Aromatherapy Massage: Everything You Need To Know
Aromatherapy, the use of essential oils, has been, for centuries, one of the most popular techniques of natural medicine. The Egyptians used aromatics 5,000 years ago for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The Greeks used olive oil to absorb the odor from flower petals and herbs. Arab physicians perfected the method of distilling essential oils and brought them to Europe.
While some of the oils can be directly ingested, others can be absorbed in the body through a massage to promote healing and the feeling of well-being in the recipient. What’s more? These precious oils protect us with their antibacterial properties, reduce our stress, and help us balance and put up greater harmony with the natural world.
WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY MASSAGE?
Today, the use of essential oils is steadily becoming more widespread as more and more people are becoming aware of the myriad life-changing benefits offered by these remarkable substances. As the name suggests, Aromatherapy massage combines the earthiness of these essential elements with the health benefits of a massage therapy to pamper your body and stimulate your mind.
The Aromatherapy massage uses longer and slower strokes in combination with multi-nerve easing techniques to provide specific health benefits. While the massage is much less vigorous as compared to its Swedish counterparts, this does not mean it is not as beneficial in relaxing the muscles; it just follows a different way.
BENEFITS OF AROMATHERAPY MASSAGE
Catch a whiff of the air around you. How does it smell? Is your mood immediately lifted with the smell of fresh cut flowers? Or you feel like throttled after being blasted with exhaust from the bus?
It’s quite evident how incredibly powerful your sense of smell is and how it impacts your feelings. While you can distinguish more than 1 trillion different scents, aromatherapy is not just about appealing smells but it also offers a plethora of health benefits including the following:
Quick stress buster
Perhaps the most common use of aromatherapy massage is to relieve stress. Because they are derived from many different essential oils, aromatic compounds are not only known as relaxants but also soothe your mind and eliminate anxiety.
Some of the best stress-busting essential oils are lavender, lemon oil, peppermint, vetiver, and ylang-ylang. In fact, the latest study conducted by the Japanese researchers confirms that lemon oil can lift your mood and reduce outbursts of anger.
Boosts Your Brain Power Naturally
While memory loss or the Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most frightening and widespread diseases affecting the older people, aromatherapy has often been turned to boost brain power naturally.
In a new study asked the participants to compare their scores on cognitive assessment test while they were exposed to rosemary or no scent at all. While those exposed to the scent of rosemary showed enhanced memory function, the ones who were given no scent showed decreased performance and found lesser alert.
So, aromatherapy can give a refreshing boost to the brain in all walks of life, no matter what age you are! Sage oil, for example, is the most commonly recommended oil to induce the memory-enhancing effect.
Fights Fatigue And Boosts Energy Levels
Who wouldn’t like to have more energy to get through the hectic tasks of the daily life? External stimulants like coffee, energy pills or other illegal substances can inflict very damaging effects on the body. While diet and exercise can always help, people are nowadays looking up to aromatherapy to add a bit more pep in their step.
The essential oils are proven to raise energy levels, improve blood circulation, and stimulate the mind and body, without the hazardous side effects of other stimulating substances. Some of the most well-known essential oils to boost your energy instantly are cardamom, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, angelica, rosemary, and jasmine.
Speeds Up Healing
Just like stimulants, essential oils also speed up the rate of healing throughout the body. This is due to increased flow of oxygen and blood to the wounds, resulting in the quicker internal healing process. What’s more? The anti-microbial properties of essential oils protect the body during these delicate healing stages of the body.
They can also reduce the severity and discomfort of skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Few of the most eminently regarded essential oils to speed up the body’s recovery process include calendula, lavender, everlasting (Helichrysum), rosehip, and buckthorn.
Boon To The Immune System
‘Prevention is better than cure’, as the medical professionals say, and Aromatherapy could be the ‘Knight in your shining armor’(immune system). Enriched with the goodness of anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial properties, the essential oils used in the aromatherapy can protect you from any number of diseases and infections that could damage your immune system.
Some of the best immune system effective essential include frankincense, oregano, peppermint, lemon, cinnamon, and eucalyptus.
How do aromatherapy essential oils work?
From treating muscle spasms to getting rid of hypertension and everything in between, essential oils have got you covered. Here’s a quick rundown of complaints and the essential oils that are used to treat them:
- Relieving stress: lavender, and geranium oil
- Energizing: ylang-ylang, clary sage, rose, and neroli oil
- Rejuvenating: Rosemary oil
- Decongesting: Pine, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil
Aromatherapy practitioners also believe that the fragrances in the essential oils stimulate nerves in the nose. These nerves, in turn, vitalize the part of the brain that controls memory and emotion. Depending on the type of the scent, the result could either be calming or stimulating.
Aromatherapy Essential Oils
Before beginning the aromatherapy massage, the therapist will follow up with a questionnaire to create a unique blend of essential oils that’s most suitable for you on the day. Further, these oils can be tailored according to your skin type.
While determining the right oils for your aromatherapy massage, therapists generally master-craft a synergistic blend of three oils which is added to the carrier oil. The oils in the synergistic blend are combined in such a manner that they enhance each other’s properties, giving away a pleasing scent.
For example, a blend of Ylang Ylang and lavender can work wonders in normalizing the blood pressure than either of the oils used on their own.
Once you’ve chosen the synergistic blend you want, you are ready to begin your aromatherapy session. The massage usually kick-starts with three deep inhalations of the chosen oil, because that’s the quickest way to absorb it into the body.
Moreover, these three deep breaths also help you become more present to the moment. Even sometimes, masseur leaves a tissue sprayed with some essential oil on it, so you remain aware of the scent. You can smell it as the essential oil is being massaged into your body.
How aromatherapy massage works
An aromatherapy massage should be gentle yet firm. Beginning with the back, buttocks, and legs, the therapist will ask you to turn over and then massage the front. The essential oil is applied and massaged in long sweeping strokes to warm the skin and prepare the body for the deep tissue massage.
9 Of The Best Warming Massage Oils For Muscle Recovery Or A Sensual Touch
Once your body is warmed up, the therapist will continue with deeper massage, gently squeezing and rolling the skin. Again, this should not be painful, but deeply comforting and relaxing.
The After-Effects of Massage
The after-effects of an aromatherapy massage can last up to two days, depending upon the oils used. While your skin might feel slightly oily, the overall effect is one of deep relaxation. As you may feel too relaxed after the massage, it is not recommended to drive after the therapy.
Moreover, some oils tend to increase the overall effect of alcohol, making you feel intoxicated after only one drink.
More often than not, the benefits of the massage are noticeable right away, but over time, it may also be noticed that any long-term or underlying problems have also been eased by massage. While it is not recommended to get a full body massage for more than once a week, a weekly massage is a great way to keep the body relaxed and toxin-free.
