Saturday 12 April 2014

Spring clean your body with a massage

Yeah spring is here, the sun is out and everything feels brand new.  It's that time of the year where we instinctively feel the need to sort through a cupboard, drawer or pile of paper work; bag up unwanted items for charity, clean under and behind furniture and open windows and doors to let fresh air in.

In the same way I love to potter about in my back yard; clearing away old debris and compost, disinfecting pots, letting go of lost plants and enjoying the green shoots and colors of spring.  There's something very therapeutic about being in the flow of letting go, creating space and allowing life and energy to flow.

I think this is why I love practicing massage therapy (and yoga).

A healthy body is like a circuit or a series of channels in which energy, blood, lymph, fluid and solid matter moves freely.  Daily stress, poor eating habits and bad posture create blockages in the body resulting in ill health.  Massage spring cleans the body by releasing harmful toxins, re aligning muscles, creating space and improving posture; it nourishes the body with fresh blood and allows everything to flow. 

Feeling sluggish, tired, bloated, head achy, irritable, low in mood and uncomfortable in your body are signs that your body needs a good spring clean and here's how my special spring clean massage (including optional dry skin brushing, table yoga stretches and cleansing essential oils) can help.... 

Let go of what you don't need 
  • Massage is great for letting go of stress!
  • Massage stimulates the lymphatic system - our body's main system for eliminating waste.
  • A combination of different massage strokes and alternating pressure gently compresses and stretches the muscle tissue enabling toxins to be released.
  • A 1/4 of all toxins released daily are through the skin- the largest organ of elimination.  Dry skin brushing when combined with massage greatly enhances detoxification.
  • Incorporating yoga stretches (on the table) into the massage routine further releases tight muscles, aches, pains and stiffness in the joints.
  • Cleansing essential oils such as lemon, cypress, geranium, grapefruit, juniper and rosemary aid in cleansing the body of harmful toxins. 
Create some space 
  • Releasing tension allows the shoulders to drop and space to be created around the head, neck and shoulders which improves our posture. With our head up and our chest open we not only feel better but we can breath better.
  • Stretching, lengthening and re aligning the muscles to where they should be creates space in the body enabling better circulation of blood and lymph, greater mobility and freedom of movement.
  • Relaxation de-clutters our minds and creates a feeling of space within.
Clean inside those hidden places
  • Physically working into chronically tight, congested muscles allows trapped toxins to re released thus easing aches and pains. 
  • yoga stretches nourish and de-tox the body by increasing blood and lymph flow to internal organs and deeper layers of the body.
  • Cleansing essentials oils help to detoxify the body and clean out the harmful toxins that have been laying stagnant in our bodies.
Let life and energy flow
  • Breaking down knots and adhesions allows nutrient rich blood to flow to the local area and heal injured muscles.
  • Massage and yoga stretching opens up the body, creating a clear circuit for blood, lymph, fluid and waste to move freely.
  • The life force energy known as 'prana'. 'chi' or 'ki' in different traditions such as yoga and martial arts is encouraged to move freely around the body as stagnant trapped energy is released.  This brings life and balance back to the body, mind and spirit.
So spring clean your body with a spring clean massage!   
 
Enjoy x