Massage therapy

Learning about Massage for Stress Relief

There is a very popular comedy program in the UK called Smack The Pony, recently they had a skit set in a masseur’s office. The masseur tried a new essential oil said to be the world’s most relaxing. She poured it on her client’s back and began to massage and the back turned into squishy putty!  This is obviously an exaggeration, but shows that massage for stress relief can effectively relax your body, mind and soul.

The Healing Touch

Skin on skin contact is one of the most ancient of cure-alls.  A kiss on a boo-boo, sleeping in your parent’s bed after a nightmare, or petting your dog can lower your blood pressure, make you breathe steadily and help your body’s natural healing powers.  Massage for stress relief is not just for feeling good, but for overall body health.  Rock star Peter Gabriel insists on having a full body massage by a female masseuse before he can face going out on stage.  Even if you have never attended his pre-show massages, you may have seen him command a stage for over two hours of intense physical and emotional performances.

Yeah, But Peter Gabriel Can Afford It I hear you say

You don’t have to get a professional full body massage every time you’re stressed out.  What do you instinctively do if you bump your elbow?  You hold it and rub it. Just with personal explorations of what strokes soothe your body and what strokes don’t; you can give a quick massage for stress relief to yourself or to that of a loved one it’s much easier to massage yourself with warm hands lubricated with warm oil or lotion to prevent chafing.

However, be careful not to massage cuts, wounds, broken limbs or burns as you may do more harm than good, trust me I know.  Massaging for stress relief is to relax muscles, stimulate circulation, and generally calm you down.  If you have constant back problems, trying a professional masseuse can help alleviate the pain, if your doctor approves that is.

There are many “Massage 101” books, periodicals and websites to help you learn some of the massage techniques and these have helped many others.  Your community college or YMCA might even offer free to low cost massage classes and seminars.  Massage for stress relief is something you have to practice in order to remember it and in order to become good or effective at it, but even the mistakes can feel good sometimes.

Massage for stress relief can be found in many forms. There are massage machines available, from a one-battery operated finger-shaped vibrator to huge chairs that massage your whole body with a series of vibrations and movement.  These machines are recommended for people in too much physical pain to exercise regularly or for the infirm and for people who are house bound.