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The power of touch and aroma

Stone Mortar and Pestle

There are many reasons to think about having a massage. Often people only think about it when something starts to ache or they are in pain.  It is so beneficial to make massage part of your self-care programme.  You only have one you, look after it. It doesn't only look after your physical body but mental health well-being too.

Mental health issues are on the rise, even more so having lived through a year of a global pandemic.  It is word that everyone is talking about. It affects people in so many different ways, the rise in anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD, panic attacks, the list goes on.   

How we are mentally also affects other conditions we suffer from; digestive problems, skin issues, headaches, heart palpitations, to name just a few. It really does affect us in so many ways. People seldom link these to stress at all, but often it is the root cause. For example tension in the neck (so common with all computer users - how many of you have worked in unsuitable conditions at home this year, maybe even at a dining room table) this can restrict nerve impulses to the diaphragm, influencing not only our breathing but also the functioning of our visceral organs. If we don't breathe correctly, we don't take in enough oxygen and already there are energy problems.  Let alone the headaches it can bring on.

Touch is as important as food, water and oxygen. In experiments where adults were deprived of touch they were seen to become mentally off-balance. The skin is an organ itself – the body’s largest - and can be considered to be the surface of our brains. With no stimulation of the skin, it seems that a deficiency of sorts arises within the brain, negatively affecting our psychological state.  We might not be able get too many hugs at the moment, but we can have a massage.

It is not unusual for people not accustomed to massage, to not want other people to touch them.  In this instance, don't rule it out altogether, there always are ways to introduce massage without touching the main body.  A facial massage is a very good starting place, perfect for clients less comfortable with hands-on body work, it only requires exposure of neck and shoulders, or just massaging hands and feet. I do a beautiful Aromaflexology treatment which is a great introduction. Massage is done with a firm touch, so if you are worried about tickly feet it may well not be the case!

So add to massage the incredible benefits of Aromatherapy.  Essential oils are substances distilled from a single botanical source, from natural plants grown all over the world.  The most common extraction is steam distillation.  The scent of the oil alone is a very powerful tool, with such natural healing properties. Each oil is made up of so many compounds, and it is the unique combination within each plant oil that makes them so powerful.  You can breathe it in, which allows the aroma to pass up the nose straight to the brain, to the limbic system. Immediately affecting how you can feel. They can reach deep into your psyche with the powers to relax and uplift.

This is a huge topic, so if you have any questions at all, or are just curious, please contact me, I am happy to answer.

“Massage is good for the Mind, Body and Soul”

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