Ahhh.

Just over a week ago, on my usual evening out, I had my first ever massage!  I'd been thinking about it for years; seriously intending to book one for months; and feeling shy about it for days beforehand.

Like many people, I carry my tension in the back of my head, neck, and shoulders.  Though I rarely get headaches, when I do get them, they're generally tension-related headaches that I can correlate directly to that lower head/upper back area.  These kinds of headaches can last for days.  Even I can feel the knots in certain spots down the back of my neck and in my shoulders, and the massage therapist chuckled when she felt the ripple-like effect of those knots coiled over my muscles back there.

For years I've been hearing friends talk about the 'amazingness' of having a massage.  I probably wouldn't use the word 'amazing' to describe my experience - for me parts of the process were quite enjoyable and parts were quite painful.  Also, I didn't know whether I should initiate conversation or lie there in silence; I ended up somewhere in the middle, I suppose.  But the biggest benefit to me was undoubtedly afterwards.  Even now, more than a week later, I have a far greater range of motion in my head/neck, and my neck and shoulder muscles feel more relaxed.

Anyway, it was an overall positive experience and different than anything else I've ever experienced; and fortunately, my shyness pretty much dissolved after a few minutes on the table!

I'm scheduled to go for another few sessions a month or so from now and, somewhat to my surprise, I'm rather looking forward to them!