Body Sense

8 Body Sense 3. IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR MIND In addition to the peace and well-being that naturally blossoms from a cared-for body, many forms of massage and bodywork have specific restorative effects on the mind. While your body is getting its therapeutic attention, your mind has a chance to go quiet—something that doesn't come easily in today's world—and you get to double up the therapeutic benefits. Massage can work at a deeper level too. For mental and emotional well-being, massage has a "robust body of evidence showing benefits for people with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mood-related challenges," says Ruth Werner, author of A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology. 4. IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR SPIRIT How many times have you come out of a massage session feeling lighter, feeling stronger? When you choose to go deeper into the work, when you use your time on the table to truly let it all go and be part of the process, and when you engage in the meditative space, healing happens and the spirit can be tended to. Being in this place can help people become more self-aware, more present, more forgiving of self and others, and more open to the possible. 5. IT WILL MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE Adaptable for the pregnant client, the hospital patient, the soccer mom, or the elite athlete, massage and bodywork can be beneficial no matter your circumstance. More intense scar tissue work might be what one client needs, while the simple act of holding a hospice patient's fragile hand can be the therapeutic salve needed by another. Deliverable to clients in their hospital beds, wheelchairs, or with their 9-months-pregnant bellies bolstered with pillows on the table, massage has a way to be of value to everyone—meeting them where they are. Truth is, massage may feel like a luxury, but it is actually a sound investment in your health. In fact, hands-on therapies have an incredible return on investment. 6. IT'S A MAJOR PLAYER IN STRESS REDUCTION Stress is a killer. Experts tell us that chronic stress leads to increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and more. Because massage reduces stress-related hormones, it can help our body shift out of the fight-or-flight stress response we often get stuck in. Massage "turns on" the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to calm us and help us regain homeostasis—the natural state of equilibrium our bodies should be living in. 7. IT IS NOT A LUXURY— EVEN IF IT IS JUST FOR RELAXATION Massage has long been framed as a luxury, often an indulgence for the wealthier among us. Truth is, massage may feel like a luxury, but it is actually a sound investment in your health. In fact, hands-on therapies have an incredible return on investment. And while some people may seek out massage or bodywork to relieve pain, recover from an injury, or perform at peak athletic levels, making a massage appointment with a goal of nothing more than relaxation is just as valuable. 8. IT OFFERS RELIEF From low-back pain to arthritis and other chronic conditions massage and bodywork can offer relief and improved quality of life for those suffering from a variety of issues. For example, scientists have shown that massage is an effective pain-management strategy for those living with arthritis, that headache sufferers have decreased pain and frequency when they use massage, and that carpal tunnel patients have found massage decreases their symptom severity. While research in the area of massage and bodywork is still in its relative infancy, the findings continue to be promising. There is a lot of opportunity for the application of massage and bodywork to help those living with pain and other life-altering conditions.

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