By Chris Link, LMT
Have you ever stubbed your toe or bumped painfully into the sharp corner of a table? What was your reaction? “Ouch” probably escaped your lips – but then what? Likely your hand instinctively went to the source of the sore spot and rubbed it until the pain went away. Simple and obvious, right?
Let’s take a moment and consider what happens in that instant of self-healing and why touch and intention are so powerful.
When we stop what we are doing and focus solely on the pain we feel after a minor injury, our intention is immediately laser-focused to heal the area and relieve the pain response. Our hands do their work automatically to relieve the area. Some scientists say that on a quantum mechanical level, the intention and focus triggers change in the affected cells. Pretty amazing! If we consider how little effort it may take to alleviate the bulk of the pain by simply rubbing and focusing, it’s really quite a little miracle whether we believe it to be quantum mechanical or not. There’s a magic there that we take for granted that I urge all of us to explore.
 

 
I am happy to be provider of care and healing in my profession. My life and my work as a Massage professional have taught me that humans have the innate power to heal others and themselves on multiple levels. I advocate for people to practice self-care as well as coming for massage sessions because consciousness and effort are effective and beneficial tools in healing of the self. The more my clients care for themselves on their own, the easier my care for them becomes in a session. Taking the time to use a foam roller after a workout, for example, not only brings circulation, detoxification, and other benefits to the areas that may need it, it generates the time to focus intention on the areas that need help. It engages a body/mind connection that is powerful in the healing and recovery process.

Practice your own self-healing body scan

Once aware that intention and effort help us heal ourselves, it can be good practice to bring regular attention to our states of being to promote self-healing.
I recommend a “body scan” meditation that can be accomplished in just a few minutes and is quite effective.
To do it, close your eyes and settle into your body. (Sitting in a chair with an erect spine is helpful.) Starting with awareness at the top of the head, slowly mentally “scan” down through the entire body connecting consciousness with each part of the body on the way. Take note of each and every area of discomfort and mentally offer gratitude and love to areas in need. Feel free to adjust the body slightly as you go if things feel like they need it.
After you have “scanned” all the way through your body from the top of the head to the tips of your toes and fingers, it can be nice to wrap your arms around yourself in a self-hug and thank your body for all it does for you!
The built-in powers of human healing may be stronger than we know or give credit for. Why not give yourself the magical gift of attention and intention between visiting the professional care providers in your life. You may be surprised by the powers within you that are taken for granted.