Healing Massage

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Promoting Well-Being through Healing Massage

All of us face stress as part of our daily routines. From the moment we wake up to the moment we
lay our heads down to sleep, stress is our constant companion. It is with us as we drive through the
rush hour traffic. It stays with us as we go through the day's work and chores. It fires us up when
we need to deal with difficult people and situations in the course of the day.

Too much stress, however, can take a toll on our health. Eventually, high levels of stress can cause
the body to lose its balance, and this in turn can make us sick. In order to fight the effects of stress
on our bodies, we need to seek stress-relieving treatments such as healing massage.

How Does Massage Heal the Body?

Healing massage affects the body in many different ways. It all depends on the kind of treatment
the massage therapist uses on you as well as the particular area of your body that she concentrates
on. There are, however, a few basic effects that you can expect from a healing massage that can do
wonders to the condition of your body.

1. Massage loosens tight muscles. Stress causes the muscles to become tight, tense and bunched
up. This tightness can cause pain, sometimes severe enough to prevent you from getting a good
night's rest. Massage strokes are meant to coax the muscles to become loose with heat and friction.
Loosening the muscles can soothe pain.

2. Massage induces the release of the happy hormones. Aside from melting away the tightness
of the muscles, massage also encourages the body to release serotonin and endorphins into the
bloodstream. Serotonin and endorphins are sometimes referred to as the happy hormones because
they are supposed to fight the effects of cortisol, which is the stress hormone. These hormones help
relieve pain and create feelings of well-being and pleasure.

3. Massage coaxes the lymphatic system to produce white blood cells. White blood cells are the
body's warriors. They protect the body against disease-causing bacteria, viruses and other
organisms. When the body is massaged, the lymphatic system is energized, causing the release of
white blood cells into the bloodstream, thus boosting the body's immunity.

4. Massage improves blood circulation. Massage also brings heat to blood vessels, and this heat
causes the blood vessels to become more relaxed and flexible. When the blood vessels are at this
state, blood flow improves. Thus, more blood gets to the individual cells of the body, bringing these
cells more of the oxygen and the nutrients that they need. More waste material is also eliminated
from these cells.

5. Massage soothes the mind. Massage more than just heals the body; it also heals the mind. Pain
and stress can do a lot of things to the mind. They can lead to depression and other mental ailments.
The relaxation that massage brings to the body also puts the mind at ease. You become more
awake, alert and prepared to deal with stress with regular massage.

Making the Most Out of the Healing Massage

Healing massage is a two-way trip, so to speak. It is not enough for the massage therapist to treat
you with her touch. You should also assume the attitude of healing when you go for a massage. To
do this, you must first prepare your body for the healing by avoiding alcohol and drugs at least 24
hours before and after the treatment. You should also set some time after the treatment to get some
rest.
When you are being massaged, you should also stop thinking about the things that cause you stress.
Forget about your problems at work and at home for an hour or two and focus your mind on your
healing. When the mind and the body are both focused on healing, you can actually make the
process go much faster and much more effective.

Stress is a part of our daily lives and it can put the body into so much harm. One way you can
reverse the effects of stress is to engage in a healing massage. Healing massage brings the balance
back into the body as well as the mind.

Massage Benefits
By Anna Lynn Sibal

Massage photo © Kirill Zdorov

The spa business is booming all over the world, and more and more people, women and men alike,
are becoming enamored with the comfort and relaxation that massage brings to their bodies.

We all know that soothes aching muscles and relieves pain, but are there other benefits to having
our bodies massaged?

Here are some fast facts on what benefits we can get from massage.

Massage helps remove the feeling of pain in the body by stimulating the release of endorphins,
which are the body’s feel-good hormones. Because massage relieves pain regardless of cause, it
also lessens the body’s need for pain-killing medication.

Another type of hormones that massage helps to release is called cortisol, which is responsible for
lowering the stress levels of the body. With lowered stress levels, the body becomes more capable
of healing itself. It also lowers blood pressure, allows the body to breathe more properly and
lessens feelings of anxiety.

Manipulation of the muscles through massage aids in loosening and relaxing stiffened muscles.
Inflammatory afflictions such as arthritis and tendinitis can also be treated using massage.

The circulation of blood in the body is enhanced through massage. Improved circulation means
improved supply of nutrients to individual cells of the body, not to mention improved transport of
wastes from these cells.

Improved circulation also leads to clearer, softer and healthier skin, as the skin cells become more
nourished with oxygen and nutrients.

