What happens on the massage therapy table is often more than muscle relaxation. As you reach a profound state of quiet, the mind and body become still and some clients find this state similar to that of prayer. Like the state of meditation when the monkey-mind quiets and the deeper wisdom is allowed to surface, the state of mental quiet sometimes achieved on the massage table can be a source of spiritual growth.

Before going on, let me be clear that most massage therapy practices are not designed to create a spiritual experience and a therapist would be traveling well beyond her scope of practice if she attempts to save your soul while you are lying on the table. These are not the kind of spiritual experiences this column will address. Instead, I am referring to the private and deeply moving spiritual awarenesses that can occur when you allow yourself to move into a profoundly quiet and calmed state - which often happens on the massage table.

If the massage therapist is trained appropriately and if you are willing to "surrender" to this form of healing, a form of therapy called "energy work" can be very effective in helping you acquire spiritual self-knowledge. Whether it is called "Reiki", or "Therapeutic Touch" or "Polarity", these forms of energy work gently address the energy field around the body that profoundly affect your spiritual state. The technique is often "hands off" or only lightly touching the body as the therapist assesses your energy fields and attempts to bring universal healing energy in your direction. Again, she is not "the healer", she is only facilitating your own inherent energy flow.

Einstein is the relatively smart fellow who heightened our awareness of "energy" in the universe, saying that 99% of matter is truly "energy" or a vacuum. So when I refer to the energy field around and permeating your body, this is not a Star Wars term or something from a fluffy magazine article - it's scientific fact. Most of what we perceive as "real" or "matter" is really made up of energy - and you could choose to think of that energy as a source for your own spiritual growth to be used in any way you want.

You can use the energy that surrounds and permeates you to positively affect your own health and everyone around you. You can also use that energy to make yourself and everyone around you miserable. The energy can be used for your own spiritual growth or to stunt all of your efforts for peace and harmony in this lifetime.

The point of this column is simply to remind you that the only way spiritual growth, internal healing, or deep awarenesses are possible is if the mind and body are quieted. With the right massage therapist and your willingness to "just be", relaxed muscles will not be the only positive result of an hour on a massage table.

Charlotte Michael Versagi is a regular feature writer and columnist for MASSAGE Magazine, teaches a 100-hour oncology massage program, is a lymphedema therapist, a massage research associate, and treats cancer patients daily.

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