balance of nature

Massage therapy is about nature, the natural balance of living creatures. Plants and animals living together in relationship. Some do better in the shade and some thrive in full sun. It is the same with the human animals, too. I work with so many people who are out of balance, it happens because we keep growing and evolving from who we are into who we can become, it isn't pathological until resistance sets in and we fight the unfolding into the process like a peony refusing to open.  I worked with a woman who had a kidney transplant. The surgery was successful, but she felt out of balance and there were symptoms contributing to her ongoing discomfort. By the 3rd massage sessions many of the symptoms were disappearing. Her back was more comfortable and she had greater range of motion. The combination of western techniques, acupressure and craniosacral therapy had worked to help her body accept the new organ with a minimum of discomfort. However there was still a piece missing, something, some part of her felt like it was holding back, reserved, resistant to the process. As I worked on her during our 4th session I tuned in more deeply to her new kidney. Previously I had focused my concern increasing on her body's willingness to accept the new organ. It was time to support the new organ accepting it's new home, it's new world. The kidney was grieving the loss of it's original system. It felt frightened, panic-stricken, but mostly it was just sad, longing for it's original home. And that was contributing to the dis-harmony. I held her kidney until nearly the end of our session, just witnessing it's  sadness and fear. The organ began to relax, and the relaxation spread throughout my patient's body like a wave. Closing the session, we said thank you and good by. We did a few gentle stretches to reinforce the length of the muscles, I stepped out while my patient took a moment to ground herself. She was wearing a peaceful smile as she drank a glass of water, still beyond words. Then she left, and I never saw her again. Our lives seemed to have crossed just for the purpose of that brief interaction, those few moments of open hearted, silent conversation. And it was enough.