be a neat way to get
more dates.
So How Do I Get Started Already)
By now you're probably saying, "Alright, Steve. You've convinced me. My
muscles are sore and I'm ready to get going. How do I get started with this
whole massage thing anyway?"
The best way to use this book Is to choose the subject that interests you
most and then jump right in at that point. Many of you may be eager to start
giving a massage right away, in which case, you can zoom ahead to Part Ill. I
highly encourage you to read all the material in the sections leading up to the
how-to stuff, however, instead of simply flipping through the photographs
and list of instructions. The attitudes and intentions with which you
approach massage are, after all, what make the biggest difference in terms of
what you get out of it.
For those of you who like to approach your reading in a systematic fashion,
you will find that each part of the book builds upon the one before it in what
is, I hope, a logical manner, so that by the end, you can come away knowing
just about as much as you'd ever want to know about massage, unless of
course you start pursuing it as a passion and profession in your life as I have,
In which case, the learning never ends.
How This Book Is Organized
Here are the subjects that you find spread out before your eager eyes and fin-
gers as you use this book:
Part I: Discovering Massage (or
Greater Health and Happiness
In this part, you find the background information you need to understand how
the massage techniques actually work, and where they came from in the first
place. You can discover all kinds of interesting things about your skin and
what's beneath it, for example, and what it is about massage that helps your
whole body feel better. if you're up to the task, you can test your touch-ability
EFTA00008050

Introduction 5
in a specially designed quiz. You can also encounter important vocabulary
words and, perhaps most Importantly, finally find out what all those massage
gizmos at The Sharper Image are all about.
Pan II: The Art of Receiving Massage
What, there's an art to receiving too, you ask? You mean I can't Just lie there
like a blob and let someone else do all the work? That's correct. Massage, in
this respect, is like the tango, and you know what they say about the tango. In
this part, you develop the fine art of "tuning in," which allows you to fully
enjoy the benefits and pleasures that await you with massage. I describe how
you can Invite healthy pleasure into your life, choose the right style of mas-
sage for you and your body, choose a good massage therapist, and start
receiving massages just like the pros do, with all the trimmings like proper
breathing, meditative awareness, and other advanced techniques for basi-
cally blissing out.
Part III: The Art of Giving Massage
This part is the "meat" of the book, so to speak, with all the pretty pictures
that you may be tempted to flip to immediately and never draw your atten-
tion away from again. Resist this temptation, oh hedonistic reader! In fact, go
ahead right now (if you haven't already) and flip forward to the photos and
then come back after a couple of minutes. Go ahead. I can wait.
There, satisfied? Now promise that you'll look through the other important
sections of Part Ill as well. Make no mistake about it: To give a good massage
requires some effort and energy, and you'll do well to prepare mentally
beforehand so you don't burn yourself out. You may also discover vital infor-
mation about when and how not to massage people, including yourself.
Part IV: Massage at Work
If you're suffering from some of the typical aches and pains of office workers
and computer users everywhere, rush directly to Part IV. In this part, I give
you simple massage moves that you can apply to your own aching body right
at your desk, and I offer an entire chapter on how to relieve sore, tired feet
with a special kind of massage known as reflexology. (Don't worry, I define
that strange sounding word soon enough) Hint: You may even be able to use
this part of the book as evidence to help convince your boss to pay for pro-
fessional chair-massage right in the work place. You'll see what I mean.
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6
Massage For Dummies
Part 0 Living the Good Life:
Massage (or Every Body
In the fifth part, you can take your pick from a smorgasbord of offerings, read-
ing through the chapters that intrigue you in whichever order you choose.
Whether you're an athlete, a pregnant woman, a world traveler, or whatever,
you're sure to pick up a ton of useful Info here that you can use to integrate
massage into your life.
Part VI: The Part of Tens
The last part contains lists of ten quick ways you can improve your life with
massage, including suggestions for great places to take massage classes, out-
standing locations to receive incredible massages, quick massage tips to ease
stress, ways to offer massage as a gift, and, for you pet lovers, massage tech-
niques designed especially for pooches and kitties.
Massaging the Icons
Throughout this book, I place lots of little round things In the margins, calling
your attention to various details in the text. These pictures are called icons,
and I have included some particularly pertinent ones for people learning the
ropes of the massage world. To wit, you have your:
The Massage Tale icon lets you know there's a real-life massage story from an
actual person in the adjacent paragraph. These stories may leave you happy,
misty-eyed, or thoughtful, depending on the subject matter, but they all go to
prove how powerful an influence massage can be in your life.
This one signifies that some sagacious and perhaps famous individual is con-
tributing various words of wisdom on the massage subject at hand, words
which usually highlight my own brilliant remarks.
The Tip icon clues you in right away to the presence of some especially
important Information. Perhaps I'll reveal a secret technique for massaging
your way Into Harvard Business School, for example. Perhaps not. You have
to check the tip to be sure. At the very least, you may find some quick and
easy pointers to make your reading experience as pleasurable as possible.
EFTA00008052

