The Value of Nurturance

Last year on Valentine’s Day weekend, I taught a workshop, “Thai Yoga Massage for Couples,” at the very lovely and cozy Dragonfly Yoga Studio in Marshfield. The class was full – twelve couples joined me for two hours of stretching and breathing together . . . and learning/practicing massage techniques on each other.

Before you get any strange ideas, I need to tell you that Thai Massage is done fully clothed on a mat on the floor. So nothing untoward happened. As my husband was home with our son, I asked my sister (and fellow yoga teacher) Marnie to assist me with the course, as my demonstration body. It doesn’t take much convincing when you offer your sister two hours of free massage . . .

The energy in the room was amazing. There we were: boyfriends and girlfriends, newly-married couples and those celebrating upwards of 40 years together. Same sex couples and straight people, plus two pairs of sisters. All taking time to pay attention to one another, to listen, to work out the knots in each other’s shoulders and necks, hands and feet.

What strikes me now, as I look back on it, is that all of the pairs in the room were nurturing each other. Especially now, as we begin to emerge from the deep dark of winter, with the cold wind howling at our windows, and the world – in many ways -- appearing to falling apart . . . we need nurturance. We need to feel safe and loved and appreciated.

Consider your relationship. Perhaps, like me, you’re in the trenches of young parenthood, when there never seems to be enough time for anyone in your life, let alone yourself. Or perhaps you’re farther along, and work, or caring for your own parents, has become paramount. Perhaps you and your partner spend lots of time together. Perhaps you only wish you could. So I ask you this: How much time do you and your partner devote to nurturing each other? Regardless of how your physical relationship manifests itself, how much time do you spend checking in with each other, listening when the other person needs to be heard, responding to the other person’s needs without dragging your own agenda into it, perhaps massaging a tight shoulder or neck, just because you know it will make your sweetie feel better?

My wish is that everyone gets this kind of nurturance whenever he or she needs it. The reality is: most of us do not. Our busy lives don’t easily permit it.

So . . .

I’m offering the Thai Yoga Massage for Couples (and friends) Workshop again this weekend. I hope that you’ll consider joining me. You don’t need any yoga experience to benefit from it – just the desire to spend some quality time with a friend, family member or loved one.

Advance registration is required. Please visit http://www.emmasdragonflyyogastudio.com for details.