Massage and stress relief
Experts estimate that approx. ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress.
A study conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and published in The New York Times, found that volunteers who received Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as arginine vasopressin-a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. Volunteers also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system, and a boost in the immune cells that may help fight colds and the flu.
How to deal with stress…
- Take time to be still – Give your mind and body a rest. Meditation and yoga relieves stress and creates balance. A simple way to get started is to sit or lie down in a peaceful place and focus on your breathing. What can result is a greater sense of well-being, feelings of love and serenity, new insights, a solution to a problem, etc.
- Be here now- Focus more on the present moment and stop worrying about the past or future. When you focus on what’s happening right here and now your energy is more fully available to handle every situation with ease , clarity and personal power.
- Stay peaceful – Maintain awareness and try to keep your serenity and sense of balance when presented with stressful situations
- Don’t take it so seriously! – Yes, life is hard. Yes, thing’s in it are serious, but maintaining a sense of humour when things start to overwhelm you can be an awesome tool for dealing with it. Plus…it’s far more fun!
- Treat yourself with a massage – Massage is a fantastic way of reducing stress as well as boosting wellbeing and general health.
Here are just some of the benefits of Massage:
- Promotes relaxation
- Reduces stress & anxiety
- Ease of muscular tension, soreness & stiffness
- Improved skin tone, circulation & elasticity
- Helps elimination of toxins & swelling
- Boosts immune system
- Relieves tired & stiff joints
- Can increase energy levels
- Aids better sleep & reduces insomnia
- Improves Muscle tone
- Improves oxygen flow in the circulation
- Helps rid the muscle cells of toxins and improves lymphatic drainage
- Helps induce a psychological ‘feel good factor’
- Stretches the ligaments and tendons keeping them supple and pliable
- Stimulates the skin and nervous system and soothes the nerves themselves at the same time
