The ultimate goal of oil massage | If you are a therapist school, executive academy Osaka | Blog

[The ultimate goal of massage]
Why can't you "trust your weight"?
~A profound impact created not by technology, but by a "way of life" and "close connection"~

When you pursue the art of massage and body care to its fullest potential, there is one ultimate goal you will reach.

That is, putting your body weight onto the opponent's body

It means "to entrust" or "to leave in someone's care."

"Just relax and put your weight into it."
It's easy to say, but in reality, there are far more therapists than you might imagine who are unable to "surrender" to their clients.

Why is it so difficult to simply entrust your weight to someone?
There are underlying psychological factors and physical reasons for the techniques involved, which precede any technical aspects.

1. The inability to "delegate" is proof that you have been working hard on your own until now.

Many therapists who cannot allow their clients to lean on them are not lacking in skill, but rather their "habitual lifestyle" manifests as physical tension.

Someone who has always thought, "I have to do something about this myself," and has tried to solve problems on their own.
People who are not good at relying on or depending on others.
People who unconsciously feel a fear of trusting others.

Those who are so earnest and hardworking often unconsciously put on the brakes (fear or caution) at the moment they lean their weight onto the other person's body.

"You have to push it in firmly."
"I have to be in control."

This feeling causes you to retain tension in your arms, shoulders, and wrists, preventing you from fully shifting your weight onto the ball.


2. The "sharp, shallow pressure" that arises from tension, and the "soft, deep pressure" that comes from surrendering.

If the therapist retains tension in their body, the force will be contained at the surface of their body. As a result, there will be a significant difference in the pressure that is generated.

Unrequited pressure (pressure applied by force)

Because of the tension, the pressure becomes "sharp," making it easy to injure the opponent's muscles, and it also stops at the superficial layer.
This can also cause wrist and finger pain for the therapist themselves.

The pressure you entrust to someone (the pressure you put your weight into)

There is absolutely no sharpness to it; for the recipient, it gives the feeling of "not hurting, yet reaching incredibly deep."
The pressure reaches deep into the body, fundamentally releasing the recipient's tension.

In other words, what determines the "depth" of the pressure is not the force you apply, but "how much unnecessary force you release and entrust to the other person."


3. Physical trap: "Too much oil" and it cannot be trusted.

There's another factor that physically hinders the process of letting go: the amount of oil.

In typical oil massages that use a lot of oil, your hands tend to become slippery.

When your hand is about to slip, you unconsciously tense your body, hands, and fingertips to stop it from slipping.

To protect myself from the fear of slipping, I tense my body.

This is far from a state of "surrendering" to the situation.


That's why "a small amount of oil" and "close contact" are necessary .
In the Swedish massage I teach, I keep the amount of oil to a very small amount.

This is because the oil is not used as a "lubricant" to make things slide, but rather as a "bonding agent" to make skin stick together tightly.

Once the fear of slipping completely disappears, you no longer need to apply the brakes with your hands.

It is precisely because of the firm friction and close contact between skin that therapists can confidently entrust their entire body weight to their clients.

In conclusion: Changing your technique can liberate you. When you realize that the reason you can't "surrender" lies in your past experiences and way of life, doesn't it lighten your heart a little?

The fact that you can't rely on others is proof that you've lived your life seriously and diligently on your own until now.

However, in order to take another step forward as a therapist and reach the "ultimate level of skill," you need to trust your clients and give yourself permission to entrust your own body to them.

While feeling the genuine "tightness" created by a small amount of oil, you gradually get the hang of entrusting yourself to your partner.

It is a process of acquiring skills, but it is also a process of letting go of the "tension" and "caution" that the therapist has carried for many years, and liberating themselves.

KAORI