When life is getting crazy and we find ourselves overwhelmed by stress our bodies can start to take a toll. Our muscles tense up, our teeth grind and before long we start feeling worn down. Life is stressful there is no doubt about it but there are ways to counter balance that stress and heal our bodies.
Massage techniques have been around for centuries to help people alleviate stress, to relax, or to help heal the body from its various aches and pains. One massage technique that we will explore is called the Shiatsu massage.
This technique was founded in Japan. Shiatsu translates as “finger pressure” and this describes its methodology. This type of massage is performed by a trained massuse using their fingers to apply pressure to the areas of the body that tight, tense, or sore. Fingers are not the only tool a trained technician will use; they can also use their palms, thumbs, knees, elbows and forearms too.
Over the more recent years doctors have actually been finding more evidence that links massages and physical healing. The Shiatsu massage can now be used as a rehabilitation treatment for certain injuries like neck and back injuries and even arthritis. Another great benefit of this massage technique is that it helps to facilitate a good rate of blood flow which can aid people that suffer from clogged arteries or that may have poor circulation.
Even though the Shiatsu massage has many healing benefits it can also just be very relaxing. Stress not only affects our physical well being but also our mental health as well. Having the cares and worries of the world rubbed out is an amazing way to feel refreshed and re-energized.
Next time life seems to be overwhelming it might do us some good to find our local Shiatsu masseur and treat ourselves to a healing and relaxing kind of therapy.
You may have heard the word ‘reflexology’ used in the context of foot massage before, and wondered what it meant. The concept is simple enough- stimulating points on the foot are supposed to have an effect on other parts of the body associated with the foot, the foot “reflects” the entire body.
The theory of reflexology comes from TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, and in this system each part of the foot is associated with some part of the body. For instance, the big toe represents the head and neck, while the center of the foot represents the kidney. Each organ system in turn has specific characteristics and functions according to TCM theories, and massaging the area on the foot associated with the organ is supposed to have a certain effect and relieve specific ailments. Without getting too much into discussion of the theory, which fills books, let’s just say that the foot from toes to heal roughly correspond to the body from head to foot.
If you are skeptical, and you have the right to be, maybe you should try it for yourself. Find a qualified reflexology practitioner and give it a go- let him or her know if you have any specific ailments. Reflexology has a good reputation when it comes to treating headaches and problems with digestion, for example. But either way, if you are able to relax and the massage therapist knows what he or she is doing, you should have a near heavenly experience.
When the treatment is done, you can expect to feel lighter and relaxed, with more of a sense of well-being. Keep in mind that reflexology, as well as other forms of massage therapy, aren’t usually going to work in one try. These ways of healing are usually carried out over several treatments, so give it the old college try before pronouncing judgment. In the end, whether it works according to TCM theory or not, it’s silly to try to deny the therapeutic effects of a good foot massage.
