From Hands to Heart: Why I Will Always Love Massage
- Julia Hyndman
- Sep 3
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 12
Finding My Way Back Home
You know when you have that recurring interest that pops up throughout childhood and adolescence, and you think nothing of it until one day as an adult you look back on your life and realize, "okay I clearly had a serious interest in that, it's no wonder I do now."
That was absolutely massage therapy for me. As a kid I would collect spa service brochures, I would request to "play massage" as a kid, although I was wanting to be the client in that scenario 😆, and I was privileged enough to receive professional massage as a teenager. The difference in the sense of calm and pain-relief I felt after receiving bodywork was significant to me.
Fast forward to college, I had a very traumatic experience, where I completely disassociated from my body, and the only thing that helped bring me back into the present moment was giving a massage. Helping someone else in that way was healing to me. This felt significant. I was exposed to Thai Massage for my first time that weekend, and I was hooked.
After I graduating college with an arts degree in South Carolina, I was inspired after seeing a self employed artist support her ventures while also being a massage therapist. To consider the possibility of working for myself, making my own art, and working intimately with others sounded free and empowering.
Shortly thereafter, I moved back home with my parents in Indiana determined to become certified in Thai Massage. Serendipitously, I met my mentor Jill Harman in 2016 while working at Old Crown Coffee Roasters. I began studying Traditional Thai Massage with her in Roanoke, little did I know, the experience would be utterly life changing.
During the time, my whole family was going through a healing journey after a traumatic incident. The ground was fertile for change, and I was actively seeking.
Seeking for healing, answers to the great unknown, a more clear direction, and a place of settled openness.
The six month training would initiate a full circle realization, to my first experience giving a massage and it bringing me healing at a time of deep sorrow and confusion. I gained clarity around what I was avoiding, consequently missing, and in response trying to fill the gap in with food, beer, weed, chatter, gossip, scrolling...etc.
What I was really looking for was openhearted connection, embodied presence, and a free and relaxed orientation of my body and mind when in the presence of myself and others. When giving and receiving, I had the opportunity to practice that again and again. It was a fantastic discovery.
In my experience, that journey and practice never really ends, although it does seem there are certain levels of accomplishment that can be attained. Most notably, when I completed Jill Harman's Joy of Embodiment course in 2019, I felt I landed at a certain level, where being relaxed, in my body, and attuned to another began to feel natural again.
Bodywork continues to be a closely held practice in my life, I constantly get the opportunity to practice compassion, cultivate wisdom and hold witness to many individual's most vulnerable moments. I never take that for granted, and hold it in the highest regard.
I feel so grateful that my life has been led to this point, where I get to be constantly reminded of the beauty of humanity, the realness of being human, the heaviness that comes with hardship, and the grand potential all of us have for love.
Embodied Learnings of a LMT
When you truly show up to a massage with a relaxed body, an open heart, and an attuned mind, the information available seems nearly infinite. There are many multitudes to the most subtle queues of movement, texture, pressure, position, orientation, direction, and pattern, which are then layered on top of the information the client is sharing.
This requires the therapist to be absolutely present and receptive, ready to adjust the treatment plan at the drop of a dime.
That part is the hardest for me. When a new client comes in explaining their ailment or a long time client comes in with a chronic issue, my mind can start churning, creating a treatment plan. My worst sessions are the ones where I stick to my previously determined treatment plan, and I resist being flexible and adapting to the information as it comes.
Nothing bums me out more than a session that feels off. Either I didn't stay focused and adaptable, they weren't open for treatment, or we just aren't a good match. Massage therapists tend to be people pleasers, and the truth that you can't please everyone can be a hard and exhausting pill to swallow.
Ideally performing massage is energizing for the therapist, and their self-care habits should be top-tier. Although, at least for me, the reality is that sometimes I am drained after a full day's work and what follows is a collapse around my taking care routine.
Typically, performing floor bodywork is more balanced for the therapist, utilizing their whole body to alleviate the patient. It it taught that Traditional Thai Bodyworkers typically have a longer massage career, where the standard is 5-8 years till burnout, 10-15 with proper self care.
In my experience, being a floor bodyworker was working great for the first 9 years of my career, and my inconsistency with strength training, coupled with my genetic disposition to hyper-mobility was beginning to catch up with me. I knew a change was needed, and I didn't know exactly know what or how.
A pressure was building, and I was curious to see what would follow. I had been getting the intuitive nudge that I needed to elevate my practice off the floor and find an additional stream of income that would allow me to scale back the amount of massage I was doing.
Naturally, life happened, I injured my knee, could no longer do floor work, and was unable to perform for several weeks, forcing me to look into alternative career paths.
Truthfully, I almost got a job at a bank, and when it fell through, I was so grateful. I am so passionate about the work we do at Tulip Tree Collective. It would break my heart to fully shut our doors, it would feel like I've given up a dream I spent my entire life wishing on.
I decided that what's needed is a pivot and a reorganization. We are moving locations to the gorgeous Agape Koinonia (only 2 miles north of our current location) we are investing in the ✨BEST✨ massage table on the market (electric lift, extra extra wide, adjusted breast plate...etc), and we are taking on an additional massage therapist to expand our available hours while I limit my personal booking hours.
I will begin to offer my other skills and services, and may take on an additional part-time job if those don't fill my wage gap.
Coming to terms with the fact that I had indeed reached a place of burn out and the current limits of my capacity was truly humbling. My biggest motivator is that I wish to continue to practice massage through my 70s if life grants me that privilege, therefore, I will do what I need to now to take care and preserve this precious opportunity I have to help others feel better, even if it is temporary.
The Future is Bright
Despite the few setbacks, I am incredibly excited for where Tulip Tree Collective is headed. We re-organized around our future goals and core mission, and this adjustment supports movement in that direction more directly and completely.
And really, the setbacks are all part of the journey. They give us an opportunity to tinker with our engine, so that when we do take off in a big way, we are stronger, able to take larger leaps, and most importantly, successful in our execution.
If you want to support our continued journey and are curious about booking an appointment with myself or our new therapist you may do that through the links below. I highly recommend booking an appointment with Ursula, her gentle and attuned approach is incredibly relaxing and reviving. She is available on Fridays and Saturdays, while I am available Tuesday - Thursday.
Comments