What Are Holistic Massage Therapy Techniques?

In massage therapy, the terms holistic may refer to those types of massage that address the problems of the entire person. They plan to create a balanced body, mind, emotions and even spiritual balance. Holistic Massage Therapy Techniques reflect this philosophy.

Some classic forms of massage are not holistic in nature. Swedish Massage focuses on the physical body. A sense of overall well-being is not the intended product. It is a by-product. Other forms of western massage therapy reflect this adherence to a scientific approach to physical problems.

Deep Tissue Massage and Sports Massage Therapy concentrate on freeing the body of any physical discomfort by working on specific parts of the flesh, tissues, muscles and ligaments. These are not inherently holistic forms of Holistic Massage Therapy.

More conducive to a holistic approach to massage therapy are the traditional and non-traditional forms of Asian, Oriental or Eastern Massage Therapies. The focus of this type of therapeutic massage is on a balancing of the diverse components of a human. The believe is by creating a balance of all the parts, you will have a body in harmony. All parts will be well – mind, body, emotions and spirit will be in-synch and as a result, the body will be healthy.

To reach this ideal homeostasis or balance, a practitioner needs to understand certain basic notions of body physiology. Therapists also need to understand the principle of a universal life force. He or she must comprehend a non-western philosophy of healing and anatomy. Only then can a practitioner implement the techniques of healing.

Modern and traditional forms of holistic massage therapy base their techniques on the concept of Chi/Qi (Chinese), Ki (Japanese) or Prada (India). There is a belief that an ill person (body, mind, emotions or spirit) suffers from a blocked energy force. The clogged channels do not permit the flow of energy to all parts of the body. As a result, the person becomes unbalanced. They are anxious, stressed out, physically or mentally ill. The practitioner must use his or her skills to unblock the channel and free the flow.

The Many Holistic Massage Therapy Techniques

Aromatherapy is one. Therapists practicing this form use the essential oils from the various parts of plants to help heal the person. The techniques involve lighting the oils in forms of incense or applying them directly to the skin using massage. The therapist may use a number of heavy or light techniques. Pressure points may come into play. It all depends upon the purpose of the visit.

Inhaled or absorbed by the skin the oils of Aromatherapy benefit both the body and the spirits. It helps remove anxiety, thus calming the mind. The massage techniques also help improve circulation. This is the physical aspect. Yet, aromatherapy also helps raise the spirits. This makes it truly a form of holistic massage therapy.

Various forms of acupressure are also types of holistic massage therapy. Reiki, for example, utilizes the concept of energy and channels to provide techniques focusing on the balance and amplification of energy on all the planes of existence. Reiki tries to promote healing of the individual by balancing the energy of their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. Preferring a non-touch technique, Reiki works on fully clothed clients. The practitioner channels the energy of the client as well as his or her own energy in the process. By exchanging energy, the client and practitioner create a balance. This is one reason why it is necessary for a Reiki therapist to be completely grounded and focused before they proceed to do energy work.

Holistic Massage Therapy includes Reflexology, Thai Massage, Tui Na and Am-no among its typologies. In these three forms, there is no emphasis on the physical. All techniques illustrate the need to work with the Universal Life Force to create balance and harmony. In reflexology, the various aspects of the body find their center in the foot. The foot is a microcosm of the body. A practitioner uses acupressure techniques to correct the imbalances. Fingers and hands apply the appropriate pressure for the set amount of time to achieve the harmonic effects.

To consider any type of massage therapy to be holistic in character, it must reflect deeper concerns than healing the physical body. Holistic Massage Therapy recognizes the importance of the physical. Yet, to practitioners of Holistic Therapeutic Massage, the physical is but one portion of the whole. To truly heal the body, you need to address its other components. These include the emotions and the mind. A healthy person can only exist if the various parts of being come into balance or rest in easy harmony. A Holistic Massage Therapist uses various techniques to reach this specific goal.

Essential Oil Therapy For A Healthy Vital You

If you are looking for a great new way to heal your body, mind and ease stress and anxiety, you may want to consider essential oil therapy as a way to keep you balanced and feeling vital and healthy every single day. Essential oil therapy can come in a couple of different forms, including aromatherapy, which is when these essential oils are dabbed on pulse points or added to a soothing bath for relaxation and rejuvenation, or it can be used with massage, which uses not only the fragrance of the essential oils to soothe the senses, but also works with the properties the oils themselves have in helping to heal the body.

It was found thousands of years ago that different fragrances cause us to feel differently. From the smell of fresh baked cookies taking you back to your childhood, to the scent of a particular lotion taking you back to a happy time in your life when you were using that brand, fragrance is an all important part of our lives, which is why so many people wear perfume and cologne. Much in the same way that perfume makes us think of certain things, so does essential oil therapy, so if the smell of lavender gives you a relaxed feeling of your grandmother’s farm and feeling at home, then you would want to use lavender essential healing. But, did you know that fragrances can also stimulate the brain to help us to relax or feel safe and actually heal our bodies from fatigue, various illnesses and just feeling generally worn down?

Just because an essential oil from a particular plant is used doesn’t mean that it will feel “oily” or even have moisturizing properties. Some essential oils actually are quite drying or harsh to the skin and should be added to an oil base before being used for massage or on the skin. Essential oils are what come out of a plant during an extraction process. Often this is done by boiling plants or part of plants, such as bark, flowers or leaves in water until the “oils” rise to the surface of the water. What comes to the top is considered essential oil and this is what is used in essential oil therapy.

Depending on how you choose to use your essential oil therapy, you might find that it treats many different problems, such as colds. By using menthol and peppermint leaves in your bath or on your temples, you may find that you have a much easier time with your stuffy nose and sore head than you would without this essential oil therapy. You can also mix some of the same essential oils to some cold pressed almond oil for a therapeutic and soothing gentle massage that will not only ease any stuffiness you might feel but also ease sore muscles.

Another one of the more common uses for essential oil therapy is to help people to deal with stress and anxiety and sleeplessness. For people who commonly suffer from these conditions, there are certain essential oils, which can help to ease the mind and encourage deep sleep. When combined with relaxing bed time routines, these can be very effective in helping people to relax.

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