Beauty therapy and its practices are, to some, a necessity of their daily lives; to others an absolute luxury. ‘Once bitten never shy’ might be a new adage applied to this facet of life. If you have experienced even just one of the treatments offered by a beauty therapist you will be familiar with the feeling of pure relaxation that follows a treatment at the hands of a professional. The practices of beauty therapy include facials, massage, manicures, pedicures and so many other soothing, relaxing treatments. Let us however focus on just one of these treatments for now: massage. The etymology of the word massage comes from the Arabic massa, “to touch, feel, handle”, from the French massage, ”friction or kneading”. Massage is the practice of soft tissue manipulation for the purposes of stress relief, circulation improvement, as well as a myriad other health benefits. Modern day massage has its roots in ancient practices, and has gained hugely in popularity as an alternative or parallel treatment for such ailments as sport injuries, for pain relief, to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, lymphatic drainage, and even to help treat depression, amongst many other benefits. If you have considered massage as a therapy but have not yet experienced it, there is no time like the present. If you, for whatever reason, are not able to go to a beauty therapist or a salon/ parlour for a massage there are those that will come to you. A mobile massage is a convenient way to experience the many benefits that this treatment has to offer, in the comfort of your own home or office, at your hotel or an agreed-upon venue of your choice. All that will be required is enough space for the portable treatment bed or chair to be positioned. The therapist will bring along all of the necessary accoutrements required for the massage. In the corporate world there are many companies that have begun offering a mobile massage service to their staff, as the treatment has exceptional benefits to the employer and employees, though the employees are not always able (due to time or other constraints) to visit a therapist themselves. On-site chair massages will help to relieve tight neck and back muscles, a common complaint of desk-bound staff members. Physical points of contact for massages range from an Indian head massage (where you remain fully clothed) to a full body massage where you are completely undressed but remain draped by towels or cloth, and where only the area to be worked on will be exposed. There is reflexology (foot and hand massage), where all that will be required of you is to remove your shoes. Your comfort is the therapist’s priority and you should voice concerns or discomforts. The most important part of any massage that you choose is to just relax into it and enjoy the feelings of good health that it provides.
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