7
Introduction
NW The practice of massage is not without its potential dangers. For example,
once, after receiving three massages in one day as part of my job interview-
ing therapists for positions at a new spa, I turned into a human noodle and
kept banging my knees into furniture. Seriously, though, there are certain
things you have to watch out for when practicing massage, and there are vari-
ous reasons why you should not offer massage in certain circumstances
(what we professionals call contraindications). You can catch them right away
when you see this icon.
Not wanting to make you feel like you're a wallflower just observing the
massage-dance of life from the sidelines, I'm going to do my best to explain in
plain English everything you need to know on the subject. When, out of
necessity, I use some massage terminology that seems foreign or unnecessar-
ily complex to you, I warn you first with one of these little icons.
Sharing the Adventure
Massage, ultimately, is a way to share with others and to express yourself in a
direct, hands-on way, and I hope this book plays a big part in helping you dis-
cover this. If you'd like to share some thoughts about what you learn on your
own massage adventure, you can contact me in care of IDG Books Worldwide,
or you can visit me on the Web at www.. roya 1 treatment . corn and send e-mail
to steve@roy al treatment. com. I'll be most pleased to hear how your jour-
ney is going.
So What Happens Now?
I can feel you getting a little antsy. You wanna get your hands on somebody
already, don't you? Well, as I said earlier, you can always skip ahead. In fact,
now that you're a little jazzed up about all these great benefits you can get
from massage, this may be a good time to flash forward to Part III. Give your-
self a little treat by mastering one or two moves, either for yourself or a
partner, spend an hour happily practicing your new skill, and then come back
and read the first few chapters, in which you find out the answers to such
burning questions as, "What famous inventor of psychoanalysis used mas-
sage in his practice to calm patients?" Hint: His last name rhymes with void.
EFTA00008053

5
Massage For Dummies
EFTA00008054

Part I
Discovering
Massage for
Greater Health and
Happiness
The 5th
Wave Bn RichTennan
wad imporialit is.
cligiwish'ineseege amp.' frroninree,
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the Internet,
EFTA00008055

In this part ...
A
s you explore this first part of this book, you may
begin to get a sense that's there's something really
big out there that you've been overlooking, almost as if an
elephant were living in your backyard, right over there
behind the clothesline, but you'd somehow failed to see it.
Yes, It's true: The parallel universe of massage has existed
right beneath your nose all along, and millions of people
around the world have enjoyed its benefits and pleasures
for untold centuries. So, you might ask, if massage is so
dam popular and everyone loves It so much, why haven't
I been informed?
Don't feel bad. You're in the majority. Most people have no
due about the rich tradition that massage has to offer, and
that's because they were never taught by their parents, or
their peers, or a respected teacher in grade school. Learning
massage is kind of like learning geometry, or your ABCs. If
no one teaches you, how are you supposed to find out?
There are certain controversies that still swarm around
the whole issue of massage, most of them based on ideas
held-over from the Victorian age. In this first part of the
book, I'm going to completely quash all such concerns into
little tiny bits, leaving you with a jaw-agape appreciation
for the tremendous benefits massage can have for you,
your family, and friends.
Whether you're already somewhat familiar with massage
and are raring to go, or you're a trembling neophyte,
slightly intimidated by the very concept of touching
another person, or being touched, Part I will quickly usher
you into a new world filled with the millions of us who
already know and enjoy the many benefits of massage.
Welcome to the club.
EFTA00008056

