Mindfulness feels so over-talked about sometimes. And confusing. Do I need to study under a guru for years to master this or can I download an app? And as usual I think the truth lies somewhere int he middle. Mindfulness can be both simple and profound and transcendent.
The mindfulness I think we need as massage therapists is simple, backed by neuroscience and very achievable. That’s not to say it isn’t’ profound or maybe even transcendent but let’s start with what I mean and then move to how to practice it as it relates to massage.
I actually prefer referring to this as a “state of attendance” meaning to both be present - to “actually” be in the room, and to attend to what is happening. When we use the word ‘attend’ in this context it means for the brain to pay attention to something.
The brain chooses what to pay attention to at any given moment and as we all know, our brains are easily distracted (some of us more than others…hello ADHD friends!)
The brain doesn’t store energy like other body tissue. We only have a certain amount of energy available to use at a given moment and it’s based on the energy coming from circulation. Blood brings the calories we need to fuel brain activity. There’s not enough blood available to the brain to use all structures and functions at once. So the brain needs to decide what to use.
What we pay attention to directs blood flow to the structures and functions that task requires. So if you are paying attention to your task list for after work, you are physiologically not able to pay attention to your patient.
Let’s be honest, we are all going to have distracting thoughts once in a while. If the treatment you are doing feels boring you’ll be especially likely to suffer from this. (There will come a day when I do a whole post on what I think causes massage boredom, but it is not this day…THIS DAY WE TALK ABOUT MINDFULNESSSSSSS!)
Some days we don’t feel like it, some patients aren’t our favourite, (patients…if you read my blog, I promise you are one of my favourites!) some days we are in pain or grieving or 100 other things. Here are some simple steps to take that will help. (Not fix sadly, but help.)
Start with stating your feelings to yourself. You don’t have to be defined by them,but be honest about how you are feeling. Then try these skills and see how you feel. If this list feels like too much to do, just pick one! Possible beats perfect every time.
1. Leave yourself time between patients! If you are rushing from one to the next, you are creating urgency and stress in your own nervous system. Block yourself a longer break to leave time. Or just, you know end on time (such a hypocrite! I’m almost never ending a treatment on time, I’m a work in progress)
2. If you have important tasks to complete after work, do a quick brain dump. Write them all down in point form and leave them in the break room or your office.
3. Breathe: Close your eyes and take at least three full breaths before every patient.
4. Visualize: Imagine feeling happy to see them, thrilled that they came in today, smile and open your hands. I know this feels dumb to some of you. It’s science. Science makes us do dumb things sometimes.
5. Wash your hands slower. Breathe while you do so.Take time to honour those powerful hands you are gifted with. (I KNOW! So much flakey advice here. I can’t get away from what science tells us about gratitude and slower movement)
6. Project goodwill: In an ideal world, you would feel real goodwill toward this particular patient. If you don’t, imagine they are someone else, give them energy you would give your best friend who really needs a massage. Fake it till you make it. I’ll bet you this changes your mood. Again – science.
Try these today in clinic and see how it changes your mood going into a treatment.This sets you up for a better State of Attendance.
If you interview well, you are so much better positioned to get a great outcome today. When the patient gets the kind of treatment they expected to get, the kind of treatment they like, they rate their outcomes as better. And it gives you a point of focus for when you get distracted.
1. What is your goal for treatment today? Or What are you hoping to get out of our session today?
2. What’s more important today; problem solving or relaxation?
3. What type of pressure are you in the mood for?(If this is a return patient, if it’s a new patient, I wait until I have them on the table so I can demonstrate.)
4. What is your stress level like today? Since I’ve seen you last?
5. What area of the body needs more attention today?
These are some questions to ask to set you up for a mindful treatment, certainly not the only questions I would ask in an interview!
Preparing well makes your life so much easier. Once you are in a calmer, more present state, the rest of this is easier.
1. Breathe with your patient. Every time you guide them to take deep breaths, breathe along with them. (My personal opinion – do it quietly and direct your breath away from them.)
2. Remember their goals. When you notice your attention has wandered ask yourself this question: am I doing something that helps to meet their stated goal for this treatment?
3. What area of the body do they need more time on?Am I leaving enough time for that area. If you are working in that area: What technique might feel great to them today?
4. What’s a technique I haven’t used in a while? Don’t be on auto-pilot. Try something different.
5. Think about the anatomy. Follow muscle fibre direction or play with angles to muscle fibres. Spend some time at origins and insertions.
6. Seek out a spot that feels different to you. (no need to make a big deal about it, and don’t pathologize it!) Try to be extra perceptive about what you are feeling under your hands. Describe it to yourself.
7. Move in a way that feels great to your body while you are working. Try to match the feeling of movement in your own body with the pace and movement of your hands. It’s like a dance.
I have a lot much more to say on this topic. Expect more tools and techniques for paying attention. But for now, here’s a freebie. I use spoken meditation in my treatment room for patients who struggle to turn off the mental loop. This is a 13-minute example you can use however you like. You can practice this on a friend with the video playing beside you, you can do it exactly like I do, or make it your own. If it’s helpful, feel free to use my voice in your treatment room if you want to try this but don’t feel comfortable speaking a meditation out loud.
