Meet Ruth.
Ruth wakes up one morning to begin her rituals before her normal rigorous day of work at the office. As she shifts her weight to the ground to get out of bed, she feels a weird numbness in the soles of her feet. She thinks nothing of it and stumbles to begin her everyday routines: Showering, getting Clothed, and starting a cup of coffee, Kids. Just a normal day for Ruth. As she steps down the stairs to head to the kitchen, her 2 kids begin running around the house and making too much noise for morning time. She is so focused on the coffee that she ignores them. Kids are so stressful.
Coffee goes into her thermos, the kid's lunches go in their backpacks, and everybody gets in the car to be driven to their respective destinations. When she gets to her job as a Project Manager at a large company, someone cut her off just to get to the parking spot. Ruth, not being the confrontational type, yells at them and moves on to find another spot. Her spot was a little further from her last choice spot but she doesn't mind the exercise. She goes to the gym 4 days a week. She then starts her day at her job and life is as it always is for her. Juggling accounts and projects for a thriving business is not an easy task. Unfortunately for Ruth, she doesn't have much time for Self-care.
Soon after leaving work, she steps off of the curb and trips; leading her to pull her Hamstring on the way down. Her body took a pretty hard hit as well but she is able to limp her way to her car and drive home. Ruth didn't realize that there are things that need to be acknowledged when mental and physical trauma take place. So she goes on home to get ready for work in the morning.
Now if I were Ruth's friend, she would be a prime candidate to receive a Massage to manage the stresses of her Mind and Body. Ruth would probably say: "Does Massage really help with Physical and Mental Stress?"
Well Ruth, let's unpack that question. I can quickly think of 5 reasons of how Massage Therapy will, in fact, manage and boost your Well Being.
1. Accommodates the physiological response of relaxation
Since Massage increases circulation in a cellular way, the muscles' neurons are engaged and reactive which allow for the muscles to receive functional impulses for relaxation and movement. If there is a part of the muscle tissue that is, on a fibrous level, that is impinging on the nerve outlet, the muscle isn't getting the full engagement of the impulse. Massage puts the muscles in a state that allows the weight of life to be unburdened.
2. Physical tension in the Muscles and Joints
The belly of the Muscles are still a physical aspect of our being, just as much as the Joints are. They both handle the entire body's ability to move. With physical intervention of the Muscles and Joints, not only does blood flow better, but the body's lack of movement would leave a lot of Lactic Acid within the fibers of the muscle. The joints don't particularly received a tremendous amount of blood so just applying a slight squeeze makes all the difference in the world.
3. Lowering your Blood Pressure
The stress hormones might be on overdrive already that can cause high blood pressure. By talking with an optimal Massage Therapist, they should be able to apply the correct, but limited, amount of physical application to their treatment. Or, I personally tend to not be so focused on pushing circulation towards the heart, which is how we're taught. High Blood Pressure is very common and may be a dangerous obstacle for most therapists. This is the main reason each client should always be analyzed with an objective type of Awareness.
4. Helps battle the Insomnia.
It is far from a secret that most people suffer from various forms of sleep deprivations. THE BODY NEEDS SLEEP. Though most of these reasons for a lack of sleep vary based on the Lifestyle of the person, at least 33% of people in the United States don't get near the standard 8 hours of good sleep. Massage is a clear remedy for a lot of problems in one's sleep pattern. The neurotransmitters tell the body that serotonin is needed which allow the body to sleep. Most times, the person's lifestyle hinders the hormones from spewing the correct neuro-chemical response, if any at all.
5. Helps with Mental Health
It is clear that Massage regulates the hormone responses, but does this mean that our Mental Well Being is stabilizing as well? That's is certain in this day and age. By lowering the blood pressure and increasing serotonin levels, it allows the Mind to take a more "Loving" approach to how the world is processed in the brain. Ailments like Anxiety, PTSD, and Anorexia get facilitated to a more relaxed, trusting and Happier place in their mind. Even people with fears of being touched, tend to have their comfort levels maintained.
Through all of the different ways our hormones regulate how we feel, we have to support a much more conscious way of Living in a world of chemical responses. Massage Therapy is the Hero that keeps us on top of our body's functions. Having the Physical/Mental Self Awareness to intervene with Massage (before something about our body isn't right) might just be the Key to a healthier and more fulfilled Life. Just like Ruth.
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