Massage: "feeling Good" Promotes Better Health In A High Stress
World

In 400 BC Hippocrates, the father of medical science, wrote:
“The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented
massage every day” Modern science confirms that he had the
right idea
How many people dismiss a relaxing massage with scented oils as
a sensual indulgence? A luxury that does nothing more than make
a person “feel good” for a little while? But in our fast-paced,
high-stress modern world, “feeling good” is a vanishing state -
with serious implications for health
The stress of daily life is making us sick Our bodies,
originally designed to be able to survive in a violent and
dangerous wilderness, have not yet adapted to the more subtle
pressures of urban survival The consequences are felt in an
imbalance between our Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous
Systems Our Sympathetic Nervous System is the source of the
“fight-or-flight” instinct This “ready-for-battle” condition is
designed to provide a quick response to a short-term crisis, and
then disengage so the body can return to a normal, relaxed
physical state maintained by the Parasympathetic Nervous System
The problem is that when a person lives with performance
pressure, relationship stress, environmental stress, and other
anxiety-producing conditions, the Sympathetic maintains a
“battle ready” physical state constantly The return to normal
never happens
Robin Sands describes this situation vividly: “When people are
ruled by their Sympathetic Nervous Systems life slowly becomes
more and more uncomfortable It is imperceptible at first
because all they are aware of is the hardship and the oppressive
situation, or the thrill and the adrenaline rush Over time
it will slowly become more and more difficult to relax and give
in to the Parasympathetic Once caught in this vicious circle,
sleep and appetite become affected Later on, backache may
appear, or migraine, repetitive strain injury or peptic ulcer
The list goes on and on, and does not include the different
types of mental illness that can result from this unfortunate
situation To the extent that the Sympathetic is dominant
life will feel tighter, harder, more constricted Alternatively,
life may feel dangerously dramatic, explosive, despairing
Various anxiety states will be felt all too keenly These can be
experienced as numbness, palpitations, stomach knots or less
easily definable but equally unpleasant sensations If stress
is continually layered on top of this block, emotional and
digestive disorders can develop Massage breaks the stress cycle
and brings the parasympathetic nervous system into play,
providing natural relief for a host of stress-related disorders
The direct stimulation of the body through massage mimics the
effects of the Parasympathetic, throwing the switch on the
nervous system to re-engage the normal relaxed state “As it
relaxes muscles, blood vessels and internal organs, so the flow
of all body fluids becomes easier, smoother, fuller The
intestines expand and the peristalsis (those gurgles of
digestion) begins to process the waste products that the
Sympathetic has created It slows the heartbeat and deepens and
softens breathing It calms and changes the brain’s waves and
patterns, bringing the quieter, more expansive states of mind
that are so conducive to imagination and creative thinking
Everywhere that has been overstretched gets pulled back into
line Everything that has been contracted, begins to expand And
this expansion is experienced as pleasure” (“The Power of the
Parasympathetic Nervous System” in Stress News, Oct 2002)
Massage is not the only technique which can break the stress
cycle, but it is one of the most readily available And, as
Hippocrates observed, it becomes even more effective when used
in conjunction with aromatherapy Our sense of smell is both
powerful and subtle The olfactory membrane is the only place in
the body where the central nervous system is exposed and in
direct contact with the environment When a “scent cell” is
stimulated, the impulse travels along the olfactory nerve to the
area of the brain where memory, hunger, sexual response or
emotion is evoked Long before the conscious mind registers the
scent, the subconscious mind reacts to it Lavender, rose,
jasmine, and sandalwood are among the scents proven to induce
relaxation
Professional massage is readily available in many areas, but the
pleasures and benefits of touch, pressure, and scent can also be
gained from the hands of a loved one or even through
self-massage Anyone can obtain some scented oil and a friend -
or run themselves a warm bath – and discover the joys of better
health through sensual pleasure

Tags | aromatic, instinct, pressure, relationship, relaxing, repetitive, result, scented, science, types