Meditation & Massage: A Partnership That Transformed My Life and My Practice
For almost two years now, I’ve had a consistent meditation practice. Every. Single. Day. (Okay, okay… maybe I missed one day.) But honestly, I can’t overstate how much meditation has changed me. It has literally saved my life.
When everything around me felt like it was collapsing — when emotions were high, choices heavy, and change constant — I somehow found the strength to sit still. Just breathe. Just be. In that stillness, I found something I didn’t even realize I was missing: myself.
Over time, I noticed that I wasn’t reacting the same way to things that used to completely derail me. I was calmer. Clearer. More patient with others. Softer with myself. I wasn’t floating away in my mind so much — I was actually in my body again.
I’m proud to say that I’ve inspired at least half of my patients to start meditating too. Some were people who had always been curious but didn’t believe they could do it. Some had tried and quit. And some swore up and down “no way.” Yet, here they are, practicing and noticing shifts.
Meditation hasn’t just changed how I live—it’s transformed how I work. As a massage therapist, it’s become second nature for me to “drop in” to a deep state of presence when I’m with a patient. I can shut out distractions—noise, smells, even my own racing thoughts—and tap into the energy of the person’s body as if it were my own.
Whether they’re talking, silent, restless, or still, something happens: their nervous system and their physical tissue begin to shift. What used to happen occasionally—where a client’s tissue would soften quickly and easily—has now become the norm. More often than not, I can feel the subtle or even dramatic release of tension and emotion during a session.
We’re realizing more than ever how much emotion is stored in the body—and how that storage can manifest as injury or disease. Massage helps release physical tension. Meditation helps release mental and emotional tension. Together, they create a powerful path for healing.
And this isn’t just my experience—science is catching up.
• Research has shown that regular meditation reduces stress hormones like cortisol, improves emotional regulation, and strengthens the immune system.
• Studies using brain imaging reveal that meditation changes the structure and function of areas linked to empathy, focus, and pain perception. • Massage, too, has been shown to lower heart rate, reduce muscle tension, and calm the nervous system—benefits that are amplified when both client and practitioner are more present and regulated.
For me, meditation isn’t just a practice I do on a cushion. It’s in every breath I take, every muscle I touch, every moment I hold space for someone else. It’s not only healed me but made me a better therapist—and a better human.
If you’ve been curious about meditation, start small. Two minutes. Five minutes. Just sit, breathe, and notice. It might feel impossible at first, but the effects build. And if you’re a practitioner—whether massage, healthcare, or any field that works with people—the impact on your work can be life-changing.
