Complementary Health
Natural
Therapies
Alternative Medicine
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Holistic Massage Therapy
The term holistic comes from the Greek word "holos" meaning whole. The Holistic approach to treatment takes into account a person's whole being, not just the physical symptoms or problems but also psychology, environment and nutrition and the effects, both positive and negative,that these can have on the body as a whole.
Holistic Massage Therapy is the most healing of arts, since it relies on nothing more than the hands of the practitioner. Massage is the use of hands, or mechanical means, to manipulate the soft tissue of the body, particularly muscles. It can be used for relaxation, stimulation or rehabilitation of the whole body, mind and spirit or part of it. It promotes suppleness of the muscles, improves circulation and reduces stress.
Touch is used to sooth and stimulate. When we are hurt we hold the injured part. When we have been cut we use our hands to sooth the wound. A mother cuddles a child who has fallen, or when crying.
Touch affects both body and mind. An arm around a friend provides consolation, a hug indicates affection and a gentle tap on the back offers encouragement.
Touch is the first sense of life. We develop touch in the comfort of the womb where some of us begin sucking our thumbs. Appropriate touch is soothing and relaxing, creating that "feel good" factor.
Touch is a vital means of expression. People who are starved of touch can feel very isolated and anxious which then affects their well being.
Because Holistic Massage works on all major and minor systems of the body it can relieve back pain, headaches, poor circulation, rheumatism, respiratory problems and problems arising from poor posture. Most of all massage is there for all of us to use and to enjoy. Massage puts us back in touch in the complete sense of the word:
Holistically.