Actually, ‘tis the season of Giving, but I happen to know the perfect gift to give – a massage!

Perhaps you know someone who could sure use one, and maybe that someone is absolutely positively without the slightest shred of any doubt, you.

Here’s how you can tell if massage would be good for you:

If you don’t feel good about your body.

If you feel great about your body.

If you sometimes get depressed.

If you’re filled with joy.

If your life is stressful.

If you’re on cloud nine.

The point is, it’s good for you, for Pete’s sake! And for anyone else’s sake too for that matter.

In many parts of the world, massage is an important part of the professional healthcare system; places like Canada, China, Japan, India, France, Germany, Thailand and more.

After all, the benefits of massage are well known worldwide. Here are some of them:

enhances circulation

improves sleep

elevates mood

increases self-confidence

lowers blood pressure

releases stress

etc., etc.. and beyond etc.

Unfortunately, massage is not covered by insurance in our good ol’ US of A, so it can be difficult on the pocketbook. And here’s where our wonderful local community college can help.

Elgin Community College offers an excellent Massage Therapy Certification Training Program. What this training program additionally offers to the community is a student clinic. According to the college website,

“These affordable clinics benefit students and clients—students gain hands-on experience under expert supervision, while clients receive attentive care in a supportive, learning-focused environment. Participation helps support student growth and skill development.”

Here’s the diamond in this wonderful description: “affordable.” So, being the altruistic columnist that I am and wanting to make sure my readers get the best and truest of information from my columns, I decided to book a massage there for myself last week to give you the inside scoop…

I was greeted by friendly staff as “Zoey” stepped forward and introduced herself as my Massage Therapist. She took me into the clinic, which is a large room separated by privacy curtains for the student therapists and their clients.

In her curtained corner of the room, she gave me a splendid full 85-minute massage (for $45) with a focus on myofascial release (a type of massage that works deeply with fascia - the connective tissue that surrounds our muscles). Her skillful hands helped release the built-up tensions in my back, arms, neck, legs and feet. To say it was tough doing this undercover work for you, my dear readers…well, I just can’t. It was absolutely wonderful! As a former Massage Instructor, Zoey would get an A+ in my book.

Years ago when I was finishing up my studies in massage therapy school, I began working as a Professional Massage Therapist in the Spa of the Pheasant Run Resort. Little did my clients at the student clinic know, they would have had to pay more than triple for a professional massage from me at the resort the very next day.

So don’t wait. Give your local massage therapy school a call. Unfortunately, you won’t be getting a Pheasant Run Massage Therapist (I’m still shedding tears over the close of that era). But you will be helping a student get the hands-on hours they need to graduate. While in the process you’ll be on your way to an even healthier life as well.

Lastly, for homework (always the Professor), check out the first chapter of Sophie Kinsella’s book, “The Undomestic Goddess.” You can listen to it free on Amazon – only 5 minutes long. Whether you see yourself as a Goddess, a God, neither, or both, if you relate in any way to that chapter…

You need a massage!

• Joan Budilovsky, PhD can be reached at editorial@kcchronicle.com or through her website, Yoyoga.com. She is the Expert Author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Massage” as well as the popular Spanish translation, “Masaje Facil.” Starting in January 2026, she will be a Visiting Professor in The Educational Psychology Department of the University of Illinois at Chicago co-teaching a course with LaMarr Magnus, MS, called, “The Reflective Mind: Meditation in Modern Times.”