We've all heard it, said it or thought it before, "I need a massage." Once considered to be just hedonistic pampering for the rich and famous, massage therapy is now finding enormous popularity with the general public.
Massage therapy provides relief to people from all walks of life. The weekend athlete, the home gardener, the over stressed executive, virtually anyone can feel a need for massage therapy sooner or later. Numerous research studies conducted in the United States, Europe, and Asia have documented that far beyond simply "feeling good," massage therapy has an impressive range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.
BENEFITS?
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Massage Reduces the Effects of Stress
Up to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related complaints such as headaches, backaches, neck pain, eyestrain, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, as well as, physical and emotional exhaustion.
Massage therapy has an amazing effect on your body's nervous system. When massage therapy activates your body's parasympathetic nervous system, it counteracts your body's negative response to stress, relaxing muscle tension and allowing your heart rate, blood pressure and circulation to return to normal.
Massage therapy also helps you become more aware of your body and your unconsciously held tension. As you become more aware of your body, you will begin to recognize tension as it builds during the day so that you can consciously release it before it can have a negative effect on your body. Massage therapy stretches and loosens tight muscles, and connective tissue, breaking down and preventing further formation of adhesions, freeing your range of motion and reducing the dangers of fibrosis.
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Massage Increases Blood Circulation
Like a sponge that is squeezed, a tight muscle cannot hold much fluid nor can it allow much fluid to pass through it. This decreases your circulation of blood and increases the strain placed on your heart. Among the obvious problems that this can cause, this can leave you feeling fatigued and sore, reducing your precious energy reserves.
Massage therapy releases contracted muscles and pushes venous blood towards the heart, thus easing the strain on this vital organ. This increase in circulation brings energy producing nutrients and oxygen to your cells as well as carriers away metabolic waste products that can make you feel listless and drained.
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In addition, massage therapy increases your body's oxygen carrying red blood cell count helping to bring even more oxygen to your body's cells.
Massage Strengthens the Immune System
Massage therapy not only improves the circulation of blood and its vital nutrients, but also increases the circulation of lymph in your lymphatic system thus helping your body to fight off infection and speeding your recovery from injuries and illness.
Massage Helps You to Sleep Better
Tension from everyday stress can disrupt your sleep leaving you tired, irritable and emotionally drained. This can rob you of the patience and stamina needed just to face day-to-day life. Massage therapy relaxes tense muscles and calms the nervous system, causing your body's rhythm to slow down. When this happens, your blood pressure lowers, your heart rate settles, and your breath becomes deeper and more rhythmic, priming you for a perfect night's sleep.
Swedish Massage
This classic European massage uses long strokes and kneeding to the superficial layers of muscles. This very soothing massage helps to improve circulation, ease muscle aches and tension, improves flexibility and promotes health and relaxation.
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HOT STONE THERAPY |
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Introduction to Stone Therapy
The ancient art of stone therapy using various massage techniques and warm stones relaxes the body at it's deepest level and is effective in creating harmony and balance. The subtle energies of stones introduced into a treatment calm the senses, relax muscle tension and promote a meditative state. The heat from the stones penetrates to a deeper level, bringing about physiological changes as well as influencing the body's internal energy flow (Chi); therefore bringing balance to both body and mind. Massage is a perfect way to nurture our bodies and ourselves. Incorporating stones and crystals into a treatment can enhance the power of this contact.
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Effects of Warm Stones on the body (physical)
- Increased heart rate, respiration and vasodilatation of capillaries.
- Promote the release of tension in connective tissue.
- Increased circulation and elimination of waste products.
- Increased action of leukocytes (fights infections)
- Promotes relaxation
- Improvement in circulation and lymphatic functions.
- Increased metabolism
- Reduced muscle spasticity.
- Warming, relaxing, gently slows down heart rate and relaxes inner organs increasing blood flow and boosting the lymphatic/immune systems.
- Client becomes more receptive to massage in areas of tension or discomfort.
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Effects of Warm Stones (psychological)
- Soothing, nurturing, feeling of being touched, grounding, feeling of blissfulness, tranquilizing, comforting, feeling of security and safety, release of tension and anxiety.
Effects of Cold Stones
- Cold stones are excellent to ease congestion e.g. Deep tissue or sinus.
- Reduces inflamation and build up scare tissue in over-worked muscle groups.
Stones are heated in water to a temperature of approximatly 45-50 °C maximum.
A Hot Stone Facial is also available.
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