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| Image taken from theodysseyonline.com |
The trouble is when we try to make too many 'positive' life changes all at once it's easy to feel overwhelmed and give up. Self care needs to become an enjoyable way of life for us because then we're more likely to make healthy choices in our day today lives and so more likely to achieve those new years resolutions; here's how regular massage can help with this:
De-toxing Abstaining from alcohol and replacing chocolate with vegetable juice is often the norm for January; as we resolve to loose a few 1bs and cleanse our system from seasonal excess. A toxic body (smoking, alcohol, bad diet, stress) can manifest as fatigue, migraines, bad skin, low immune system and allergies. Even if we feel our lifestyle is pretty healthy, we can never completely escape the toxins found in our environment.
Periodically cleansing the body by avoiding toxins (those you can), drinking plenty of clean water, and ideally fasting for a couple of days (check with Dr. first) is a good idea. Getting plenty of exercise (especially those of us who lead sedentary lives) is also important as it 'gets everything moving' which is key to de toxing and why massage is also recommended.
Regular massage cleanses the body by improving the circulation of lymph (the body's main system of elimination) and so releasing toxins; not only this but when relaxed, the body is able to return to it's natural state of balance thus enabling the digestive and other systems of elimination to function better. As chronically tight knotted muscles are softened, trapped toxins in the muscle tissue are released into circulation for the body to process (may cause healing reactions'). Dry skin brushing, cleansing oils such juniper berry and Epson salt baths are lovely ways to help support this.
Reducing stress We all know the importance of a healthy diet and making sure we get regular exercise and yet the most important (and often overlooked) thing we can do for our health is reduce our stress. Yes a certain level of stress is good for us because it allows us to be productive and get things done but too much stress becomes detrimental to our well being causing sleepless nights, anxiety, depression and a range of stress related symptoms such as physical aches/pains, bad skin and irritable bowel, to name just a few.
Animals are great at physically shaking off their tension but us humans tend to carry it around which isn't good for us. Our posture and the way we hold ourselves often mirrors what's going on in our mind and the phrase 'our issues are in our tissues' is indicative of how our body absorbs much of our emotional stress. Meditation, exercise and doing things we enjoy are all excellent tools for reducing stress but there's nothing like massage to physical work stress out of the body.
Regular massage is a much needed tool for physically releasing tension from our bodies before it builds up and creates chronic illness (dis-ease). Softening our body armor keeps us young and many people report actually looking younger after a massage; this is because they are relaxed and stress has left their body. It's not uncommon to feel very emotional and tearful after a treatment as if the weight of everything you've been 'carrying' has been taken off you. Every day stresses and strains dissapear into the background and we feel more on top emotionally.
More exercise Gyms are at their busiest this time of year and with little wonder because we all know the importance of exercise for our overall health and well being; although with our often sedentary lifestyles, we know we should be doing more. Whether it's renewing our gym membership, training for a marathon, swimming or yoga; most people's new year resolutions involve being more active.
Regular massage helps keep us active and injury free by physically working to improve the health and function of the muscles. The ancient Greek Olympians and Roman gladiators commonly used massage before and after an event; and this is still the case today within the sporting world. Pre exercise massage calms and focuses the mind, loosens ligaments, joints and muscles (still important to warm up/stretch) and increases blood flow to the muscles; thought to enhance performance. Post exercise massage treats any injury to the muscle fiber, removes toxins that have built up from the exercise and reduces the delayed onset of muscle soreness.
You don't need to be athletic to benefit in this way in fact it's often the least sporty of us that suffer more from injury because we throw ourselves into exercises on a whim, without the correct form and technique to keep us safe. Choosing an exercise that repetitively uses the same muscles again and again at the expense of other muscles can also be problematic in causing repetitive strain injury, muscle imbalances and strain on the joints. Regular massage improves the health and function of muscles, aims to correct any muscle imbalances and gives us greater body awareness.
Working harder to achieve our personal goals with the brand new year ahead of us we intuitively pause to take stock of where we are in our lives and what we want to achieve in the coming months. In a ever increasing target driven society we ourselves set new targets and push ourselves harder to succeed at whatever we're trying to do.
Whether it's academic, financial, creative, physical or spiritual; self improvement is always a worthwhile endeavor, however as with anything there has to be balance. It's easy to become addicted to ticking things off a 'to do' list at the expense of other things. Working longer hours, juggling family life and constantly feeling under pressure to deliver are all too common realities for many of us, and can really take the joy out of our work. Even if we enjoy what we're doing, we all loose steam occasional and need to take a break and this is the perfect time to have a massage.
Regular massage rejuvenates the body and mind so we may return to the world feeling rested and re charged. Taking 'me time' is not selfish it's an important part of self care because if we're run down, tired out and burned out then we're no good to anyone and were never going to achieve our goals (not with any joy anyway) Through total mind body relaxation massage brings you back to your center so that you can 're set' if you like and return to life, feeling fresh and with a better perspective to approach things in a different, more creative way.
With every session tailor made to how your feeling and to what needs more work and attention at the time; committing to regular massage work is a hugely positive act of self care and a most enjoyable and holistic way of achieving your healthy intentions and new year resolutions for overall good health and well being this year.
Beth x
