Dropping into the parasympathetic state during a massage is particularly beneficial because it enhances the therapeutic effects of the treatment and promotes deep relaxation. Here's why:

1. Stress reduction: A massage session is typically designed to induce relaxation and reduce stress. By activating the parasympathetic nervous system, a massage helps counterbalance the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the stress response. This shift into the parasympathetic state promotes a profound sense of relaxation, calms the mind, and reduces stress levels.

2. Increased circulation and lymphatic flow: Massage techniques, such as kneading, stroking, and applying pressure, help increase blood circulation and lymphatic flow. When the parasympathetic system is activated, blood vessels dilate, allowing improved blood flow to the tissues and organs. This enhanced circulation brings more oxygen and nutrients to the cells, facilitates the removal of metabolic waste products, and supports overall tissue health and healing.

3. Enhanced muscle relaxation: Massage techniques target muscles and soft tissues, helping to release muscle tension and promote relaxation. When the parasympathetic state is activated, it leads to the release of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, which helps reduce muscle tension, alleviate pain, and enhance muscle flexibility and range of motion.

Choosing to stay quiet during a massage can be beneficial for several reasons:

Enhanced Relaxation: Remaining quiet during a massage allows you to fully immerse yourself in the experience and relax more deeply. It allows your mind to quiet down, reducing mental chatter and promoting a meditative state. This can enhance the overall relaxation and stress-reducing benefits of the massage.

Improved Sensory Awareness: When you refrain from talking, you become more attuned to the physical sensations and feedback from your body. You can better focus on the touch, pressure, and movements of the massage therapist, allowing you to fully experience the therapeutic benefits.

Communication Through Non-Verbal Cues: Massage therapists are trained to read non-verbal cues, such as changes in muscle tension, facial expressions, or breathing patterns. By staying quiet, you allow the therapist to better understand your comfort level, areas of tension, and any specific needs or preferences you may have. This can lead to a more personalized and effective massage session.

Minimized Distractions: Conversation during a massage can be distracting for both the client and the therapist. Engaging in conversation requires mental and verbal energy that could detract from the relaxation and therapeutic focus of the massage. By staying quiet, you create a calm and serene environment that promotes a more profound state of relaxation.

When it comes to the world of massage therapy, there's a common misconception that all practitioners are simply referred to as "masseuses." However, it's important to recognize that not all individuals who provide massage services fall under the same category. In fact, there is a significant distinction between licensed massage therapists and masseuses. This article aims to shed light on the differences between the two and highlight why it's crucial to understand their unique roles.

Licensed Massage Therapists: Trained Professionals:

Licensed massage therapists (LMTs) are professionals who have completed a rigorous training program and obtained the necessary credentials to practice legally. They undergo formal education, attending accredited schools or institutions specializing in massage therapy. The training covers anatomy, physiology, ethics, and various massage techniques.

Education and Expertise:

LMTs gain in-depth knowledge of the human body's musculoskeletal system, allowing them to understand the underlying causes of pain and discomfort. They are trained to assess clients' specific needs and create personalized treatment plans to address their concerns effectively. With a deep understanding of anatomy and physiology, LMTs can provide therapeutic massages to promote healing, relaxation, and overall well-being.

Massage therapy has been used for centuries as a means of promoting relaxation and healing, and it continues to be a popular form of alternative medicine today. Massage therapy involves the use of manual manipulation techniques, such as kneading, rubbing, and pressing, to promote physical and mental well-being. Here are some of the many benefits of massage therapy:

1. Promotes relaxation and reduces stress: Massage therapy can help to reduce stress by promoting relaxation and decreasing tension in the muscles. This can have a positive effect on both the body and the mind, helping to reduce anxiety and promote a sense of well-being.

2. Improves circulation: Massage therapy can help to improve circulation by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles and other tissues. This can help to reduce pain and inflammation and promote healing.

3. Reduces pain: Massage therapy can be an effective way to reduce pain in the body, whether it is caused by muscle tension, injury, or other conditions. By targeting the affected area with specific techniques, a massage therapist can help to relieve pain and improve range of motion.

4. Enhances flexibility and range of motion: Massage therapy can help to enhance flexibility and range of motion by increasing blood flow to the muscles and other tissues. This can help to reduce stiffness and improve mobility, making it easier to perform everyday tasks and engage in physical activity.

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Do you often feel stressed out or experience body pain? One of the best ways to alleviate these discomforts is through regular massage therapy. Some people see massage therapy as a luxury service that’s only reserved for the affluent, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a proven form of treatment that provides remarkable physical and emotional benefits, regardless of your age or fitness level. This blog post will highlight some of the significant benefits of regular massage therapy, so you can make an informed decision about whether it’s right for you.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Massage therapy is one of the most effective ways to lower stress levels naturally. During a massage session, you’re immersed in a peaceful, tranquil environment, which promotes feelings of calmness and relaxation. Additionally, massage therapy decreases cortisol levels in the body, which is the hormone responsible for triggering the body’s stress response. Regular massage therapy sessions can be an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, reducing your risk for chronic conditions caused by long-term stress.

