Massage techniques can be easy to master, safe to use and above all very effective.
The step by step routines demonstrated on our site can be used with friends, family, colleagues and even on yourself as self-administered treatment.
The techniques demonstrated illustrate how massage can be used both as a method of relaxation as well as a method for treating ailments.
This is not a claim for massage as a cure but as a way of showing its therapeutic value and application as an instrument of first aid, or as an addition to medical or other complimentary treatment.
The Benefits of Massage
The most direct and most obvious effect of massage is relaxation, which is why it is so commonly associated with decreasing tension. But it is not always designed to relax.
Sometimes it has a stimulating effect whilst at other times it is used to help drain away congestion in tissues or to ease contracted muscles and spasms.
Massage correctly applied and practiced can positively influence our body in many different ways. Some of the benefits of massage are:
- To increase the muscle and joint movement
- To reduce muscle and ligament tension
- Stimulates the blood and lymphatic circulation
- Passively exercises and re-educates the muscles
- Stimulates the release of body chemicals
- To relax the physical and mental state of a massage recipient
- To ease pain
- To increase the circulation away from an area and assist drainage of excess fluid
- To apply therapeutic essential oils into the skin
- Aids the shedding of dead skin cells (desquamation)
Reflexology Zones
Reflexology is another very ancient technique which dates back many thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians. This works on the principle that our hands and feet have many different zones or reflex points which correspond directly with our main organs, glands and other areas of the body.
A professionally trained reflexologist can uncover various problems before you even know yourself. Where a congested area exists, the area is usually tender when pressure is applied.
An expert practitioner can often identify very small crystalline deposits below the surface of the skin. Pressure applied to these areas can help stabilize the system by removing the congestion.
