With all the rushing about in preparation for Christmas wouldn’t it be wonderful to lie down and have a wonderful, relaxing and therapeutic body massage? You might regard this as a luxury but the word therapeutic means something that is good for you and good for your health. The history of massage goes back thousands of years and there a numerous references to massage as a therapeutic healing art in ancient Indian and Chinese books dating from about 3000 BC
Massage done by a good and caring therapist is certainly very good for you and a great treatment to help natural detox or to incorporate into a detoxprogram. Even if you are not detoxing just now a massage is very relaxing for both the body and mind. Massage treats the whole person.
Massage has gained phenomenal acceptance in the medical circles and is incorporated into treatment programs for cancer and cardiac patients and to relieve prolonged stress.
Dislodge trapped toxins
From a detox point of view It can help dislodge toxins that are trapped in tight muscles to enable them to be eliminated naturally. A good massage relaxes tense and knotted muscles and stimulates the blood and lymph circulation.
The Lymphatic System is one of the five main elimination channels in your body along with skin, lungs, kidneys & bowels. The lymph system takes the toxic waste from your cells and carries nutrients to them so they can function efficiently. The toxins are eventually carried to the liver and kidneys to be processed for detox or excreted directly into the bowel.
The theory of Eastern massage differs form Western massage in that Eastern massage such as Shiatsu or Thai massage centers on balancing the energies in the body.
Here are some of the main types of massage:
Swedish Massage
This is the first type of massage often taught to students before they progress to other forms of massage and forms the foundation of other types of massage. It consists of a a series of set strokes that can be stimulating or relaxing.
Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a form of massage that stimulates the lymphatic system with gentle massaging strokes. The light rhythmical massage encourages the lymphatic system to eliminate metabolic waste products, excess fluid and bacteria. The technique was invented by Dr Vodder in the early 1930s.
Deep Tissue Massage
Some massage therapists offer a deep tissue massage incorporating specific lymphatic drainage strokes to stimulate and aid the drainage of toxins. They often use a specific blend of aromatherapy oils like citrus limon, rosemarinus officinalis, daucus carota and helichrysium augustifolium for their detoxifying effects on the body.
Deep Tissue Massage with Sauna
Some environmental detox centers use a regime of deep tissue massage and regular or far-infrared sauna therapy to mobilize and sweat out the toxins.
Ayurvedic Detox Massage
An Ayurvedic Detox Massage usually uses sesame oil with herbs chosen to suit your particular body and mind type (dosha) followed by a steam bath to sweat out the toxins.
It has been scientifically shown that this natural purification treatment combined with a detox diet can successfully reduce detectable blood toxins such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB’s) and pesticides from the body, without damaging side effects.
Thai Massage
Thai massage combines massage with a series of guided stretches and yoga positions to loosen tight muscles and release energy blockages in the body.
Traditional Chinese Massage
Chinese massage focuses on pushing, pressing, and kneading different areas of the body to help any illness. It works on the soft tissues to improve muscle tone. of both superficial and deep muscles.
Holistic or Intuitive Massage
This type of massage takes into account the whole person – mentally emotionally and physically. This is not to say that the other massages don’t. It very much depends on the therapist. In intuitive massage the therapist relies on her experience and intuition to use the right strokes and pressure
to achieve the best results.
Colon Massage
Some massage therapists tend to be very light on the abdominal area as it can be a very sensitive area but a deep colon massage can help with the detox process. This treatment is becoming a popular and effective alternative to Colonic Irrigation / Hydrotherapy.
Make sure your massage therapist treats your colon area and feel the difference. Many people hold a lot of tension in this area without realizing it. Tension in this area can make the massage seem uncomfortable to start with but a good therapist will tune in to your body and adjust the pressure to suit you until you relax . Taking deep breaths will help relax you more.
A note about oils
A good massage therapist will only use pure massage oils but is worth checking before you make a booking or take your own. You don’t want to be adding any chemicals to your skin.
Make sure you are well hydrated before your massage and drink a cleansing vegetable juice or green smoothie afterwards to aid in natural detox. A combination of celery, spinach, parsley, cucumber & apple is good.
In this hectic world many of us have lost the art of relaxation. Strangely enough massage can have both an energizing and relaxing effect on the body. Research has shown that it releases endorphins, the natural chemicals that make you feel good. Many people experience and deep sense of peace and contentment after a therapeutic massage. I believe that some of it is due to the effects of natural detox.
