Pet Massage

Every time I pet my cat, he stretches his body and purrs, and it seems he is experiencing some ecstatic moment.  I wish I was the cat to see what it feels like.   

Not long before I decided to become a massage therapist, I found a book called “Dr. Michael Fox’s Massage Program for Cats and Dogs” at the local library, and I was fascinated by it.  It totally makes sense if I come to think about it.  The anatomy is almost the same, and they also have health issues such as arthritis, heart disease, and kidney disease.  The techniques for pet massages are exactly the same as for people. The book shows therapeutic, acupressure, and diagnostic massage, and the author recommends daily massage.  

Touch

I grew up in Japan, where they don’t hug or kiss customarily, so I was surprised to learn that the American society was touch-deprived.  Because of the sexual harassment law, touching is a taboo, and innocent touch of affection and compassion is seen less and less. 

I do know the power of touch as a massage therapist, and I believe that human beings have a very natural desire to be touched and connect with other people.  First of all, touch feels good, provided that you feel safe with the person giving touch.  It makes such a huge difference between being touched by yourself and by somebody else.  I give myself a massage especially for my head, neck and face to relieve headaches.  But, I enjoy the most when I receive massage on those areas by somebody else.  And, I’m sure many of you agree about foot massage.