Massage Therapy and Thai Massage in Jacksonville, FL
Massage
The Most Popular Types of Massage to Get You Started
Deriving from the French word, meaning the “friction of kneading,” massage is a wonderful form of working or acting on the body with pressure using various techniques to obtain different benefits for the body and mind. During your post-holiday stress release, it can be a great way to sort of take a step back and relax. The following are the five most popular types of massage that can assist you with your post-holiday calm down routine.
- Swedish – This is the single most common form of the art in the United States, and is also what most people are referring to when they mention, “massage therapy” as a generalized term. It is very gentle and relaxing, while being a good choice for a first-timer to get acclimated to a new routine of relaxation.
- Aromatherapy – Think of this option as a way of customizing a Swedish massage with the addition of a selected scent to accompany the therapy. Often times the scent is selected based on what the massage recipient is hoping to accomplish with the therapy, whether it is to release stress or for other conditions that have an emotional attachment.
- Deep Tissue – Massage therapy that has a more physically therapeutic effect perhaps than any. The massage therapist will usually apply slower stroke techniques across the grain of the muscle to achieve a beneficial effect for chronically tired, sore, or injured muscles. Sometimes this form of massage therapy can involve a recovery period of a day or two of soreness, but is often the best medicine for the people who need it.
- Sports Massage – Geared more towards preventing injury and increasing athletic potential, you don’t need to be a professional athlete to reap the benefits from this type of massage. You just need to be physically active. Generally, a good sports massage involves faster strokes and a stretching routine to help loosen the muscles and increase flexibility.
- Prenatal – More and more pregnant women are citing the benefits of prenatal massage to increase their comfort level during pregnancy. This session can be customized to suit the recipients needs to reduce stress, decrease swelling, relieve aches and pains, and reduce anxiety and depression.
The preceding list is just a quick selection of five choices for effective massage therapy; many more exist, including: reflexology, shiatsu, hot stone, and more. Call your local licensed massage therapist today to make the selection that will be best for your individual needs, and start reaping the rewards of this effective therapy immediately.
5 Ways That Massage Removes Common Obstacles to Meditation
If you want a meditation practice but have never been able to stick with the program, massage can remove many of the common obstacles. Learn how a massage session can get you ready to feel more peaceful and connected.
Sleep: Many people complain that they can’t meditate because they fall asleep as soon as they sit down. That is a sure sign that you are sleep deprived. You’re not alone. Fifty to seventy million Americans experience sleep issues that affect their health according to the Institutes of Medicine. Research shows that massage enables better quality rest for people of all ages. continue reading
Include Massage Therapy in your New Year’s Resolutions
The end of December is near and Christmas has passed. New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. As old as the tradition of watching the ball drop in Times Square, there is our New Year’s Resolution.
Common resolution list items might look like this:
- “I’m going to go to the gym 3 times a week.”
- “I’m going to eat healthier.”
- “I’m going to work less and relax more.”
More often that not ,we find ourselves falling behind on our resolutions before January is even over. Our intentions mean well. We are trying to take better care of ourselves and achieve a better work-life balance. But sometimes, we try to achieve those goals the wrong way. continue reading
Why You Should Stretch Between Sessions
Whether it is emotional or physical, stress takes its toll on our bodies over time. This causes chronically tight muscles and pain aches. In many cases this can be easily prevented with proactive self-care. That’s where I come in.
One of my many goals as your massage therapist is pain prevention. While we all wish we could get massages on a daily (or even weekly) basis, there will probably be weekly gaps between your sessions. Don’t fret! To keep your body in tune, stretching is an effective technique to self-maintenance. continue reading
How Massage Therapy Promotes Better Sleep
When’s the last time you can recall getting a good night’s sleep? More often than not, we find that it is harder to achieve (and if you have recently, good for you!).
A lack of sleep can cause a lot more damage than a few yawns the next day. When we don’t sleep we become less alert, with lower reaction times. We have a tendency to eat more. Long-term affects include increased blood pressure and risk for obesity and diabetes. continue reading
