Mittwoch Reflections--Becoming Centered

Last week in massage school I learned that the most effective massage results from becoming and remaining centered (grounded) on the client from the beginning to the end of the session. Some therapists begin a massage by placing one hand on the (prone) client's sacrum and one hand on the upper back, then gently rocking the client's body back and forth while meditating on delivering a positive flow of energy. I like to consider the action and meditation a form of healing prayer.


After only two weeks apart, hubby and I decided to meet halfway in Decatur, Alabama. Can you blame me for missing him? He sure knows how to have fun, even at a botanical garden. The one we visited is in Huntsville, and I'm thinking it might just replace Bellingrath as my pick for the Jewel of the South.

I was impressed with not only the overall design of the garden, which included many water features, but also the strategic placement of lovely potted arrangements.

Even the simplest of plants, like this butterfly weed, seem to have power that centers on healing. Asclepius takes its name from the ancient Greek physician and god who supposedly initiated the medical profession and whose staff and snake remain an enduring symbol of that profession. According to one website, Diamon Naturals, this native of North America is not only edible but also has medicinal properties, as well as playing host to the monarch caterpillar and providing nectar for the tiger and black swallowtail butterflies. Perhaps its most interesting attribute is its reputation for curing "love addiction." Apparently, its essence promotes commitment to long-term relationships when the first stirrings of love appear to evaporate into thin air and vanish with the passage of time.