Nestled in this issue of Massage & Bodywork is a feature on the history of massage therapy (page 84) and an associated new department for 2016 (page 119). While there are other heartfelt curators of the profession’s past, Patricia J. Benjamin has raised the bar by scripting a quality, credible, sizable text that eloquently addresses the topic: The Emergence of the Massage Therapy Profession in the United States (Curties-Overzet, 2015).
Venturing through its some 688 pages, I’m struck by the progress the profession has—and hasn’t—made. One passage discusses the diverse nature of bodywork and cites a textbook author who notes “an increasing tendency on the part of scientific men to have the word massage embrace all these varied forms of manual therapies.” That’s Douglas Graham writing Treatise on Massage in 1902!
I geek out on history, particularly the 1800s to the early 1900s, maybe because I grew up in western Colorado, where cowboys still roam. In November, I walked the mountain homestead where my mother was born in January 1935—in a two-room log cabin. The youngest of six, Mom recounted her early memories and pointed out remains of the outhouse a few yards away in a tangle of trees. I never knew my maternal grandmother, but I had a strong sense of belonging as I walked the fields where my grandfather ranched.
As I study my family history and our profession’s, I’m grateful for those who pave paths for all of us. I mark my personal past in every issue of Massage & Bodywork by using my middle initial “A” in honor of my paternal grandmother Ruth Ann Young. As the mother of seven and wife of a railroader/farmer, she lived a lean life, and was a voracious reader as well as a writer and poet in a time and place where her prose would never be aired and appreciated. Through her extensive collection of National Geographic magazines, I became fascinated with magazines, the feel of slick pages, and the intrigue of well-written features. I’ve kept our middle initial “A” alive for both of us. And now I make my living thanks to this beautiful magazine.
We at Massage & Bodywork are honored to promote the massage profession’s history and Benjamin’s book by publishing these excerpts and accompanying images. Along with the publisher, Curties-Overzet, we invite you to engage and enjoy learning about your chosen profession’s path. Ideally, with knowledge comes appreciation, particularly for the challenges and foresight of those who’ve helped craft the profession. Understanding their dedication and determination is sure to help you enrich your calling.