If I had a dollar every time someone said that massage is a luxury, I’d have a lot of dollars. (More dollars means more trainings I can go and take!)
Sure, going to a fancy day spa where you are walking around in plush robes sipping on cucumber water (or champagne if you want to get really fancy) hanging out in the lounge where you wait for your next service. Yes, that’s a luxury to me too. And honestly, way too fancy for my taste.
How about when you wake up in the morning and can barely turn your head because your sternocleidomastoid is seized up, or your supraspinatus is causing a world of hurt in your shoulder joint can you really put a price on relief from that pain? Sadly, a lot of people do and for them, it’s still not worth the price of a 30 minute massage because they still think that it’s this indulgent behavior that they don’t need.
Let me tell you just how wrong you are in your thinking.
After being in business for almost 13 years, I’ve seen a LOT of broken, busted up, stressed out, chronically ill people. I have clients that are still with me after 13 years, clients that have been coming in for a decade, and some that just started coming in 2 weeks ago that are scheduling regular appointments and I applaud all of them. (Not only because it keeps me in business, but lets be honest here, this is how I make my living). They see the value in taking time out for themselves, whether it’s for general pain relief, recovering from an injury, taking a break from their daily life and responsibilities, or just because they want to move better in their body.
People are starting to pay attention to how they feel.
I’ve seen clients who had heel pain for a year and after 2 Lokte Method sessions, they were pain free for at least 6 months (because that’s the last time I’ve heard any reports of pain). I had a new client message me after her second Fascial Stretch Therapy session overwhelmed with gratitude because the hip pain that had kept her from training to become a Zumba instructor was diminished to the point that she could start training again. I’ve seen clients who came to see me as a last resort before surgery and they claim that their regular massage appointments kept them out of the surgeons office. Or my friend who was complaining about post workout soreness so I made her get down on a patch of grass at Campus Martius Park in Detroit and I spent less than a minute treating her shoulder with Lokte Method.
Think of it this way
Do you floss your teeth once a year and expect when you go for your checkup the dentist is going to say “everything looks great!”? Do you do one Crossfit workout and expect to be nailing those body weight snatches and clean and jerks on your second day? Do you get your hair highlighted once and expect it to stay like that for the next year? Do you eat great for one day and expect to shed those 10 pounds that you managed to gain over the past 12 months?
Of course not!
Why are you still expecting one massage to fix that migraine that’s been plaguing you for a month? Or you’ve been walking around with plantar fasciitis for a year and are disappointed that you didn’t get a permanent fix after one Lokte Method session? Or, you do have regular massages but your hips are still tight, your posture is still poor and you still can’t enjoy the daily activities that you want to. If you come in once a month, what are you doing for your own self care the other 29 days?
At Michigan Massage and Wellness we don’t like to be a revolving door business. 90% of our clients are regular, recurring clients. It’s not because we can’t fix people (I like to think that we do a pretty good job of that! Check out what people are saying about us on Facebook), but it’s because they see the value in investing in themselves, and they take care of themselves. Why not take care of yourself and book a massage or reserve a spot in one of our mobility classes or workshops?
You spend upwards of $150/month on those Crossfit, Orange Theory, Cyclebar and Pilates memberships. You have a standing pedicure appointment. You routinely go out and blow off steam for happy hour with the guys from work. You sign up for GORUCK event after GORUCK event. You will never miss a hair appointment. After all, at the end of the day, you only get one body, treat it right in every aspect if you want it to treat you right.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to go practice what I preach and roll out on my Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls. Even I can’t get in for a massage as often as I’d like but we can all carve out 5-10 minutes of our day for some self-care. Especially as I am going to embark on a 2.5 hour road trip, I don’t know how all of you who drive 80-90% of the time for work do it!
In good hands,
Rebecca Tamm, LMT
