Saturday, December 27, 2008

Massage Your Way To Health And Relaxation

By Ned Dagostino

A body massage is an ancient form of physical therapy. The massage was an important adjunct to the ceremonial bath in Greek and Roman cultures. It is widely practiced today by people from all walks of life. A massage given by a professional therapist is wonderfully relaxing and refreshing. You'll feel like a new person after a massage, filled with a new-found energy to get work done. Most of us do know what a massage is, but there are some people who haven't had a professional massage yet. This article will bring the body massage into closer and clearer focus.

When you have a headache you tend to rub your forehead in a massage-like fashion. Why? Because that relieves you of the ache. Spent many hours staring at facts and figures on the monitor? You massage the lower back of your neck to get relief. This is the basic principle of a massage - to create an ebb and flow of pressure in the target area. Qualified professional masseurs know exactly how to and where to massage an area of the body to generate the desired therapeutic effect. They also know the 'why?' of what they do. Let's go see what a professional massage therapist does for you.

You must visit a qualified, trained, professional masseur to get the real benefits of a full body massage. He will take you into a private cabin. There you will have to lie prone on the massage table, with a sheet draped over your body. The massage is given directly to the body areas and so you have to remove your clothes. You can choose to have a general massage or a special deep tissue massage or any other type of massage which is on offer. The choice is yours, and as you gain more experience in getting massaged, you will be better able to make your selection of a specific massage.

The first thing that happens when the massaging starts, is that the blood circulation gets enhanced. 'Enlivened' is the proper word for what happens to the blood circulation. The blood being the life force of the body, its increased circulation means the whole body gets livened up. When we exert ourselves physically, the muscles get tired due to the accumulation of certain catabolic wastes. The enhanced circulation washes away these wastes and voila! the muscles are not tired anymore! The blood contains elements which are vital for health or healing in other words. So damaged muscles, ligaments, and tissues get healed faster due to the enhanced blood circulation. That's why you feel fresh and whole during and after a massage.

In fact, a massage is a simple and natural technique to enhance the blood circulation. We all know that blood is the vital force of our body. So enhanced blood flow translates to enhanced vitality and health. There's a form of obesity which is due to our lifestyle and habits - general inactivity, improper posture, and incorrect body movements. For example, some people slouch around instead of walking erect and energetically. Massage is a quick fix for such cases, and helps a person to shed unhealthy flab. Your skin benefits from the massage too, turning smoother, tauter, and healthier, and you can feel yourself glowing.

We generally believe that a massage is a form of physical therapy, and hence benefits us in a physical way only. This is not true. We are benefited mentally as well as physically. Just as the muscles get tired due to the accumulation of wastes, our brain undergoes much the same effect when we exert ourselves mentally. The enhanced blood circulation washes away the accumulated toxins from the brain, and leaves it fresh and tension-free! That's why you can get a really good, healthy sleep after a body massage.

Professional massage therapy goes beyond enhancing the blood circulation. Professional massage therapy is based on touch therapy, which states that a touch is a psychological bridge between two sentient entities. So, if a colleague is feeling down, a hug will lift his spirits. We've seen that happen often enough to know that it is true. A professional massage therapist knows this, and uses it to generate psychological well-being in the subject. So, now you know where to go when you're aching and paining!

A full body massage is not a fad activity. It is based on sound knowledge and techniques. It is genuinely therapeutic. The only caveat being that the masseur must a properly qualified and licensed professional massage therapist. Getting a massage from a good masseur will help you physically, mentally and emotionally.

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