Massage
Download Poetics Flower Page
Poetics Book
About Poetics BookList of 26 Poetics Concepts
Accent
Beginning, Middle, and Ending
Composition
Depth and Pace
Predictable and Unpredictable
Verbal Communication
Massage Songs and Poetry
Songs and Poems by Massage RecipientsGift of First Massage Poem
Other Offerings
Massage RésuméMost Humorous Massage Story
Detailing "Great Hands"
Wave Patterns
When massage clients say, "You really know what you are doing," numerous unspoken questions have been answered in a positive way. Clients and therapists feel reassured.
Some of my life's work is to define qualities that make massage therapy effective and uplifting. My twenty-six Poetics of Touch concepts are a system for learning the fine points of Swedish massage from an artistic viewpoint. They explain what makes basic touch, rapport, and massage strokes better than average and they explore composition in-depth from various angles.To more fully understand what massage means to those who receive it, I offered forty people a two-hour massage in exchange for writing a poem describing their inner journey during the massage.
My deepest gratitude to each poem writer for his or her insights and contribution. I teach with the wealth of imagery that emerged and you may click "Poems by Massage Recipients" at left to read many.
Ideally massage has a good lingering effect and affect. Jenny D'Angelo, a massage recipient, concludes her poem Poetry in Motion with:
It is this evenness I remember most
now that the day has passed.
Everything even,
like a clear morning song;
the base note balancing
the subtext—
even and utterly smooth.