Written by: Giada Labrecque, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As a massage therapist, I may be somewhat biased, but by golly is massage a great skill to have! Having massage as a skill can do so much for you and the ones you love. In this article, I am going to outline how exactly one benefits from learning massage, and tell you where you can learn from the very best. Some may be self-explanatory, and some may come as a surprise, but all are great reasons to learn the art of a great massage!
So let’s start with the most obvious and arguably selfish reason to learn massage…
1. You get massaged!
One of my all-time favourite perks of learning to massage was receiving so much of it. Pretty literally, every day I spent learning massage techniques, I was being treated by my fellow students. Now, this isn’t guaranteed. I suppose it ultimately depends on how much of a massage education you want to invest in. But if you’re learning in person, or online with a friend, then you can bet you’ll be on the receiving end of some semblance of massage therapy a good portion of the time that you spend learning. Aside from the obvious benefits of being massaged, many of which you can read about in my last Brainz Magazine article “Massage Helps That!”; there’s a surprising benefit that can be gained while learning massage. That is, the art of perfect pressure and sore points, otherwise known as…
2. Therapeutic Touch
In a way, learning therapeutic touch is the best-case scenario and poster child for anecdotal evidence. What I mean is, if you’re paying close enough attention while receiving a massage, you’ll get to know some really tender points of the body. If you commit them to memory, you are way more likely to become the giver of a great massage.
You see, the body is finite in its number of muscles, bones, joints and possible sore places. Sure, arguably, any spot could be a potential sore spot, but there are absolutely a predictable few. Get to know them, learn to moderate your pressure around them, and tension will melt like butter in your hands. So many times my clients will say things like, “It’s like you know where all the sore spots are”, or “How do you know exactly where to press all the time?”, and the answer is, I’ve felt them too, so I know where they are. I know we like to believe we are all so different, but under the lens of massage, so much is the same. A lot of it boils down to body mechanics and our repetitive posturing. These two things combined will pretty nearly always give predictable results, namely soreness, stiffness, spasms, and tension. Mitigating the consequences of everyday living is a massage therapist’s bread and butter. We accomplish this not through constant deep-pressed elbows and death grips, but through appropriate, therapeutic and tempered touch.It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people who miss that memo. So do yourself and everyone in your hands a favour, and hone the art of therapeutic touch.When you do, you will effectively…
3. Gain a level of intimacy through massage
Whether I like to admit it or not, massage offers the learner a chance to step into a realm of intimacy they were quite likely unaware of before. Why don’t I like to admit this? Well to be honest, I tend to resent the gross underbelly of the massage industry. I’ve spent a fair bit of time turning away and managing unsavoury and bold characters who pose to be looking for massage when really what they are looking for is sex work, to put it plainly. It’s actually a big part of why I structured my businesses the way I have so that I do not have to work with men in that intimate of a setting…but I digress. Creeps and opportunistic weirdos aside, the intimacy gained through learning massage is a genuinely beautiful thing. It can and has literally brought me to tears, both when receiving and giving a massage treatment. Massage can do so much, and touch so much more than physical pain. It can nurture the lonely heart, it can soften the bitter soul, it can rejuvenate the tired mind, and yes, it can stoke the primal fire.
Which is why massage makes you…
4. A more desirable potential partner
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say it, because it is 100% true that knowing how to give a great massage makes you a more desirable person and potential partner. Why? Well, if I must explain… So often getting a good massage can actually feel way better than a few minutes of predictable foreplay and whatever comes next. Ha.
But really, giving a great massage can make your partner feel nurtured and cared for and loved, as if they had in fact been made love to. A great massage can be a powerful aphrodisiac and make your partner feel comfortable, safe, and wanting. Knowing your way around a person's body with confidence and care is a skill that speaks for itself when the time is right. Once people are aware you have this skill, don’t be surprised when they start to seek you out. Way before my partner and I had ever met, he’d often said to his band members and friends that the best girlfriend to have would be a massage therapist. The day we met, he and the lads just about hit the floor when I told them what I did for a living. They erupted with joy, like they had just found something they didn’t even know they could be looking for, and immediately told me (jokingly of course) that I was hired, and not allowed to leave. The rest is pretty much history, as they say. So while, yes, massage is a great tool to use in the bedroom, and with your partner in general, don’t forget that it can be a bonding opportunity with almost anybody. Which brings me to my next benefit…
5. You can help the ones you love through massage!
One of the most invaluable things massage therapy gave me was the empowerment to help when all else feels helpless. Growing up I’d experienced a few things that made me feel truly helpless. Like there was nothing I could do but sit by and witness. Whether it was the illness of a loved one, or a friend with a major injury, or a depleted parent. With massage, there’s always something to be offered. A comfort, a stress released, an itch scratched or an ache erased. You can even trade with it!
6. The beauty of barter with massage
One of the very best things about massage is that it is a fantastic bartering tool. It may not work for everything, but it has saved me literally thousands. Because I can trade with massage, I have gotten countless hours of therapies I would have never had the budget to pay for. Pretty well every tattoo I have gotten in the last 5 years has been paid for with massage therapy. Even creating my book, Self-Care Solutions @ Work, was largely paid for through hours of massage. I have exchanged massage for art, for personal training, professional photography, music lessons, and even video editing. What's more, because I am able to trade for so many things with massage,I am also able to save more, thanks to massage.
Do you see what I am getting at? If not, here it is:
7. Massage Therapy is a great way to make a living!
I left this for last because it is for those of you still reading.
If you’re interested in massage and learning massage, maybe you should consider a career in massage.
Massage therapy gives you the freedom to choose your own hours, to be your own boss and take whatever holidays and days off you want.
Being a massage therapist is one of the most rewarding, satisfying and stress free jobs there will ever be. Sure, it may make you a bit sleepy sometimes, but with the right amounts of caffeine you’ll always be calm, collected and at peace. Your arms and hands will always be soft yet strong, you can do your job with shoes on or off, and you’ll always be warm, cosy and in comfortable clothing.
At the end of the day…
Everybody has a body. A majority of those bodies have aches and pains, and most of the owners of those bodies enjoy massage.
Massage absolutely makes the world a better place.At least my world, anyway.
So if you’d like to learn more about massage, even just to dip your toes in, why not check out the high-quality online courses at teachable? There you will find some great introductions to massage, just go here.
If, instead, you'd like to make a trip of it and do a day of learning with me, just go here. We’ll spend 5 hours going through the basics of a great massage. I will give you the 4 secrets for giving a great massage, teach you several techniques with hands-on experience, and you’ll even walk away with a custom massage oil.
Think you might want to become a massage therapist but still have a few questions? You can use this link to book a consultation call with me, and we can figure it out together! Just go here.
Regardless of how you go about it, one thing is for sure, you’ll never regret learning the art of massage!
Giada Labrecque, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Giada Labrecque is an enthusiast and advocate for all things holistic and natural. As a massage therapist, she helps people every day with their aches and pains, offering real time help, remedial advice and practical self-care strategies. As a bus accident survivor, Giada has a great understanding of pain and rehabilitation. She has a great interest in natural pain relief, as well as natural immunity and stress relief solutions. Giada is the owner and operator of two massage based businesses in Galway Ireland, named She Kneads and Office Kneads. She is also the author of "Self-Care Solutions @ Work" and a public speaker.
