On a recent trip to the airport, I was crabby.
My family was coming off a high-fun, low-sleep weekend in a foreign city, including one late-night vomit incident from one of our children and therefore a late-night trip to the grocery store to buy laundry pods to wash said child’s vomit-filled sheets.
All this to say, we were tired.
For me, tired is sometimes code for “impatient and snippy”.
Thankfully, my husband calmly looked me in the eye and said:
You’re not yourself right now. Go. Do whatever you need to do. I’ll handle the kids.
One reason I knew he was right was that my immediate response inside my head was not a healthy one. Instead, I swallowed my pride, put in my earbuds, and started walking.
Without planning on it, my feet walked me right up to the airport (aka overpriced) chair massage station I normally would pass by without a wink. Before I knew it, my eyes were scanning the overpriced chart and my mouth was saying, “Yes, please, I’ll take 20 minutes.”
Yes, that’s right. I did something I have never done before. Instead of smugly passing by like I usually do, this time I thought to myself: Why not?
Even though I understand the gift a good chair massage can be, and periodically offer it at events, when it comes to me getting a chair massage in an airport, I’ve always been a bit cocky. I think to myself: Yeah right, like I would ever spend way too much money on a massage in an airport from someone who likely doesn’t even know what they’re doing.
Thank goodness my ego took a backseat that day.
I sat my face down into that face cradle, closed my eyes, and let myself be transported. I didn’t think about the crowd of people walking by. I didn’t arrogantly think I could do a better job than this.
I just breathed and let the massage do what massage does best: transform my day.
That massage therapist got more done on my back, neck and hips in 20 minutes than some LMT’s get done in an hour on a table.
I walked away from that chair massage so much calmer. I could breathe more easily, I had color in my face, softer eyes, and a more positive outlook on life. In other words, I was filled with less fight so I - and my family - could have a better flight. I could return to my gate a more relaxed wife and mom.
It only took 20 minutes.
This brought to my mind the often and easily overlooked 30-minute massage session. I hardly ever give half-hour massages, simply because people don’t often schedule them.
I had one friend say to me once about the 30-minute option, “No way, 30-minutes is not worth it! You take your clothes off and you’re basically already done!” At the time I laughed at her comment, but if we had that conversation today, I’d push her on it.
Thirty minutes of massage can change the trajectory of someone’s day.
I’ve even had teachers fall asleep during a 15-minute chair massage.
Massage is powerful. And our lives are busy. Sixty- and 90-minute sessions are wonderful, of course, and I think we should all get them as much as we can.
Let’s also remember: a little massage can go a long way.
If 10, 20 or 30-minutes is all you can fit into your schedule or your budget, that is still a meaningful time.
Go for it.
You, and the people around you, will be glad you did.
In the spirit of “less is more” here is a lovely song by Des Moines’ very own Abbie Sawyer!
Her new album Persimmon is out now and you can still buy tickets to her album release show at the Temple Theater on May 9th. My family and I will be there!
Share this post