The Art Of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy. Few people, if any, are unfamiliar with this procedure that has been passed down from generation to generation.

For thousands of years massage has been used in many cultures all throughout history and implemented as a complementary tool in aiding and improving health or even curing various health-related issues.

Even though it is widely used all over the world, massage has still been underestimated or poorly understood by too many people.

Massage is performed nowadays in spa retreats or specialized massage parlors and even in private clinics or hospitals as either an aid in mental relaxation or a help to rejuvenate the physical body and to speed up recuperation after certain injuries or illnesses.

In ancient times, as mentioned above, massage was used as a complementary therapy. It was used in ancient Greece by Hippocrates, who today is considered the father of medicine. Hippocrates has used massage therapy as a healing tool when treating patients with various injuries and diseases. The father of medicine has stated himself that massage is indispensable in any form of healing therapy.

However, perhaps few are aware that Hippocrates wasn't really the original father figure of medicine himself. All throughout the centuries, as noted down by historians, he remained a traditional father figure, a symbol for medicine, due to his contributions to the field.

Hippocrates was born in 460 BC, on the Greek island of Kos, where he practiced his medical knowledge, tutored his students in the field of medicine, and maintained a hospital that was built on the island.

The ancient father figure of medicine was Asclepius, considered a hero and a god of medicine in ancient Greek mythology. He was the son of Apollo himself, and he is considered a symbol for all the medical arts. The hospital on the island of Kos, where Hippocrates was tending to his patients, was built in the honor of Asclepius.

Worth noting is that the rod of Asclepius, which represents a serpent entwined on a rod, is the original symbol for medicine, unlike the one used in many medical areas, the Caduceus, with two entwined winged serpents on a rod, which is the symbol for Hermes, the herald of the gods, and has nothing to do with medicine altogether but was poorly misinterpreted.

The ancient healing art of massage was not only used in ancient Greece but throughout empires, performed by healing practitioners, with the purpose of healing or simply aiding the body in relaxation. Kings, emperors, and nobles were pampered for centuries by servants who were tutored in the art of massage therapy.

In ancient Egypt, healers, medical practitioners, and even slaves tutored in the art of massage were using various massage techniques regularly, either to aid the body to heal or simply as a relaxation method for the pharaohs.

Queen Cleopatra was said to be one of the most avid followers of massage and used to surround herself constantly with slaves that were tutored in this ancient healing art.

In ancient China, massage was considered a very serious complementary treatment and was mostly used by knowledgeable healers and medical practitioners.

Massage therapy has many variations that ultimately have similar effects on the body and the mind.

Acupuncture, for example, is a healing therapy that consists of using needles to penetrate certain energetical zones on the body, which activate the natural flow of the QI energy, reestablishing balance in the energy field, resulting in eventually healing the physical body.

In ancient times medical practitioners did not separate the body from the soul, as they saw the two as a whole, as a harmonious union that worked together to maintain the proper necessary balance for optimal health. Ancient practitioners knew that if the soul is affected negatively in any way, the physical body eventually will be affected as well, and various illnesses will surface.

Therefore, ancient healers always worked with bringing balance back into the mind first, which was the first condition for the physical body to heal as well.

Acupuncture has basically the same properties as massage therapy, but with the usage of needles instead of fingers. Both therapies have the similar effect on the energy meridians, providing that massage therapy is done properly by the practitioner.

Acupressure is another ancient healing technique with the similar purpose of activating the energy points on the various parts of the body. This technique is applied by pressing the energy meridians on the body with the tips of the fingers. Depending on the strength of the pressure, the energy of QI, which is the life force energy, is therefore activated, allowing the flow of the QI to spread all throughout the body naturally, rejuvenating the body, and helping the body to regain optimal health.

Acupressure works exactly on the same principles as acupuncture or massage therapy, again, depending on the professional qualification of the therapist.

Massage therapy, if applied properly and depending on the patient's health-related issues, can cover large areas of the body, touching all energy meridians and activating the natural flow of the QI life force.

Reflexology is another well-known similar form of therapy, which is applied mostly on the feet, ears, and hands. By applying pressure with fingers on the energy meridians of these body parts, the natural QI energy of the organs connected to the energy points is rejuvenated and regenerated, thus healing the physical organs of the disharmonious condition that they might be in.

All of these healing therapies work on the very same principles as massage therapy, each having their own unique technique but eventually having the same purpose of rebalancing the energy meridians and bringing back health into the body.

