Stress, they say, is a normal part of life. Stress makes hormones speed up your heart, breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. Stress can even be useful sometimes for it makes you work harder and make you respond quickly. However, most often than not, stress is typically associated to a negative condition that can affect one’s mental and physical well-being. For some people, stress happens when they handle more than they are used to. Too much negative stress can affect one’s immune system that can lead to even more serious syndromes.
There are a lot of recreational activities that have been invented and discovered in order to relieve stress and balance our lifestyle and one of these would be going to a spa. Since the spa industry is growing through time, a lot of other treatments have also been added to the list of services that these spa establishments offer, not just for their health benefits but also for their aesthetic purposes. However, when people hear the word spa, the first thing that would really come to mind would be getting a massage. It’s as if the words spa and massage have been synonymous or inseparable. When stressed out, everyone needs a massage once in awhile and the good thing is that there are also various types of massages that one can choose from.
Techniques or styles in massage therapy range from long, smooth strokes to short, percussive strokes. Although the most common would be the Swedish massage, other therapies are also surely worth trying. When dealing with conditions involving stress and would want to improve emotionally-related conditions, Aromatherapy massage would be well suited for you. It is a therapy with the addition of one or more scented plant oils called essential oils to address specific needs. The masseuse usually selects oils that are relaxing, energizing, stress-reducing, balancing, and so on. Since the nostrils are attached to a part of the brain called the limbic system which controls emotions and influences the nervous system and hormones, inhaling the essential oil molecules can transmit messages to the limbic system and can affect one’s heart rate, stress level, blood pressure, breathing, memory, digestion, and even one’s immune system. Thus, making you feel calm, invigorated, and more energized.
Whether you decide to have Swedish massage to relax tensed muscles or Aromatherapy to improve emotionally-related conditions, what is important is that you’d be able to get the total relaxation that you need after the session.
Source: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/massage/a/aromatherapy.htm.