Say “massage” to yourself three times. Doesn’t that invoke feelings of relaxation, relief, and release? Take your massage to the next level at In Balance Yoga in Orem, Utah. Explore aromatherapy essential oils in your massage, try acupressure massage, A Swedish technique using lava hot stone massage is wonderful, deep tissue massage, Shiatsu Massage, and even prenatal massage is beneficial.
The benefits of massage include clearing your mind and relaxing your body. Massage leaves you feeling great, but a regular massage session does so much more for your mind and body. A regular massage helps your body maintain a relaxed feeling and your muscles to stay loose even when experiencing mental and physical stress.
Massage means pressing, manipulating, or rubbing your skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments — different massage ranges from light stroking to deep pressure.
You can experience:
- Deep massage is a massage technique using slower and more forceful strokes. It targets the deep layers of muscle and connective tissues. Deep massage commonly helps with muscle damage from injuries.
- A Swedish massage is a moderate form of massage. The therapist deep circular movement, vibration, long strokes, and kneading motions to energize and relax your body.
- Sports massage is like a Swedish massage. However, it is geared to those people involved in sports activities. Sports massage helps prevent or treat sports injuries.
- Trigger point massage. Trigger point massage focuses on areas of tight muscles fibers that form in your muscles. These tight muscles happen after injuries, overuse, or just plain every day running around.
What Can Massage do for You?
Massage is a part of complementary and integrative medicine. It can be considered an alternative form of natural medicine, too. Massage is increasingly being offered in addition to standard treatments for many medical conditions and injury situations.
Studies of massage prove that it is an effective treatment for reducing muscles tension, pain and stress. More research is ongoing to discover what other benefits massage may help, but some disorders that massage can benefit include:
- Digestive disorders
- Fibromyalgia
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Insomnia related to stress
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Sports injuries, soft tissue injuries, and strains
- Temporomandibular joint point.
Massage has many benefits, and you can find excellent massage care at In Balance Yoga in Orem Utah. Put together yoga and massage, and you have the complete package to wellness. Some significant advantages to massage are:
Improve Breathing. When you are anxious and stressed, your breathing often becomes constricted. You tend not to breathe at a natural level but take short and shallow breaths. These short, shallow breaths leave you tense. Reaching a relaxed state with poor breathing habits is impossible. You cannot be relaxed because the muscles around your rib cage and abdomen are tight.
Massage teaches you how to train your body to relax and improve your breathing. Once you have a great massage, you will find allergies, sinus problems asthma and bronchitis are relieved. The positive impact massage has on respiratory function has been shown through studies and research.
The muscles in the front and back of your upper body are accessory respiratory muscles. Anne Williams, education program director at Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals says, “When any of these muscles are chronically tight and shortened, they can restrict normal breathing and disrupt breathing patterns.” Massage can lengthen and relax these front and back muscles to improve breathing function.
Soothes Anxiety and Depression. The human touch done safely and therapeutically can be relaxing. A study published in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states those who are anxious and depressed felt relaxed after a massage therapy session. They found they had diminished levels of stress and coped with their anxieties and depression more reasonably.
Boosts Immunity. Studies done in 2010 and published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine discovered that massage does boost a patient’s white blood cell count. A healthy white blood cell count defends your body from diseases.
At In Balance Yoga try more than just our restorative yoga classes. Boost your immunity with a custom massage of choice and give yourself up to 120 minutes of sheer relaxation and health-giving benefits.
Headache Relief. A good friend’s terrible headaches hit her at least once a day. The only relief she found was through massage. Research from the Granada University in Spain found that even one session of massage therapy brought relief to patients with chronic tension headaches. Now, she will not go for a week without a massage.
Counteracts all the sitting you do. Everyone has some postural stress states Aaron Tanason a registered massage therapist. You will find that sitting pressure and stress usually moves to the shoulders and neck. Those who work at a desk eight hours a day may find that postural stress manifests itself as weakness and pain in the lower back.
Massage can counteract the in balance caused by working at a desk and sitting for long periods. A massage just once a month can do wonders, and if you get a massage twice a month, you will have even more relief from postural stress.
Eases muscle pain. Massage therapy can help if you have sore muscles. Massage improves circulation which helps to relieve pain.
Be careful; however, massage is terrific, but it isn’t meant to be a replacement of regular medical care. When using massage for injuries or different conditions, let your doctor know you are using massage therapy.
What to Expect During a Massage?
You need not do anything special before a massage. Your massage therapist may ask you about any symptoms or pain you have and questions you what you are hoping to get out of the massage. You will be told about the different techniques that can be used. You are in control; you decide what you want.
In Balance Yoga, who also feature massages, will suggest you wear loose-fitting clothing. You only need to undress to where you are comfortable. Lie on the massage table, cover yourself with a sheet and relax. Your massage therapist will do a pre-massage to evaluate through touch how much pressure to apply.
If you like, your massage therapist can use oil and lessen the friction on your skin. Let your massage therapist know if you have any allergies to any ingredients or oils.
A massage from In Balance yoga may last from 10 to 90 minutes depending on the massage you request. No matter what kind of massage you choose, stay calm and relaxed, talk to your massage therapist if you want or take a nap.
If the massage therapist is pressing too hard, you can ask for less pressure. You may have a muscle that feels knotted and tight, and if it is uncomfortable when your therapist works on it, speak up and let the therapist know. They will always adjust.
Some Risks of Massage
Massage may not be helpful for you if you have:
- Bleeding disorders
- Take blood thinning medication
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Burns or healing wounds
- Fractures
- Severe osteoporosis
- Severe thrombocytopenia.
If you have unexplained pain, discuss the advantage of massage with your doctor before undergoing treatment. Also, discuss your conditions with In Balance Yoga specialists. They will give you great advice and information.
Do note that some forms of massage can leave you sore and achy the next day. Massage shouldn’t be uncomfortable. If any portion of your massage is uncomfortable, let your therapist know. Serious problems can come from hard pressure during a massage session. Massage therapists will also advise you to drink plenty of water before and after a massage. Massage releases toxins and tension, and if you don’t give these toxins the opportunity to “flush” away, you may be left with achy muscles.