Through the Body to the Self
Bodywork as a Vehicle for Spiritual Exploration

At Diamond Light School of Massage & Healing we focus on the body as an arena for the transformation of the entire being. As we progress in our exploration of working with others, we discover the inseparability of physical, emotional and spiritual healing. As we coax the muscles to soften with massage, we allow more breath, life and energy to flow through the body. Emotions that were suppressed by the contraction of the musculature resurface and become available to consciousness for transformation. Physical relaxation can be sustained and stabilized only with the corresponding emotional integration required to tolerate increased feeling.

At Diamond Light we train massage therapists to alleviate stress, tension and physical discomfort, as well as to elicit remembrance of the pristine, untouched essence of the individual residing within the body. Students learn to help clients remember the sacredness of who they really are, beneath the pain, tension, thoughts, emotions and changing drama of their lives.

The first aspect of a Massage Therapist's training is to acquire skill. It is essential to thoroughly master a repertoire of bodywork techniques to adeptly address a variety of situations with creative expertise and confidence. A second and equally important component of education is the commitment to self transformation on the part the practitioner. Knowing that it's only possible to share with others that which one has integrated within oneself, we recognize massage as an ongoing spiritual journey. The practice of massage becomes an increasingly exquisite way to reconnect with the sacred.

Our intention is to teach massage therapists to tune the subtle instrument of themselves. Students learn to become unwaveringly present, bringing the power of the infinite through their hands. They learn to love compassion, acknowledging the essential Divinity and innocence of another without denying or "taking on" their discomfort. They develop the intuition to catapult their skills beyond the limits of technique. They transmit with their presence an invitation to a deeper encounter with life, a trust and delight in the sacred unknowable unfoldment of each moment, gleaned from the palpable integration of their own inner work. Ultimately, they cultivate the ability to just BE with another person. Not to fix, heal, alter, advise or rescue them, but simply to be present and provide a safe space in which they can rediscover themselves. All of these qualities are cultivatable and indispensable in the training of a professional massage therapist.

If you are considering a career in bodywork or healing, be sure your training provides you with a strong holistic foundation on which to build a lifetime of fulfilling work.

by Vajra Matusow - Reprinted from Open Exchange Magazine, September, 1998