The word origins of annihilation come from 14th century Middle French. It is an "act of reducing to non-existence." Word origin from etymonline In 2018, we saw the release of the movie, "Annihilation," with Natalie Portman. According to IMDb, in Annihilation "a biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply." IMDb What on earth does that have to do with self-care? Here's a fresh perspective: Right now, we are in this mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply, and they don't seem to apply because as a collective, we are reducing into non-existence. We like to stay in our bubbles, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what do we do there? Do we listen to our heart? Do we listen to our bodies? Do we listen to our spirit? Is our intent focused on change or is change focused on our intent? Change is inevitable. Change is the flow of life. It is creation. All of our actions are acts of creation, but when there is no focus on what we are doing, change finds us, rather than us purposefully creating the change. In this way, we are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. When things don't grow, they will go. When we begin to listen to our heart, body, and spirit, we can slightly shift our intent. It is a way to brace one's heart for the inevitable flux of heartbreaks that come with this experience. Note the plural form there. 😉 We cultivate motivation, rather than wait for it. And we feel much more connected to all that is, just by listening.
Self-care is our response to what our heart, body, and spirit communicate to us. When we ignore their forms of communication, it will not be English by the way, we are slowly reducing ourselves to non-existence. How many of us have bought beautiful plants, only to neglect them and let them die? How many of us have met angst riddled teenagers, ornery toddlers, and forgetful partners with an eerily similar response? The lack of growth or the lack of self regulating care in others is no excuse for the lack within. It is a reflection. When we take the time to self-care, we are changing our environment. This is how you put the oxygen mask on first.
Massage as Self-Care
Many people tend to think of massage as an indulgence. Massage is manipulation of the body's soft tissues. When we sit too long at a desk, staring at the computer, we are going against the laws of nature, hence why the dis-ease of your muscles begin to scream at you. Our bodies were not designed for prolonged awkward positions, and they will 'speak' to us to let us know that position is a no go. Do we listen? Do you hear your body screaming at you? Or do you hear that little voice telling you to sit there and take it, because you have bills to pay? Or do you hear a loved one nagging about the debt you accrued? When we listen to only the voices we can hear, what happens is our body is worn and eventually fails, we fall ill, and are unable to carry the workload. Now what? When we hear the cues our body gives and respond with kindness and patience, rather than an eerily similar response, we are changing the intent of how and why we live the way we do. Those are the steps necessary to shift the collective into embracing a life that respects the laws of nature. Try it out on your loved ones first. When they hurl foul moods at you, see what a kind and patient response does. Then try it out the next time you run into a stranger in public who seems to have a flair for the dramatic. And then try it out on yourself and watch your entire narrative change in ways you thought impossible. So the next time you find yourself rubbing your neck after a long day of sitting or standing, I encourage you to at minimum be an effective self massage therapist and at most to change your job. If neither of those work, give me a call. I've got your back, and your neck, and your shoulders. I've spent the last 15 years of my life understanding neck and shoulder tension and trauma. My hands are here for you. In fact, now with every massage session of one hour or more, every client will receive an evaluation and recommendations, including details of the muscles causing your problem and self-massage techniques to correct them on your own. And my heart is here for you too! Much Love!