Long before paper was invented, the Chinese recorded their history on thin slivers of bamboo. In fact, the material was used in a multitude of ways, ranging from musical instruments to elaborate decorations, artwork, and even agricultural tools. Since bamboo was incorporated into so much of daily life, it wasn’t long before it was used as a form of creative and spiritual expression, which quickly took on ritual and healing connotations.

The reality hit me. I had landed a good job in a nice day spa and was about to put my hands on my very first client, a complete stranger. Suddenly I was sick. But the last thing I wanted her to know was that this was my first professional massage. So I stood there, hands aloft as though frozen in the act of offering her my blessing, momentarily paralyzed, imagining the instant I would make contact with her bare skin.

For massage therapists, there is no mistaking the connection between body and mind. It’s evident in each day’s work—from the client who has an emotional release in the middle of a session, to the client who recalls vivid memories as you work his scar tissue from an old injury. Massage therapists know well that the mind is a powerful ally in maintaining health and wellness. The mind is so powerful, in fact, that it can produce its own medicine for the body, and, as with meditation, when we allow the mind to become quiet, true healing can take place.

In the previous column, we looked at the typical structure of a research article, viewed from a high level. Knowing what this skeleton looks like enables us to grasp quickly what the authors of a research study are presenting—even when the topic is unfamiliar. More importantly, this structure ties the authors’ presentation together with the scientific method. Here, we’ll delve into the details of how this is done, working toward a user-friendly understanding of the statistical basics of research studies.