A Squeeze to Please

This is a guest entry by my close friend, Sarah Jurewicz.

The pedicure is an indulgence that I find both ridiculous and respectable. Spending $30+ dollars for someone to paint my toenails and buff my feet is a luxury that, although feels really good in the care of someone else’s capable hands, I do not need to spend frivolously. At the same time I understand this is a service provided that, if I can afford it, I like to use it to take 30 minutes out of my hectic schedule to sit back, relax and enjoy the mini pampering session. I have had three pedicures in my life. My most recent one came at a time when I had gotten back into running. As someone with notoriously tight calves running only increases the build-up of lactic acid, promoting even more tightness in said area of my body. This particular trip to get a pedicure was made that more amazing by the calf massage I got prior to the painting of my toenails, following the kneading of the soles of my feet. I let out a small gasp of relief when the pedicurist first moved his hands up my calf because I realized how truly tight my calves were and how good it felt to have someone else work out the tension and soreness. As I sat back through the leg massage, I thought about how simple a gesture human touch is and how much stress many of us carry which in turn is alleviated by human touch.

Following my pedicure I returned home and decided to offer neck, back, head and foot massages to those around me.  I am notorious for being a hugger. Better yet, I am often referred to as a BEAR hugger (it is my personal belief that if you are going to go in for a hug, it should be worth every ounce of comfort you can share in that friendly, oftentimes loving, exchange with another human). When I realized offering 10-15 minute massages to people could be a way to share some caring human contact, I found it would undoubtedly be a reward to me as much as it would be to the receiver. Examples of people who have already taken to my powerful hands: my better half indulged in a back and hip massage while my neighbor opted for a neck and head massage. A friend’s mom asked for an arm massage, to which I threw in some hand massaging and she was delighted at how awesome that made her feel (this woman works with her hands in a factory all day long). I have not been formally trained in osteopathic/neurological/pressure point therapy; I do not have a background in physical therapy. What I do know is what feels relaxing and relieves tension for me probably equally translates to what feels relaxing and alleviating to others. Once people get over the sometimes-awkward offer of a complimentary massage, they soon fall into a trance-like state where they let the tenseness of the day, the week or even the month release from their mind and their shoulders. Or back. Or neck. Or legs. Or, well, you get the point. This is not a scheduled action in my life but rather a recent offering to loved ones around me when they are not expecting it and when I can tell they could use some extra TLC – maybe even when I can’t tell they need it because, chances are, they probably still need it.

If you ever get the chance to offer this gesture to someone, notice the type of conversation you have while you are giving this massage. Most of the time the conversation is about uplifting and positive topics, not the things that are weighing that person down. To me this random act of kindness, without spending a single cent, becomes incredibly valuable for the physical, mental and emotional benefit it provides both the recipient and me.