There are many variations and techniques in massage therapy, each of them different from each other but serving the same purpose of aiding the body in healing.

The most well-known form of massage therapy is Swedish massage, which is a mild, relaxing type of massage that can be applied to the whole body or focused solely on body parts such as the whole back, lumbar, shoulders, cervical area, limbs, arms, or head and facial area.

The purpose of Swedish massage is solely to relax the body and to defuse tension from the body or certain areas of the body. Even when a very soft type of pressure is applied, Swedish massage has significant relaxation effects on the whole body, and it also helps in detoxification, although more pressure is certainly recommended in that case.

Swedish massage is an excellent relaxing tool that helps relieve all tension from the body, relaxing the mind, and ultimately aiding in healing as well.

Therapeutic massage is another form of massage therapy, which involves more pressure upon certain body areas. It is also known as deep tissue massage, which is quite different from its relaxing version, although it can also be relaxing depending on each case.

Therapeutic massage applies significant pressure on certain areas of the body, where mostly tension is built up. It is mostly used on areas of the spine, like the lumbar and cervical regions, and the shoulders.

It can be applied to other areas as well, largely depending on the health condition of the patient. Therefore, therapeutic massage can be performed strictly as a form of relaxation if required or as a healing aid in recuperation. It has tremendous healing benefits if performed properly and is very efficient in several injury-related conditions and post-surgery.

Therapeutic massage is also one of the most recommended therapies when treating various postural problems like kyphosis, scoliosis, or lordosis, and it has also been proven efficient in treating herniated disks, in many cases avoiding surgery entirely.

Therapeutic massage can also be a powerful tool in detoxifying the body, as it significantly improves the whole circulatory system.

However, if massage is applied specifically for the purpose of draining the lymphatic system, a much gentler and more careful massage is recommended in order to properly rid the body of toxins and to avoid health complications.

Various techniques of massage can also be applied in the beauty area, aiding in the removal of cellulite and improving blood flow circulation, resulting in burning the extra fat deposited on certain areas of the body.

Massage can also be applied on the head and especially the facial area, which happens to be one of the most efficient types of relaxing massages.

In aromatherapy, a combination of carefully chosen ambient music together with various herbal essential oils applied during a massage session can work literal wonders upon the body and the soul.

A massage session can be a spiritual and profound experience in which the receiving individual can reach a meditative state, connecting to the universe within, reaching higher levels of consciousness, and raising the vibrational energy field of the aura.

There are many more varieties of massages with specific techniques developed, influenced by different cultures and their traditions all throughout the world.

However, regardless of the variety of techniques applied in massage, all of them have the similar principle in common, as in aiding the body and the soul to regain balance and to heal.

Sadly, in many societies of the modern world, the art of massage therapy is highly underestimated, as many people are not aware of the very function massage therapy fills and the multitude of health benefits of it.

As modern society has been heavily distorted and influenced by false information and arrogant propaganda, so have the views upon the art of massage.

The media, and especially the movie industry, have painted an illusionary picture of massage therapy, many believing that massage is nothing more than just an extravagant caprice for the rich and famous. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The multitude of health benefits that come with massage are barely being recognized in many countries, and sadly many people realize them when their own health is deteriorating and are forced to seek a solution for their health problems.

Unfortunately, many more, due to the sheer lack of knowledge, prefer to avoid turning to massage therapy as a tool to aid them in their recuperation.

Many medical practitioners in several countries have started to recognize the benefits of massage therapy and recommend massage to their patients. Several clinics and hospitals are utilizing massage therapy on a regular basis as an essential tool for physical and mental recovery.

Spas and retreat centers also use various forms of massage therapies in their programs as a crucial aid for total body and mind relaxation.

In general, even for healthy and fit individuals, massage is recommended at least once a week in order to relieve any tension from the body and avoid unnecessary health-related problems.

Regardless of the reasons anyone should opt in for massage, this ancient method of therapy and relaxation aid will surely help anyone to rejuvenate the body and the mind.

Massage therapy is more than just a therapy. It's an ancient healing art that relaxes and detensifies the body, eliminates toxins from tissues by improving blood circulation, and oxygenates the entire body, helping the cells to regenerate faster, thus improving and strengthening the immune system.

Ultimately, massage relaxes the mind, eliminates the tension from the physical body, and soothes the soul.

It helps both the body and the mind to form a harmonious union, returning to the natural flow of life, regaining equilibrium, and achieving optimal health.