On the massage table

Yesterday I redeemed a deal I purchased from LivingSocial months ago for a two-hour massage. Can I just say that I loved it...but that I am still in pain today.

Pain from sore muscles that are finally loose and that were worked hard.

My massage was awesome...or maybe it's just the fact that it was a whole 2 freaking hours long so the therapist actually got to REALLY touch on some of the needs of my ever tired, sore, exhausted body.

When I went in, I asked for special emphasis for my left achilles (I just found out I have achilles tendonitis and am on medication for that), my shoulders/neck, and of course, my dear hips and upper leg area.

She asked about the pressure I like, and I said medium to hard. I wanted to get deep and really loosen things up. I'm always super tight and ever since my years in ballet have had issues relaxing and just letting my body do whatever (i.e. I'm always pointing my toes, standing ON my toes, or following the phrase my ballet teacher always used: "tail down, stomach up" for proper posture placement.) Anyways that's just some examples.

Halfway into the massage I got a MASSIVE headache as my face was stuck in that little hole. Ironically, this came on about 2 minutes after she was working on my back and asked, "Um, Karianne...do you get headaches a lot?" Haha.

She was doing exactly what I asked for and was definitely working my muscles like I had requested. But this headache was making things worse...I didn't know if I could make it through two hours with that pain PLUS the additional discomfort that was much needed for the rest of my body. So I focused on my breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Luckily, when I turned over on the table, my headache disappeared. Oh that was an amazing blessing.

But then she started working on my quads.

At this point, I'm face up on the table, so the massage therapist can see my face and any expressions I make. I don't know about you, but I'm always a little more that conscious of that. I've been face down for a while and my eyes are pretty comfortably shut and I've been focusing on my breathing anyways because of that headache.

So as she works on my quad, she comments, "yea you are a bit tight there huh." I dont really respond because, well, I'm pretty much unconscious for most purposes and I think conversation during a massage is just a little awkward.

Then she starts working to loosen things up. You guys...this hurt. She goes deeper. I focus on breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

She comments: "Wow, you definitely have a high tolerance for pain. I keep waiting for you to wince."

Me: "Awkward laugh...I just try to focus on breathing." (And keep my face as neutral as possible because I think it's weird that I'm laying there with my eyes closed and this person is watching me!)

A few minutes later she gets to another sensitive area and gets her wince.

"There it is"

Apparently at this point, I continue breathing but now have a small, weird, half smile on my face.

On the other leg, the situation is the same. It hurts. But it's the good kind of hurt.

She seems to have figured me out and comments again: "So your smile means it hurts, but what's the sign if it's too much."

Me: "So far you've been fine. It's a good kind of pain." (A kind of pain, I apparently enjoy and smile at.)

Time is wrapping up and she moves to my shoulders and neck. This is typically a very relaxing part of the massage for me. It usually includes a head massage of sorts as well.

But we aren't done.

This was not an area where I expected this much pain. But it was there. At one point, she even broke my steady breathing. On an exhale, I caught my breath and had to double exhale (if that makes sense) and she asks if I'm ok. Uh, after my quads, I'm pretty sure I could handle anything.

And yes, I just wrote a very long post about that experience. Bottom line: get a massage. I know I'm not really selling it well here, but your body will thank you. Eventually. Today I'm just sore in places I didn't even realize were tight...like my forearms. Imagine that.

But seriously. Get a massage. If pain doesn't induce smiling on your face, the massage therapists are happy to simply apply lotions. Ok, just kidding. Kinda.