This video is about the end of a session and what to do after a session.
When the session is over, the very first thing is to give it a second. I know people think they’re being polite by getting off the table immediately, but there’s a reason we do Shavasana at the end of a yoga session. That’s the “corpse pose,” for those of you who don’t do yoga, at the end of a session, you just lie there for a little while. It’s part of it, part of the session of yoga.
We also do this in personal fitness training, where we generally lie down and do some stretching at the end. There’s a really good physiological reason for this.
It’s actually a good idea at the end of any kind of learning session, even if you’re studying vocabulary for a foreign language—to do nothing for a minute.
Ideally, let your mind go offline. Don’t focus—just float.
Because at an unconscious level, your nervous system is making a plan and setting priorities for how to react to what’s just happened.
Giving it a minute at the end of a session is going to help your body heal and reorganize more efficiently and precisely. You’ll get a better long-term effect if you just take a minute before getting off the table.
So please, don’t rush off the table.
That’s the first thing.
The second thing is: when you do get off the table, stand with confidence.
I always say: be that person you want to be—right now. Do it.
Because the tissues have gotten soft. I love this word: thixotropic.
T-H-I-X. Thixotropic.
It’s the property that things like yogurt have—or when you work clay or dough—where the action of working it softens it, and when you let it sit, it hardens again. That same thing happens with your body’s tissues.
So, immediately following a massage, everything that’s been worked is soft. It’s going to harden again. And that first moment when you stand up is when your nervous system gets the signal: this is the shape of my body.
You want that to be a good, strong, healthy posture.
Sometimes the temptation is to get off the table slowly, kind of hunched over. But you don’t want that tentativeness to become part of the new pattern.
So:
- Lie there and do nothing for a minute.
- When you get up, be the person you want to be.
Then there’s the question people always ask me:
Should I drink extra water?
Massage therapists always say that.
Sure. Water’s good for you. Hydration is good for you.
Massage moves fluids through your body, so yes—it’s good for your tissues to get hydrated and nourished. It’s a great time to have some soup or something really nutrient-dense. Lots of fluids. Nourish your tissues.
Also, there’s a good chance you’re going to pee a lot. We’ve worked things through, and it’s totally normal.
It’s also normal to feel a little weird. If your body’s in a posture it’s not accustomed to, it can feel strange. You might feel a bit off emotionally. You might notice unusual emotions. I just say: don’t take any of that too seriously on the day you’ve received bodywork.
Those are probably the most important things. Yeah, I’m going to leave it at that for right now.
Okay. Take care.