Stress Relief Massage -
A Gift of Love

Stress relief massage is a wonderful gift, to give to yourself, or someone you care about.

Touch Is Reassuring & Comforting

Touch can be a tangible sensory evidence of our connectedness, and safety.

Subjectively, stress relief massage can soothe,
and relieve pain.

A kind touch naturally brings relaxation, comfort, and reassurance. Even though it is physical, therapeutic massage can relieve an overstressed mind and renew our sense of life.

When we say to friends and family “Stay in touch”, or “I’ll be in touch,” or “that was a touching experience,” we are implicitly acknowledging the importance of touch.

If love unites and fear separates, then touch can be experienced as relieving the stress of fear and separation. When a child cries, the mother instinctively picks up the child and strokes it in order to bring soothing comfort. The child’s instinctive biological response is to become calmer.

We do not outgrow the need for soothing touch.

Stress Relief Massage Can Open The Body's
Biological and Energetic Channels

Tension of stress or pain tends to constrict the flow of energy, blood, and life through our bodies.

• The Chinese used massage for its health promoting benefits more than 3,000 year ago. They understood that the body’s subtle energy channels, which are so necessary for health, can get blocked. Various types of physical manipulation can reopen these energy channels or meridians.
• Hippocrates, the Greek physician who is often said to be the “father of western medicine,” used “friction” for physical healing treatments.
• Today, massage is often used to relax muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation and speed the healing process.

There Are Different Styles
Of Massage Therapy

Some of the popular ones for stress relief include:

• Swedish massage is very gentle and tends to use long smooth strokes, circular movements and kneading on the superficial layers of muscle.
• Reflexology applies pressure to “reflex points” located along energy meridians which correspond to the organs and systems in the body. It can be very relaxing.
• Shiatsu is a form of Japanese massage which uses specific techniques of finger pressure along acupuncture meridians to improve and balance the energy flow through the body.
• Far infrared massage uses motorized massage beds combined with far infrared light waves and warmth to gently increase circulation, soothe and relax.

Experiment to find ones you like.

Set Aside The Time To Consciously
Experience The Touch Aspect Of Life

• Find a good massage therapist, or
• trade massage with a friend or family member, or
• give yourself a massage.

Massage Tips:

You can do a stress relief massage:

• On the whole body from head to toe, slowly and gently. This is wonderful, but it does take time. (If you are doing it for yourself, you won’t be easily able to reach your back, but you can effectively massage everyplace else.)
• If you are very busy, massage can be as quick and simple as systematically rubbing your own hands and feet for five minutes before bed or in the morning as you greet the new day. This can stimulate many meridian energy points in the hands and feet to easily bring comfort and relieve stress.
• Experiment with using coconut, olive, or almond oil for added soothing relief.
• Try adding a few drops of a relaxing pure essential oil such as lavender, or your own personal favorite.
• For additional relaxation, play some gentle music, or simply listen to the sounds of nature while doing massage.
• Remember to have a good “belly laugh” several times a day! A “good belly laugh” gives a great stress relief massage to your internal organs and will help you to feel better almost instantly. Laughter and humor are powerful stress relievers.
  

Doing massage every day is a wonderful way to systematically reduce the accumulating stress in your life.

Explore more practical ideas for Natural Stress Relief.
Take your time. Experiment till you find what is most soothing and effective for you.

Return to Gentle Stress Relief home page for additional stress relief ideas.

Sources:

Carter, Mildred & Weber, Tammy. 1994. Body Reflexology, Healing at Your Fingertips. West Nyack, NY: Parker Publishing Company

massage. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2007 Deluxe Edition. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.

American Massage Therapy Association. 2008. “Consumer Survey Fact Sheet.” http://www.amtamassage.org/research/Consumer-Survey-Fact-Sheets.html