Massage therapy date back to 3000 BCE or even earlier in India. This system was a practice that was passed down through generations to heal injuries, relieve pain and prevent and even cure illnesses. Massages are used to manipulate the muscles and joints to relieve stress or pain and to restore the body’s natural and physical balance, that can be healed naturally.
Swedish
In the early 1800’s a Swedish doctor, Per Henrik Ling, created a method know as the Swedish movement Cure, today known as the Swedish massage.
This massage involves caressing, pressing, squeezing and striking. Techniques used in Swedish massages are:
- Effleurage
A form of massage involving a repeated circular caressing movements made with the palm of the hand
- Petrissage
Technique involving kneading the body
- Tapotement
Rhythmic percussion using the edge of the hand, cupped hand, or tips of the fingers
- Friction
A technique that is physically demanding using deep circular or crosswise movements with the thumbs, fingertips palms or elbows to penetrate deep tissues
This massage is used energize the body, improve overall health, improve blood circulation and to help relieve chronic pain. Swedish massages help with depression, anxiety and is beneficial for you heart due to the benefit of blood circulation.
Deep Tissue
The origin of deep tissue massage is believed to date back all the way to Ancient Egypt but in modern times it was first commonly used in the 19th century, when Canadian doctors used deep tissue massage to treat patients with whiplash.
Deep tissue massage offers both physical and psychological benefits, it can relieve muscle pain and stiffness and provide stress relieving relaxation for the body and mind.
It targets chronic tension in muscles that lie far below the body’s surface. It helps to break up scar tissue that forms, following an injury and reduce tension in muscle and tissue. Deep tissue massages promote faster healing by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.
The techniques involve slow strokes, direct pressure or friction movements that go across the muscle grain.
Hot stone
The earliest use of hot stone to improve health and relaxation took place in India.
Hot stone massage therapy provides heat therapy to the muscles by placing warm smooth rounded stones on the body to relax tense muscles and relieve related pain. The rocks used are typically basalt, volcanic rock that is high in iron, allowing them to absorb heat.
The benefits of hot stone massages are endless. It reduce stress and anxiety, relieve muscle tension and pain, boost the immunity and helps relieve symptoms of autoimmune diseases
The most popular techniques used in Hot stone massage therapy are usually circular movements, long strokes and vibrations
Lomi-Lomi/Kahuna
A Lomi-Lomi massage, or better known as the Hawaiian or Kahuna Massage, means “rub rub”. This massage uses long, deep strokes using the hands and forearms to relax the muscles and promote blood circulation throughout the body.
Each stroke has its own flowing style that works with the body’s natural rhythms. This helps release the emotional tension as well as the physical ones. Also improves blood circulation, relief muscle tension and relief of stress.
Calabash
An African Calabash massage is a full body deep tissue massage given with the calabash fruit and is one of the oldest massage therapies.
The therapist applies oil on the body and proceeds to put perpendicular pressure, rolls or circles on varies body parts to ease the tension of muscles, tendons and other soft tissue with different sizes of the calabash fruit.
Benefits of a calabash massage treatments include reducing stress and depression, maintaining a healthy heart, treating sleeping disorders and much more.
Cupping
Cupping therapy uses silicone suction cups to pull your skin upwards and increase blood flow to the affected muscle area.
The method that L’abri day spa use is called the running method. Our therapists will apply lotion or oil to the skin and gently apply and move the silicone cups over the affected area
Cupping can help with Arthritis, back pain, neck pain, headaches, Asthma, Carpal Tunnel syndrome and High blood pressure.
There are many benefits of cupping therapy such as reducing inflammation, enhance blood circulation, remove toxins from the body, reduce cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein and prevents cardiovascular diseases.
Aromatherapy
The history of Aromatherapy dates back to ancient India, Ayurvedic medicine (traditional medicine native to India) include massages with Sandalwood oil. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates recommended aromatic baths and massages with oils.
Aromatherapy massage is the type of Swedish massage that uses essential oils. The main focus is relaxation and mindfulness.
There are many benefits of aromatherapy such as reducing stress and anxiety, increase calmness and relaxation, decrease muscle tension and pain relief. It also eases the pain from various condition such as chronic lower back pain, Arthritis and insomnia relief.
If you want to find out more about the health benefits of massage and the best option for you, why not experience it first-hand? L’abri Day Spa is a contemporary urban sanctuary where industry professionals are ready to make you feel your absolute best.