It feels so good to be kneaded! Throughout history, massage has been a vital aspect of healing the body, mind and spirit. Even Hippocrates (460-337 BC), the father of modern medicine, described the medical properties of massage with oils. Priests, shamans, and healers around the world have used the laying on of hands for healing. After the dark ages of Medieval Europe, massage became more respectable and popularized by Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839), a wealthy Swedish man who healed himself using massage and exercise. Ling built an infamous healing center in Stockholm, Sweden and created the “Swedish Movement Cure.” THIS is why most massage is called “Swedish” massage today. Around 1856, massage comes to America and was embraced by the medical profession. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943), yes THAT Kellogg, helped many patients by using massage, along with hydrotherapy, colonics, and a healthy diet.
Enter Edgar Cayce and Dr. Harold J. Reilly. The Cayce/Reilly Massage method is the combination of Swedish, Osteopathic, and Neuropathic techniques that Dr. Reilly developed over many years working closely with the Cayce readings. Dr. Reilly was a prominent physiotherapist who was taught by Dr. Kellogg himself! In Cayce’s Readings, there are over 6,500 documents referencing massage and over 1,100 references for manipulation (Osteopathic or Chiropractic). Massage is manual therapy given to soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) whereas manipulation is therapy for the bones and joints. Historically speaking, the Osteopathic method was created by Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917) who helped teach Daniel David Palmer (1845-1913), the founder of the Chiropractic profession. It’s interesting that these professions are intimately connected, and both men had a strong spiritual philosophy when giving their treatments along the spine to support healing within the body.
In Cayce’s readings, the spine was the most common region to be massaged. “The why of massage should be considered: inactivity causes many portions along the spine from which impulses are received the various organs to be lax, or taught, or to allow some to receive greater impulse than others. The massage aids the ganglia to receive impulses from nerve forces as it aids circulation through the various portions of the organism.” (2456-4) He recommended using gentle, circular movements along each side of the spine from the base of the skull down to the coccyx (tailbone). “The massage will keep the centers and ganglia along the spinal system in better coordination; and we will find the vision corrected, the taste, hearing and odors quite different, and the memory much better.” (1965-2) “Osteopathic or Swedish massage…is beneficial at times..when needed, take them!” (1710-10) Cayce also emphasized the importance of a caring intention from the person giving massage, so he would often recommend a family member or loved one give the treatments often saying the “mind is the builder.” So try this at home for your friends, family or even your pets!
Begin by washing your hands, and then centering yourself by focusing your thoughts and feelings on how much you care for the individual. You can also take this time for prayer or meditation. As you do this, rub your hands together for a few seconds, then separate them an inch or two and focus on the connection between your heart and hands. Allow yourself to feel gratitude, respect and appreciation for this person. During this time, you may begin to notice sensations such as a warmth or tingling in your palms. Now, lay your hands over any areas that need healing either directly touching or hold them above the surface of the body and for a minute or two. Next, give a gentle spinal massage. Use a little massage oil (peanut and olive are Cayce’s favorites) and gently apply along the spine with long slow strokes, keeping your healing intention. Then, starting at the base of the skull, with your fingertips on each side of the spine, massage in a circular, heart-shaped motion down the back, staying close the middle of the spine. Do about 30 circles down the spine and repeat several times as needed. Give this treatment each evening before going to sleep. Now you are continuing the legacy of healing by giving a spiritual massage!