Who doesn’t love a good massage?
That wonderful feeling of release and relaxation in the whole body. That sweet sensation of completely letting go.
Massage is one of the best ways to restore balance, release tension and get us feeling better overall.
All of which is very much needed these days, as the unprecedented challenges of the last twelve months have elevated many of our stress levels, leaving us tenser than ever: not too brilliant for our immune system!
So it’s good to be reminded that a massage boosts our immunity by a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. It proves that massage doesn’t just get the blood flowing – it actually changes our blood’s composition for the better. After a 45-minute Swedish massage, recipients had significantly higher levels of blood proteins that play a major role in protecting the body from tumours, viral infections, and other pathogens, compared to blood samples taken from a control group. That’s truly amazing, yet not too surprising to those of us who work with massage.
So how do you choose the right massage?
If we think in more traditional massage terms – so ignoring for our purposes massage with, say, hot stones – the main two options will be sports massage or holistic massage.
The benefits of both massages are that they increase circulation, relieve tension, reduce stress, relieve anxiety, improve sleep, and promote relaxation throughout the entire body and kick start a lot of our body’s natural healing processes, including healing pains, aches and injuries.
Although there are many common factors between sport massage and holistic massage, sport and remedial massage are performed more mechanically, creating a more clinical approach. The range of techniques used includes deep strokes, trigger points, compressions, wringing, picking up and skin rolling. A therapist might also use clients’ active engagement in manipulating tissues and limbs. It’s suitable for:
- Relief from acute pain conditions
- Reducing muscle soreness
- Recovery from injury
- Improving restriction of movement in a limb/spine
- Improving the consequence of poor posture
- Preparation for a sporting event
If you’re looking for a way to relax, getting rid of tension, or just giving yourself a little break, then holistic massage might be the better option. Holistic means whole, addressing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels of the body. Treatment may include the use of essential oils along with suitable massage techniques, pressure points, and energy balancing, creating a soothing, restorative approach. It is suitable for:
- Relaxation
- Relief from stress and nervousness
- Relief from chronic pain caused by long-standing emotional tension
- Improvement in mood and energy levels
After any type of treatment, a therapist will also provide aftercare advice and suggest yoga poses and strengthening exercises or stretches to help prolong the effects of the massage. Integration is the key.
We are looking forward to seeing you back at triyoga treatment rooms from Monday 12 April. Bookings are now open with Sonia Zitnanska at our Chelsea centre.
Sonia’s passion for guiding clients to their optimum state of well-being stems from her own journey of recovering from debilitating chronic back pain, that had motivated her to become a professional therapist in 2010. Fascinated with the healing possibilities, she immersed herself in studying different modalities ranging from body works, energy healing and yoga to holistic nutrition. In her practice she integrates a wide variety of these techniques, so she can tune in to unique needs of every client, providing safe and effective treatments.
