WHAT IS A MASSAGE LIKE?

SMOOTH BEGINNINGS...
While receiving your Massage, you will experience a blend of high quality lotions or creams applied to your skin with long, smooth strokes gliding over your muscles. These strokes increase your blood circulation, flow of "lymph" (a fluid which moves toxins out of cells), as well as increasing the efficiency of your digestive and urinary systems. These benefits alone will support your bodyÕs natural functions of nutritional absorption, immunity, and skin elasticity and tone.

GOING DEEPER...
When your muscles are warmed up, the pressure can become deeper with a more specific intent. These deeper strokes address the tension and soreness in each particular muscle with circular, gliding, horizontal, longitudinal or vibrational movements. The nerves stop sending pain signals, the muscle fibers and connective tissue (called fascia) begin to be realigned. In addition to this, the adhesions and scar tissue (commonly called "knots") begin to break down, releasing the muscle from the toxins and inhibiting tissue that are causing your pain and stiffness. Working in this way also prevents the formation of adhesions and scar tissue, which will help prevent further pain and speed recovery if an injury has occurred. You will sink into relaxation even further when you breathe deeply as you are stretched to give space for the joints, encourage the production of synovial fluid, and help release the muscles from tension and pain even more.

FINISHING TOUCHES...
After the deeper work, rhythmic, percussive movements with the fingertips or soft fists may be applied. Your therapist will move across the area just worked to increase the surface blood supply and stimulate the nerves. You will then be lightly brushed to give a sense of closing, deep relaxation, and cleansing.

STRESS: LEAVING THE EFFECTS BEHIND...
When you experience stress or emotional tension, one common reaction in the body is for the hormone epinephrine (commonly called adrenaline) to be secreted and released. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, while decreasing digestion and the circulation to your internal organs and skin. If you are experiencing long term stress, you may be retaining a constant amount of adrenaline. As you receive your Swedish Massage, the effects on your nervous system spin all of these effects into reverse. The adrenaline is broken down, flushed out with the toxins, heart rate is decreased, digestion and circulation increased. Your body is given the gift of a time and space to experience relaxation, calm, and release.

As you experience pain relief, deep relaxation and pleasure throughout your massage, endorphins (known as "happy hormones") are released. Endorphins play a part in pain reduction as well as emotions . While feeling calm and relaxed, clients receiving Therapeutic Massage also report feelings ranging from well being and contentment to elation.

These are some of the benefits you will receive from your massage, the body in all of its beautiful complexity responds to the various strokes and stimulations on many different levels, and there are numerous obvious and subtle effects. The most obvious immediate benefit you will notice from an artful Therapeutic Massage will be the re-occurring thought "ahh...that feels wonderful".