Relieves Pain: Whether you suffer from chronic pain or experience occasional discomfort, massage therapy can help alleviate it. Massage therapists employ several techniques during a session, including deep tissue massage and myofascial release, which help relieve tight muscles, eliminate knots, and reduce inflammation. By relaxing your muscles, you’ll reduce stiffness and improve flexibility, enabling you to move around more comfortably.

It’s springtime when afternoon light brings me to Gina with a lofty goal: release deep grief. We talk briefly. She listens, then says, you have an interesting neck. Interesting is a word used to avoid judgment. I’m cool with that, for I have come not to be judged, but to be nudged. Little do I know what that means to a soul like Gina.

She motions me toward a room and I think, what am I made of, anyway? Bones. Muscles. Ears. Eyes. But what of the millions of cells awash in emotion, holding old story? Will Gina find them? Yes, I discover, because her Goldilocks Treatment (I made that up) incorporates touch, color, and sound.

It begins on Bed One where I lay on, clothed with eyes shut while infrared rays from a Biomat heat me, cook me. I melt. She rings chimes, then places singing bowls on my chest and torso. Their waves, rich and full, roll into me. A scent wafts around me. Later, I learn it is Blue Essence, a multitude of oils chosen to open the parasympathetic nervous system, where, ah ha, emotions reside.

After what could be hours or days, Gina tells me to rise, undress, and move to Bed Two. There, her hands knead my face, shoulders, and curious neck. I drift, barely hear her reciting the great poet Rumi. Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. All that matters to me is her ability to sculpt the canyons, cliffs, and bluesy rivers of my body where I’ve been hurting, a vast vista I cannot see.

In a competitive marketplace, it can be a challenge to attract and retain employees and at the same time improve productivity. That is why more and more of the country's top employers are realizing the benefits of providing employees with a massage therapy program. This is a low-cost solution which offers many gains for both the employer and employee.

What are the main benefits of having a corporate massage therapy program in your company?

Benefits to Employers

Many companies who implement massage therapy programs for their employees notice an almost instant boost in employee morale. Employees instantly feel happier, more confident, and more driven at work when they can take advantage of a massage therapy program. What does this mean for the workplace?

Less absenteeism at work

Because massage therapy helps to reduce stress levels, employers find that employees are generally healthier and take less sick days from work. It is a proven fact, that higher stress negatively impacts the body's immune system which makes a person more prone to catching the common cold, viruses, or other bugs.

Originally I was going to write on observations produced from several meditations that have been completed since reading the book The Posture of Meditation by Will Johnson. In a broader sense, of course, it will be an accumulation of everything I have learned and experienced since the day I took that first breath outside of my mother’s womb. A Sankrit proverb describes the power of breath in the saying “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.”

I found myself not breathing and in an unusual position a few days back. My mind, which is normally quite or at the very least softly offers me great formulas for living life, was chaotic and loud. The thoughts that were being generated felt insane, uncontrollable. The pain at the top of my head was so great and un-ending, I thought it was going to literally pop my head right off, just like when a child pops off the tops of dandelions in the summer.

Logically I knew that all the medication from surgery, combined with a new medicine that the doctors had put me on, was causing this pandemonium. I noticed my face was hot and sweaty. Physically I was pacing back and forth pulling at my hair. My practice of sitting quietly upon awakening was all but forgotten, and then for one small moment when I felt the fear of losing control and the panic that ensued rise to the very top, I recognized for one small millisecond that I had no breath at all. With that knowledge I felt my body soften.

In yoga we practice balancing postures, such as tree pose and triangle. In each of the balancing poses we need to focus our eye’s attention to one spot on the wall, connect our feet to the floor with intention, and most importantly remember to keep breathing. We can learn from these poses by recognizing the importance of finding balance in our everyday lives.

Do you ever drive home from work, pull in the driveway and question how you just there? Not being fully present throughout our days can lead to feeling scattered and distant. Being present with the task at hand and focusing our complete attention to that moment can help us to feel centered and balanced. We all wear multiple hats and take on different roles throughout the day. It is inevitable that somedays one of the roles is going to get more attention than another. When these days start to add up, we need to take a step back and determine where we can find our personal balance.

How do you find a balance in your life? Do you find yourself stuck wearing one hat too often and not being able to give the others a little more attention? Sometimes we have to put a little more time and attention into ourselves to find that state of balance. When we step away from our daily tasks and find some time to focus our energy on self care, we often find that our many responsibilities and tasks get a little easier and flow a bit more smoothly.

