Touch is a vitally important factor of human wellbeing, especially in the modern world where social inhibitions have led to limited touching between people; and the pressures of daily life mean that we all suffer from stress and tension. Touch is often very under-rated and over-looked. Massage is the ideal way to ease tension and soothe tight muscles resulting from these influences. Massage is not however the sole domain of grown-ups: there are massage options for babies, toddlers and children too. In fact, we are told by psychologists that stroking and caressing, especially during infancy, is as vital to our emotional and physical development as food and shelter. When touching takes the form of skilled and sensitive massage, not only does it relax and revitalise an ailing or tired body, it is also a way of communicating warmth, reassurance and a sense of self worth, and we are nurtured on every level of our being. The word ‘massage’ will conjure up images of relaxation, essential oils, hot stones, and soothing hands. There are many different types of massage and we will have a look at a few of those below. Let us begin first with where one can receive massage treatments. There are Beauty Salons that offer massage therapies as one of their cornerstone treatments. Massage treatments are available at Health Farms and Spas, where you can really just get away from it all. And for the ultimate in convenience you can book to have a visiting massage therapist come to you, at your home, office, or hotel, specifically if you are in London. You can find a mobile therapist very easily by doing an online search or by looking in the Yellow Pages. As mentioned above, there are many different types and variations of massage. Massage varies from one to country to another, and from one region to another. Very often local traditions and conditions influence the style of massage being performed. A Swedish Massage can also include quick stimulating motions of the hands such as ‘hacking or cupping’ but mainly consists of slow, relaxing movements. It is the basic form of massage and includes forms such as percussion, friction, effleurage, and vibration, thereby enhancing blood circulation for fast gain of warmth, necessary in these cold Nordic climates. Hot Stone massage is the combination of traditional Swedish massage forms using hot basalt stones. The heat of the stones promotes circulation and relaxation and the stones themselves are the perfect massage tool for a more deep tissue massage. Polynesian Massage is gentle, with a lot of long, soothing, stroking motions following the rhythm and the tones of the traditional music. Reflexology may best be described as a gentle art and a holistic healing technique where parts of the body, the feet in particular, are stimulated to bring about change or a response in another part of the body. Its aim is to create a total balance in Mind, Body and Soul. Indian Head Massage is based on the ancient healing system of Ayurveda and dispels stress, relieves tension in the neck, head and shoulders and promotes health hair. It is renowned for relieving stress symptoms. These are just a few of the many varieties of massage that are available. It is a great idea to research the type of massage that you are interested in, and with which you would be comfortable.
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