Surrendering…

As we get older, it’s good to check in more frequently with our body (& our life) to ensure that how we’re living is working for us. I have a sense that every year after 55, is like a dog year, though I also notice that I can age after a difficult time, then regain some strength, health & vitality, ‘youth’ even, when it passes.

One of the delicious things about the Alexander Technique & Feldenkrais, is they teach you a lot about letting go, both in the mind & the body. That working with softness & ‘allowing’, can be much more effective than a fierce will or intent. There is a rigidity often in will, & a real fluidity in the surrendering to the basic & amazing design of the body. The focus on ‘core strength’ is all very well, but not everything is about strength.

When giving a massage treatment, the toughest thing, often, for people is the letting go, allowing me to take the weight of their body… surrendering… something we did all the time as babies… you see it in the way they sleep – open, with their arms up, unprotected…

Surrendering has an image of giving up, or giving in – the ‘white flag’ – but, in fact, I would say it could be giving ‘over’, which has a very different quality to it. Something along the lines of understanding that we don’t (& can’t) control everything & it is good to accept what is, allow it, go with the flow… & maybe even enjoy that sense of being out of control. It may touch on or bring up fear, but I think it’s interesting to explore our relationship with it – makes life a lot easier, at times… a vital life skill, I would say…

And, if you’d like to practise surrendering with a massage, get in touch!