We have all at one time or another felt the benefit of a caress or a
small pat on the back. Massage is nothing other than the extension of
the physical contact between two human beings; it is something that many
people need in their daily lives.
The most natural reaction is to rub to relieve pain, either physical or
psychological we instinctively know that touch has the power to heal.
Massage teaches us how we use this touch for therapeutic purposes, to
comfort and soothe the body and mind. Many modern health problems are
often related to stress, which is why massage can be very effective in
improving our well-being.
Massage has long been regarded as a luxury for the wealthy, but today we
recognize that it is one of the most effective ways to combat stress and
to help us relax. And we also recognize its many benefits both physical
and mental, such as the elimination of toxins, muscle pain relief,
relaxation, pain treatment chronic headache/migraine tensions in the
head, activation of the immune system, and restoration of sleep recovery
and development of concentration.
We now have at our disposal many massage techniques from all cultures
and all countries in the world. Each technique has its fans but we must
keep in mind the basic principle of medicine "first do no harm"! The
massage is there to provide you with relaxation, physical repair and a
general feeling of well being.
Massage has grown up as independently in the cultures of many parts of
the world, but mostly in the Far East, east culture has its own style
and within those styles, there are often different disciplines. Just a
few of these include Thai massage, Swedish massage. Reflexology,
Remedial massage, Acupressure, Chi Nei Tsang, Orthopedic Massage,
Lomi-Lomi, Pilates, Reiki and Hot Stone Massage.How does massage work?
The human body is composed of different systems: muscular, nervous,
lymphatic, cardiovascular, digestive and skeletal. Directly or
indirectly, massage reaches each of these systems. After a massage, you
feel your muscles are relaxed, your senses are more alert, the balance
of your skeleton is recovered, you have purified your lymphatic system,
your circulation is improved and your digestive system is running
smoothly. (A massage can alleviate problems such as constipation).
A better blood circulation relieves many muscle aches, when a muscle is
tight, and under stress or suffering from injury, it contracts. This
contraction compresses and reduces blood circulation in the muscle and
the muscle fibers adhere to each other. When you massage a muscle that
is contracted or tense blood flow increases and this promotes the
separation of the muscle fibers. Toxins and waste are then driven out of
the cells and excreted in the urine, feces or sweat. When a whole organ
is affected, other systems are also suffering.
Massage relaxes, but also to stretches muscles, it puts the skeleton
back in place. After a good massage, a person often feels more
comfortable in many ways both physical and mental. The beneficial
effects of massage inevitably lead to an overall improvement in mental
status. The level of anxiety goes down, and the people sleep better, a
well-rested person suffers less from exhaustion and fatigue, it is less
susceptible to stress and resulting illness. The ability to concentrate
increases and headaches due to tensions disappear. |