It is said that massage helps break down accumulated fat underneath the skin, thus aiding weight
loss.
Massage also aids in the stimulation of the lymphatic system, boosting the body’s immunity and
natural defense mechanisms. A healthy lymphatic system means less susceptibility to various
illnesses and the body’s heightened ability to heal itself.

Regular massage improves the flexibility of the joints and makes the body more capable of a wider
range of movements. Fluidity of movement brought about by regular massage also reduces the
probability of getting muscle injuries. It also improves posture.

In hospitals and other health facilities, massage is now being used to help trauma and surgery
patients recover and be rehabilitated. Post-operative massage therapy is also claimed to help
shorten the stay of patients in the hospital.

Many pregnant women now seek massage to relax their bodies and prepare themselves for
childbirth. Such pregnant women who have undergone massage therapy during their gestation
period are said to have shorter and less painful labors.

Massage fulfills the body’s need for touch. Regular massage improves emotional well-being by
allowing the person to feel cared for and nurtured. Such not only lowers stress levels but also
reduces a person’s tendency to feel anxious and sink into depression.

With massage, the mind is made to feel calm and relaxed. Such a state of the mind is good for
enhancing focus and improving concentration, thereby making the mind more creative and
productive. Massage also makes the mind aware of the body, allowing it to recognize more quickly
its needs and possible afflictions

Massage Strokes
By Anna Lynn Sibal

 
Massage image © Branislav Ostojic

There are many strokes used in giving massage, and each stroke has its own purpose. Each stroke
used by a massage therapist in giving massage is chosen for a specific reason and not on some
random whim. The therapist uses a particular kind of stroke depending on what her client wants out
of the session of treatment, whether he or she wants to be relaxed or energized. That is how it is: a
particular stroke can act like a calming sedative or a refreshing stimulant depending on the speed
and pressure with which it is applied.

In massage, each stroke is done rhythmically, with one stroke flowing fluidly into the next. Also,
massage strokes are ideally done with firmness towards the heart, and with lightness when moving
away from it.
Below are the names of the massage strokes that a therapist often uses, and what these strokes are
for.

Cupping. The hands and fingers are curled into a cup shape, and with the palms facing downward,
are beaten across the area being massaged.

Draining. Draining is a stroke done with medium pressure and used with the heel of the hand on
larger areas, or with the thumbs on smaller areas. The thumb or the heel of the hand is pushed
upward along the sinew of the area being massaged and is aimed at stretching the muscle and
increasing blood circulation.

Friction. Friction strokes are massage strokes specifically used to loosen knots in the muscles. It is
always deep and with pressure, done using the thumbs and fingertips moving in tiny circles along
the area being massaged. Some receivers of the massage prefer this stroke above all others; other
receivers find it painful and could not tolerate it for long.

Gliding. The purpose of gliding strokes is to apply the massage oil onto the skin, as well as to
stretch and relax the muscles of the person receiving the massage. The gliding stroke is done with
the fingers together and the hands themselves outstretched; contact with the skin of the receiver of
the massage is done with the flat of the giver’s hands. The gliding stroke can be firm and
reassuring, or merely as light as a feather’s touch. It can be in a long and forward motion or in a
circular pattern. One or both hands may be used in doing the gliding stroke.

Hacking. This stroke is also known as the chopping stroke. The sides of the hands, with the palms
facing each other, beat up and down the area being massaged. Sometimes the hands are folded into
loose fists for added pressure.

Kneading. Kneading is done on the fleshy parts of the body with the purpose of relaxing muscle
tension and increase blood circulation. It is always done firmly, with both hands grasping the part
being massaged and then mashing it with the fingers and the heel of the hands, like kneading
dough.

Plucking. Plucking is done by lifting the flesh using the fingertips. The lifted muscle is then
pinched before it is allowed to slide back.

Pulling. This is a stroke done on the muscles of the torso and of the legs. Done with both hands,
with one alternating with the other, the muscles are pulled and stretched to loosen them.

Wringing. Wringing is done on the torso, the arms and the legs. The hands are placed on either
side of the area being massaged and are moved in an alternating forward and backward motion, in
an upward direction until it slowly reaches the head.

The giver of the massage should not forget to keep her hands and wrists relaxed in performing
these different massage strokes, or else she would end up hurting her arms. The force of the
massage should also not be limited to the giver’s arms and shoulders; she should use her entire
body weight to perform the massage.