While an important rule of bodywork is communication (if something doesn’t feel good or right, always speak up!), I try to keep talking to a minimum unless it is appropriate for our session. You may wonder, how does not talking during a bodywork session benefit you?
- It allows you to pay attention to what is happening inside of you during the session. What changes (if any) do you notice? Are emotions or memories bubbling up? Some people see colors or images during bodywork (I am not usually one of those people but I do feel energy moving). Are you holding tension or bracing in any part of your body? Are you holding your breath? Could the pressure in the area being worked on be more, be less?
- Humans have active minds (I like to call it the monkey mind, jumping and chattering all over the place). When we quiet our bodies and surroundings, thoughts and feelings may arise that we’ve been choosing to not pay attention to, for whatever reason. Although it can be uncomfortable to sit quietly in that space, often we can move through whatever is going on, or at least acknowledge what is happening for us in a safe space. Sometimes these thoughts/feelings have been causing subconscious tension in our bodies that we may not have even noticed.
- When our bodies are at rest, we can “rest and digest”, which is our parasympathetic nervous system kicking in to help our bodies restore/renew. Most people come off the bodywork table feeling calmer and more grounded.
I feel that our society offers many forms of distraction, so I personally strive to have a space where quiet is welcome and introspection is encouraged for deeper healing. We don’t even have to listen to music while I work if that helps you relax more.
I hope you are encouraged to give silence a try at your next bodywork session. If you are normally someone who is chatty, you can let you therapist know that you are focusing on being quiet today so you can pay attention to what is going on inside and thank them for holding space for that to happen.