Yoga's popularity is on the rise, with studios and classes sprouting up all over. Have you ventured into a studio near you? Is the curiosity there, but you’re uncertain of what to expect? Finding the courage to step in and try a class is the first step in creating your yoga practice. Yoga unites the mind, body and soul, promoting holistic health and awareness. We work to achieve this unity by practicing the postures (also known as poses or asanas). For many of us, the hours of the day fly by, and adding an additional hour-long yoga class seems like an impossible stretch. However, making time for yoga can start to bring balance into your life by offering some stillness for the mind, movement for the body and peace for the soul. A regular yoga practice can begin to slow you down and help you live your days with a little more stillness and awareness to the present moment. Making the time to attend a regularly scheduled class can help you to develop your own unique practice.

The practice of yoga is not about putting your foot behind your head as it can sometimes be portrayed in movies or magazines. A more accurate depiction would be the instruction of grounding your foot to the floor in a balancing pose with awareness and taking a conscious deep breath.

We human animals seem to have a much harder time releasing trauma than do other living creatures in the wild. In “Waking the Tiger,” author Peter Levine describes the way wild feline experience the coming and going of a threat, “tensing in response to danger and as the threat passes, the tiger's muscles shake, twitch and let go, right then and there, letting go of the fear-related energy which now is forever out of mind and body.”

Unreleased trauma is typically at the root of disruptions in human health and peace of mind, denying us the capacity to live a joyful and creative life. The rise of trauma energy and its accompanying emotions can become locked within our brain and retained throughout our body's musculature, nervous system and organs ...hoping for release. Instead, we clench and retain the stress, manifesting it in aches and pains, sleep disorders, cardiac problems, poor digestion, weak respiration and immune system weakness.

"The longer I do bodywork, Reiki and most recently, begin to apply the techniques of sound-healing, I have come to realize that a huge thread is common to all of these restorative modalities," explains wellness therapist Gina Armstrong. "In order for real healing to occur, the recipient must learn how to enter into a safe, secure, virtual space, one that permits them to soften their body, to release and relax the ever-present grip of their mind."

“There will come a time when a diseased condition will not be described as it is today by physicians and psychologists, but it will be spoken of in musical terms, as one would speak of a piano that was out of tune” - Rudolf Steiner. It has only been since the age of science that the west seems to have lost its cultural memory regarding the power of sound as a healing modality. Internally by exercising the power of voice or externally by exposure to music, tones, beats and chants – sound has always had the power to cure what ails you. The Greeks of antiquity knew it ...both healing and music belonged under the auspices of the same deity, Apollo, the Sun God.

"A person does not hear sound only through the ears; he hears sound through every pore of his body. It permeates the entire being, and according to its particular influence either slows or quickens the rhythm of the blood circulation. It either wakens or soothes the nervous system. It arouses a person to greater passions or it calms him by bringing him peace,” explains Sufi musician and author Hazrat Inayat Khan. “Sound becomes visible in the form of radiance ...the same energy which goes into the form of sound before being visible is absorbed, as the physical body recuperates and becomes charged with new magnetism."

Some call it the “monkey mind,” that endless stream of thought that runs unchecked throughout the limitless boundaries of intellect. James Joyce captured it in Ulysses, an epic novel that analysts call stream-of-consciousness. But the Russian mystic G. I. Gurdjieff would deny that we rarely if ever, achieve true consciousness. Have you ever thought about what remains if and when you stop the mind’s chatter?

Kirtan is a form of yoga chanting, intended as a holistic healing experience designed to bring participants into a more organic form of meditation, either in stillness or in motion. One of the oldest of sacred sound traditions, kirtan’s call-and-response interaction involves Satsang, an ancient Sanskrit term that describes the community that exists between an assembly of people who listen to, talk about and assimilate their impressions of truthfulness.

“You know the part of the rock concert where everyone knows the words? It’s like that, but for the whole time,” says Gaura Vani, a 35-year-old Silver Spring dad and freelance filmmaker who grew up in the Hare Krishna movement and is now a well-known kirtan performer. “They say one of the sources of trauma is feeling no connection between you and other parts of humanity. When you do (kirtan) chant and mantras, it’s impossible to avoid the group connection, the sense of communion.”

February conjures up ideas of love as Valentine’s Day approaches and hearts and roses are scattered all around. Often, this focuses on love between couples; however, there are many other ways to recognize this beautiful emotion. Love for a child, a parent, pets, or friends are each important aspects of a well-fulfilled life. This love creates feel-good hormones, or endorphins, in all of us and makes our world a happier place.

Celebrating love can take us on many journeys, be expressed in countless ways, and provide our greatest joys as well as our greatest pains. A quote by Max Muller reminds us of the importance of love: “A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.”

Loving yourself first is essential to love another unconditionally. How do you nurture yourself so you can wholeheartedly be there for the loves in your life? There are numerous ways to nurture your physical, beating, blood-pumping heart. We eat healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts and seeds. We exercise, increasing our blood flow and oxygen levels.

There are also different ways to nurture your heart on an emotional level. This can be more challenging at times, but it’s just as important. It is said that a broken heart brings about many physical ailments. To mend a broken heart, the focus must be turned to emotional healing modalities.