i heart massage

massage has got to be my highest love language. that book about love languages should be ammended to include massage. my sweet husband earned some serious points (in case we ever decide to keep a tally) today when he made me an appointment at a day spa here in bend, oregon and instructed me not to inquire about the cost involved. i went in a little early to enjoy the steam room and then had the most glorious hour of deep tissue work on my back and shoulders and neck. i left a jello-bodied woman with tender but finally loose muscles and a giant (almost delirious) smile plastered on my face. it was wonderful. [those of you who know me well are smiling...*grin*]

now shawn and i are sitting in the lobby of the comfort inn on a squishy green couch, being nerds with our matching macs. he's catching up on email and his website content for the record label and i am writing this blog to whomever will be reading it. today was the first day off we have had this week and it was much needed and highly appreciated. i am so thankful to be sleeping in a bed tonight...a stationary one, that is. our bus driver is quite smooth, but none the less, sleeping on a moving bus can be jarring to the body.

you know, not to be talking about massage incessantly, but i did learn something new today. did you know that your muscle fibers have memories? the massage therapist told me that today when i asked her why i always have this one knot on the left side of my spine half way down my back. she said that if at some point stress causes a certain muscle mass to tense up or to become sore, that the next time you experience stress that same mass will remember 'oh when there's stress i tighten up' and then do accordingly. she said that, in part, massage helps to retrain the muscles how to respond differently. i think that gave me instant justification for regular appointments. i wanted to hug her! ha! *grin*

it is amazing to think about how intricate God made our bodies, isn't it though? normally i don't like talking during a massage, but the therapist was so interesting to talk to that we spent almost the whole hour discussing the body and how it is connected to the rest of the person and even the various philosophical viewpoints on how that relationship works. larissa (i just recalled her name) isn't a believer so it was interesting to me that she ascribed to the idea that the body/mind/spirit are inseparable...she had previously worked in a hospital and said "you can't treat the body without treating the emotions that go along with it". she said this is an eastern notion. we agreed that western thinking is more compartmentalized.

being a westerner is sometimes hard for me. i don't know if any of you ever feel that way, but i sure do. it comforts me that Christianity was born in the east...that it has its roots there...that it is mystical and mysterious and not very easy to pin down and even more difficult to calculate. it sometimes helps to get through the day just knowing that. i really hope the western church will rise up and reconnect with its roots and leave behind the fragmented religion so many of us have grown up with...

anyway, the toxins released during the massage are floating around inside me and making me slightly sore and more than slightly tired. g'night friends. i am going to go crawl into my bed!