Holistic (Swedish) Massage
A wonderfully relaxing. Massage techniques are applied directly to the skin and can include effleurage, friction, kneading, long strokes, percussion, shaking motions, tapping or vibration. During the massage sarongs/towels will be used to ensure that you are always covered, apart from the area being working on.
History
The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massage meaning "to touch, feel" or from Latin massa meaning "mass, dough", Greek verb (massō) "to handle, touch, to work with the hands, to knead dough". In distinction the ancient Greek word for massage was anatripsis and the Latin was frictio.
Archaeological evidence of massage has been found in many ancient civilizations including China, India, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Mesopotamia.
China: Massage has developed continuously in China for over 5000 years. Western ideas are considered within the traditional framework. It is widely practiced and taught in hospitals and medical schools and is an essential part of health maintenance and primary healthcare.
United States: Massage started to become popular in the United States in the middle part of the 19th century and was introduced by two New York physicians based on Per Henrik Ling's techniques developed in Sweden at the beginning of the 19th Century.
During the 1930s and 1940s massage's influence decreased as a result of medical advancements of the time, while in the 1970s massage's influence grew once again with a notable rise among athletes. Until the 1970s, nurses used massage to reduce pain and aid sleep.
United Kingdom: Massage is popular in the United Kingdom today and gaining in popularity for both relaxation and pain relief.
Massage has many benefits including:
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Assists to relieve muscle stiffness and pain
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Stretches shortened muscle fibres
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Helps maintain muscle elasticity
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Improves circulation
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Assists with the removal of toxins from the body
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Improves digestion
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Reduces stress (by soothing your nervous system during a massage)
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Improves skin condition over the treatment area (a massage buffs dead skin cells away and the oil moisturises your skin)
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Relaxation and general well-being.
To name but a few...