Chapter 1
Not Just a Rub: How Massage
Can Improve Your Life
0 OOOOOOOOO 0 • • • 0 OOOOO G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In This Chapter
D What makes massage work
p. Types of massage and how they help you
What does massage really do for you anyway? Sure, it feels incredible to
receive one, and it looks nice to watch beautiful people massaging
each other on how-to videos, but what's going on beneath the surface? Is it
worth it to actually fork over your hard-earned cash to have someone rub
your skin for an hour? Should you spend your precious time and energy
learning how to give a good massage yourself? Is massage really effective, or
is It Just an unnecessary, flashy indulgence, like fish eggs on toast?
Well, being a massage junkie myself, I find it difficult to imagine why anybody
would not want to get a massage, anytime, anyplace, for any reason at all or
no reason at all. For me, massage has just always seemed like such an obvi-
ously good thing to do, starting way back in 11th grade when Grace came
over to visit at my parent's house one afternoon, and nobody else was home.
Being a typical seventeen-year-old, I was hoping that we were soon going to
engage in some good old-fashioned hanky-panky, and when Grace told me to
loosen my belt and lie down on the carpet, I began singing Handel's Messiah
silently to myself.
Grace touched me then, on the small of my back, and I'll never forget the sen-
sation. "This is a massage technique that somebody taught me," she said.
"How does it feel?"
"Ah, it feels, um, kind of, uh, unbelievable!" I said, and unbelievable was
exactly the right word. Grace was doing something clearly non-sexual, and I
could not believe that anything non-sexual could feel so good. I could not
EFTA00008057

12 Part I: Discovering Massage for Greater Health and Happiness
believe that there was a way to be so intimate with somebody and yet not get
in trouble with her father, if he were to find out about it. In short, I could not
believe that something that was neither illegal, immoral, nor fattening could
be so sumptuously pleasurable.
I asked Grace to keep doing what she was doing, and as she did so, I began
devising, right there with my face buried in my parent's green shag carpeting,
a future lifestyle that would include the absolutely highest number of mas-
sages possible.
This early experience pointed out a fundamental truth about massage ther-
apy, but one that is often missed by those people who judge it before they
even give it a try. That truth: There is a difference between sex and massage
therapy. There, I said it, right here in Chapter 1, and I'm glad. Some people
out there will forever be mixing the two up, which does a disservice to every-
body else, especially those people who have shied away from massage over
the years because of a perceived less-than-pristine image.
I discovered, in that youthful, eye-opening experience, that massage does
indeed feel unbelievable, and that discovery was a great place to begin. Now,
more than 20 years later, after studying massage and teaching massage and
experiencing the myriad facets of massage both in the U.S. and in other coun-
tries, I've been introduced to other, deeper reasons for including it in my life,
reasons with profound implications for improved health, well-being, and even
longevity. These are the reasons I'd like to share with you in this chapter and
throughout the book.
Basic 13enetits of Massage
If I were to go Into some of the stories about how massage has helped people
change their lives, heal themselves, become rich and famous, and soon, you
probably wouldn't believe me right away, because, after all, we're still in
Chapter 1. So I'm going to start out slowly and offer you some of the simplest,
everyday ways that massage can help you, some of which still may come as a
surprise to you.
Here, then, not ranked in any particular order, are some basic benefits of
massage that perhaps didn't pop straight into your head the first time you
hought about it. Massage ...
0 3 Helps relieve muscular spasm and tension
3 Raises immune efficiency
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