I’ve been thinking a lot about comfort.
In my bodywork practice, I spend a lot of time helping women feel comfortable in their bodies. And something I’ve noticed is how surprisingly difficult that can be.
There can be a sense that comfort is a luxury to be earned, or saved as a treat for when all the work is done.
We’ll sit down when the inbox is empty. Rest once everyone else is sorted. Or book a massage when our shoulders get really bad.
The problem is that finding a time when everything is done is rarely going to happen.
What if comfort was part of looking after ourselves?
A big part of my work has become normalising comfort as part of our health and wellbeing, rather than something we only turn to once we’re exhausted, stressed or in pain.
That doesn’t necessarily mean doing anything complicated.
In an integrative bodywork session, it might begin with noticing the softness of the blanket, the warmth of the heated table and the cosiness of being wrapped from head to toe.
It might be feeling your muscles soften as you allow yourself to be held, noticing the spaciousness of a slower breath, or simply experiencing the relief of not having to do anything other than be still and supported.
Alongside massage and bodywork, we might also use conversation, breath, movement or mindfulness, depending on what feels useful to you that day.
It sounds super simple, but there’s something really powerful about spending an hour where the question isn’t:
“What should I be doing?”
but:
“What would help me feel more comfortable?”
Comfort doesn’t have to take an hour
This practice of embodied comfort is my personal go-to for staying well too.
If I have only five minutes between appointments or mum duties, I want to make them count.
That might mean sinking into a soft chair, stretching out my body or seeking out a quick patch of sunshine.
Nothing particularly impressive. Just noticing: what would feel good in my body right now?
And interestingly, when I give myself that space, some of my most exciting thoughts and ideas seem to find me anyway.
Perhaps that’s another reason we don’t always need to fill every available moment with doing.
Do we really need to earn feeling good?
So this is the thought I’m taking into October:
What if you didn’t have to earn comfort? What if you just let yourself have it anyway?
Comfort doesn’t have to be a reward for reaching the bottom of the to-do list.
Perhaps it can simply be part of how we look after ourselves.
Integrative Bodywork in Beckenham
I offer integrative bodywork for women in Beckenham, combining massage and therapeutic touch with psychology-informed approaches, conversation and simple body-based practices.
Sessions offer space to slow down, reconnect with your body and explore what might support your wellbeing — whether you’re experiencing stress or tension, moving through a period of change, or simply want some time to yourself.