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If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail — Abraham Maslow
Some massage therapists are seemingly magical in the successful outcomes they create. Others, on the surface equally well trained, are somehow less effective. When we notice such disparities, we often dismiss them with comments like, “She's just better at connecting with clients” or “He's a wizard at applying techniques”. Such statements consign what we have observed to the mysterious “intuitive side” of massage. When we classify an aptitude as intuitive, it conveniently serves to remove it from the list of things we need to teach or confront. Perhaps, however, this accepted map does not match the territory it supposedly represents. Could it be that achieving mastery beyond technical competence is less innate than we customarily believe?
My answer to this question is that I believe that implicit skills both underlie and transcend what we typically think of and teach as massage skills. Following a common terminology from psychology, I refer to these as metaskills. My second premise is that more is known about the structure and communication of these metaskills than we usually believe. A major reason for this disconnection is that much of the knowledge we seek is scattered across the boundaries of several disciplines. The good news is that it is exactly such knowledge, from regions where different disciplines cross and intermingle, that often newly inspires creativity and invention. My third and final thesis in writing this article is that what we learn about our metaskills can fundamentally influence how we conceptualize and teach the practice of massage therapy.
In looking for a framework for our metaskills, I will be trying to transform the intangible into something that feels more concrete and malleable. To do this, I will attempt to take you on a journey into the domains of process-oriented psychology, cognitive science, Ericksonian therapy, dance, and martial arts. As with a trip on a tourist train, we will make several stops but not have time to wander too far afield from the stations. The references I give can act as jump off points for those wishing to continue outward on their own. At every stop, I will try to tie together what we discover to what I believe is its relevance to massage training and practice. Please join me for the journey.
© Keith Eric Grant — The RamblemuseSM, November 1999. All rights reserved.
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