Thursday, October 8, 2009

Maximize Your Massage Therapy

Get The Max Out Of Your Massage Time

by Barbara Wright

Massage is something much more than something that feels good. Massage therapy is a countermeasure to the build up of stress and anxiety. People are feeling more stress these days than ever. We need new ways to cope with these stressful times. Massage therapy is perfect for relieving the tension and stiffness in the body. There is much more to massage therapy than just receiving the massage. To really get the benefit of these therapies, it is important to maximize the total experience.

People are seeking more natural and holistic treatments to their common ailments. Massage therapy has been given throughout time to relieve stress, and reduce muscle stiffness. There is a great variety of massage schools which have sprung up around the world. Many of these massage techniques are now widely available. Regardless of which massage technique you receive, there are some simple to follow guidelines on maximizing your therapy results.

If you plan on getting a massage, do not eat immediately before hand. When you eat it causes blood to be diverging to your digestive tract. This helps the body to more effectively digest your meal. However this also affects the quality of a massage treatment. Generally, you may need 30 to 40 minutes to digest your food.

Make sure you know any trouble spots that you want to avoid. Massage therapy applied to the wrong area can be harmful. Make sure any questionable areas are avoided. Check with your health provider to find out if you should receive these types of treatments for that area.

Find some relaxing music to play during the session. It is important that you find ways to distract your mind. If you are under stress, then music is a great way to let your mind drift. Your mind needs to let go of the tension is holding over your body. Helping to reduce this source of tension will make your body more receptive areas.

Check that you are breathing normal during the therapy session. Sometimes when a stiff muscle is being worked on, the rate of breathing can increase to deal with the discomfort. Monitor your breathing to see if this is occurring. You want to be relaxed and your breathing should be close to normal.

Minimize the distractions during your massage therapy make sure that your cell phone is off and other communication sources are blocked out. It is important to relax from start to finish getting the most benefit. Your mind needs to let go of the tension and let the body be penetrated by the massage.

Create a mood of relaxation and comfort and the room in which you are receiving the massage. A candle can work wonders to help in the relaxation process. You can also dim the lights so that you are in a low light level.

Another common practice is to use a fragrance. This is commonly referred to as aromatherapy. Having a subtle fragrance in the room helps to enlighten the senses and provides for a more soothing state of mind.

Another good habit to develop after getting a massage is to drink a glass of water. Certain massage techniques help to flush toxins out of the body. This is facilitated to a much greater capacity and a glass of water is drinking after receiving the massage. These toxins can be trapped in the soft tissue areas and with certain techniques they are released and need to be removed from the body.

We seem to take so little time for our selves. When we do make the time to get a massage, it is important that we get the most benefit possible. Try following a view of these tips to maximize your experience. A few of these simple items will help your mind to relax which releases the tension in your body. This will increase the effectiveness of the therapy that you are receiving. Get the most out of your massage treatments.

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