A Healing Touch

In the past, I have seen massage as an opulent, indulgent treat. I would picture a wealthy woman at a day spa while her husband is conducting corporate mergers. She is in a white robe with cucumber slices placed on her eyes – cocktail in hand. And in walks a tall, blonde, brutish Swedish masseuse. 

Now, I am sure that if that is what you want, it’s out there. But in reality, there is much more to massage and with a history spanning thousands of years, massage therapy has been used to treat a myriad of stress, pain and tension.

Evidence of its use has been seen in India – used by Hindus in Ayurveda ‘life health’ medicine, massage therapy was a practice passed down through generations. The development of reflexology was depicted in tomb paintings in ancient Egypt and also in China and Japan, where by putting their own twist on it, Anma was developed, later known as Shiatsu.

After continuing to move around the world, in the 1800’s, Swedish doctor Per Henrik Ling created a method that became known as the Swedish Movement Cure to help relieve chronic pain. This was the precursor to what we now know as Swedish massage.

Interestingly, massage was even used to ‘cure’ melancholy, known as neurasthenia, that was popular among society ladies who lived the wealthy life of the late 1800s.

Today, as more and more people choose to live healthier lifestyles and prefer a more holistic approach to health care, we are turning to massage for pain management, body health and importantly, mental health.

Let’s take a look at a few different types of massage that are available today and what benefits they can hold:

Swedish Massage Therapy

As a very gentle and relaxing technique, Swedish Massage is one of the most widely used forms of massage in the western world. A Swedish massage therapist uses long, smooth strokes and a combination of kneading, tapping, stretching, and circular movements on the muscle. Benefits include reducing muscle and joint pain, lowering blood pressure, reducing headaches, decreasing fatigue and improving mindfulness, to name a few.

Shiatsu

Shiatsu massage therapy is deeply relaxing. It relies on the use of the fingers, thumbs and palms to apply pressure to various areas of the body’s surface to help heal common conditions and correct imbalances in the body. Shiatsu can help relieve stress, treat pain and illness, and contribute to our overall health and wellbeing.

Thai massage

Another ancient healing technique, Thai massage uses gentle pressure and stretching to relax the whole body. Unlike Swedish or Shiatsu massage techniques, in which a person passively lies on a bed, the client lies on the floor and participates more actively. Thai massage has many health benefits, from lowering stress to relieving muscular tension. It can even increase energy.

Deep tissue massage 

A deep tissue massage targets the deep layers of the muscle, using deep, slow, and smooth strokes to ease tension beyond the reach of a relaxation massage. It’s particularly beneficial for releasing chronic muscle tension. As well as lowering blood pressure this technique has also been said to lower levels of cortisol and increase levels of serotonin and oxytocin, hormones that are responsible for overall happiness.

Lomilomi

A Polynesian massage therapy treatment that originated in Hawaii, lomilomi is a holistic technique that was traditionally practised by the islands’ healers or kahunas. Lomilomi utilizes medicinal plants, massage, breathing exercises, and meditation. The technique also mirrors a traditional Swedish massage using long and sweeping arm movements. Benefits are said to be improved circulation, improved immune response, lowered heart rate and blood pressure releasing emotional build-ups as well as alleviating anxiety and negative thought patterns.

Hot stone massage

The purpose of this massage is to balance the energy of the body by loosening tight muscles using heat. Smooth, heated stones are placed on the sides of the spine, along the length of the legs, on the abdomen, and on the palms and feet. Hot stone massage is deeply calming and is often used to treat anxiety and depression, as well as back pain, muscle pain, and insomnia. The relaxation from the heat and pressure of the stones assist in easing mental stress and improving blood flow, which in turn helps to regulate hormone levels.

Reflexology

Reflexology massage involves applying different amounts of pressure to the feet, hands, and ears. It’s based on a theory that these body parts are connected to certain organs and body systems. According to Chinese belief, qi flows through each person. When a person feels stressed, their qi gets blocked. This can cause an imbalance in the body that leads to illness. Reflexology aims to keep qi flowing through the body, keeping it balanced and disease-free. Also used to reduce stress and anxiety, Reflexology has other benefits such as lifting our mood, decreasing pain, correcting hormone imbalances and boosting immune systems. It is even believed to have improved fertility.

I don’t know about you, but all this talk of massage has left me needing one ASAP…happy relaxing ladies!