Dawn Groves - Massage for Busy People: Five Minutes to a More Relaxed Body

New World Library

14 Pamaron Way

Novato, California 94949

Copyright 1999 by Dawn Groves

Photos 1999 by Alan Sanders

Photo model: Kathryn Zahlis

Edited by Gina Misiroglu

Cover design: Big Fish

Text design and typography: Denise Hill

Any information given in this book is not intended to be taken as a replacement for medical advice. Any person with a condition requiring medical attention should consult a qualified practitioner or therapist.

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, or transmitted in any form, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Groves, Dawn. 1955-

Massage for busy people : five minutes to a more relaxed body /

by Dawn Groves.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 1-57731-082-9 ( alk. paper )

1. Massage. 2. Self-care. Health. 3. Relaxation. I. Title.

RA780.5.G76 1998 98-32404

615.822dc21 CIP

First Printing, May 1999

ISBN 1-57731-082-9

Printed in Canada on acid-free paper

Distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West

1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to my supportive family:
Dan, Holly, Sam, and Eleanor.
Also to Missy who bugged me endlessly
about reading e-mail instead of writing copy.

T his long overdue book has the support, patience, and energy of many individuals. Id like to thank Becky Benenate at New World Library for convincing me to write about the topic and then generously waiting until I had a break in my schedule. Thanks to photographer Alan Sanders, who fit me into his tight schedule and arranged for Kathryn Zahlis to model for the photos. Extra special thanks goes to my editor, Gina Misiroglu, who showed remarkable restraint when I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. Despite Ginas commitment to the timely completion of the book, she stepped back and allowed me to do what I needed in order to heal. Her input was invaluable and she made an enormous difference in the quality of this project. Thanks to Myra Barnes, my transcriptionist, who jumped in at the last minute to keyboard a sprawling mass of dictated words and various edits. A big thanks goes to my family: my husband, Dan, who bolstered, prodded, sympathized, and supported me during the development of this book; our twenty-nine-month-old daughter, Holly, who kissed the owie braces I wore on my wrists; and my mother, Eleanor, who lovingly chipped in whenever my schedule got crazy. Last but not least, Im grateful to three generous massage suppliers for providing me with test products:

Tender Loving Things, Inc.

14450 Doolittle Drive

San Leandro, California 94577

http://www.tenderlovingthings.com

Body Tools, LLC.

16 Pamaron Way, Suite 6

Novato, California 94949

http://www.bodytools.com

Cal Coast Products, Inc.

13045 Tom White Way, Suite B

Norwalk, California 90650

http://www.achefree.com

T he massage profession has come a long way since I received my license back in the mid-1970s. I was very interested in the subject of natural healing and was looking for work that had flexible hours so I could attend college and complete my education. At that time massage had a seedy reputation and massage parlors were notorious for being staffed by prostitutes. Regardless, I was an enthusiastic crusader for the benefits of massage and naively maintained that experiencing one of my Swedish massages could make a person feel reborn.

Unfortunately, my idealism was put to the test every time I went to work. All the masseuses I knew were fulltime prostitutes. I never developed a repeat clientele. Vice and undercover police officers tried to convince me that I was out of my element. Massage customers appreciated my massages but always left disappointed. I finally gave up my crusade and moved on to less controversial employment.

Thankfully, ignorance about massage has long since been replaced with medical respectability. Today my convictions are supported by an international community of professionally-trained massage practitioners and their clients as well as physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists.

Sadly, while we may be a lot smarter about full body massage, were still misinformed when it comes to selfmassage. Most people think that self-massage is primarily sexual. Or that, if its not sexual, its too uncomfortable, too tiresome, and doesnt do much good anyway. Many people ask, why bother?

So here I am, two decades later, promoting self-massage against a tide of ambivalence with the same conviction I had when I promoted full body massage. I do hope youll give self-massage a chance. Youll discover, as I have, that simple actions can have an enormous positive affect on our bodies and, ultimately, on the quality of our lives.

Enjoy!

I first discovered the benefits of full body massage when I was a student at a massage school. We typically trained by working on each other and, as a result, I received four massages a week for the duration of the training. After each massage, my physical body woke up and my mind was thrilled with the new, fresh sensations. I could bend and move with greater ease. My body felt taller and more limber. My headaches were gone. My backaches were gone. I was genuinely healthier and I actually smiled more.

When I finished the training, I lapsed into my old pattern of always being tired and stressed. One day when I was especially tense, I decided to schedule a professional full body massage. It was glorious and refreshing, just like I remembered, but I knew the benefits would eventually fade. I decided to take a few minutes throughout the day to perform simple self-massage techniques on my neck and arms. Surprisingly, by the end of my workweek I wasnt especially tired or tense.

I eventually discovered that my self-massage techniques were effectively bridging the gap between full body sessions. I was maintaining the benefits of the full body massage for longer periods of time, and I was generally less stressed and in less pain than Id ever been.