HISTORY OF MASSAGE: Uncover its alluring past

A 2007 National Health Interview Survey estimated that 18 million adults and 700,000 children from the U.S. had received massage therapy during the previous year.  The history of massage is filled with people who use it for health-related purposes, including pain relief, sports injury rehabilitation, stress reduction, relaxation, anxiety and depression, and to help with general wellness.

Each massage technique targets your soft tissues in different ways.  Those soft tissues include your muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and your skin itself. To uncover the alluring history of massage, read on.

Created by a Swedish fencing instructor named Per Henrik Ling during the 1830s, Swedish Massage has been around for quite a long time.  The reason he had created this style of massage was to relieve the pain from his elbow injury. Per Henrik Ling reportedly cured himself using tapping strokes around the affected area while moving it back and forth.  Once he perfected the technique, he named it after his nationality.

Ling pioneered the teaching of physical education in Sweden after becoming famous for his fencing techniques. This began after he establish the gymnastic institute in Sweden back in 1804. After that, Sweden appointed him a master of fencing at Lund University back in 1805. As you can see, Ling was physically very active and quite a creative personality. Since then, Swedish Massage has become world renowned.

The yoga scholar Mark Singleton stated that Per Henrik Ling’s gymnastics techniques had shaped the development of modern yoga as an exercise throughout the world. When you combine all of this, it’s easy to see that Ling came up with a massage technique that would cover a wide range of pain caused by physical activity. And, he had many students to test its effectivity.

The most common type of massage is Swedish Massage therapy.  It involves soft, long, kneading strokes throughout your body.  Also, it includes light, rhythmic, tapping strokes, on your top layers of your muscles.

These tapping strokes combine with regular joint movement throughout your treatment.  By relieving muscle tension, the Swedish Massage technique is both will relax and energize your body.  And it may even help after an injury based on your doctor’s approval, of course.

Eastern massage is simply a collection of massage techniques from various Asian countries.  Although they tend to be grouped together, each one is quite unique.  Examples of Eastern massage include the following:  Shiatsu (Japanese), Amma and Tuina (Chinese), Marma/Varma Adi (India), Nuad Bo Rarn (Thailand), and Lomi Lomi (Hawaii/Pacific Island).

As Eastern Massage refers to many types of massage from many Asian countries, the origins vary greatly.  A Shiatsu Massage is one of the most famous Japanese massage.  It’s often used for correcting imbalances in your body.  Originally developed from ancient Taoism healing practices, it’s also used in traditional Chinese Medicine.  During a Shiatsu massage, various amounts of pressure are applied to specific points of your body.  It has the purpose of promoting healthy energy flows and rectifying imbalances.

Shiatsu is one of several massages based on a belief.  Many eastern cultures believe that most illnesses result from unhealthy energy flows in your body.  To explain, energy flows within your body, and any imbalance will cause an illness or some type of pain.

Amma, also known as Tuina, is a therapeutic massage. It originated in China thousands of years ago. To explain, it comes from the same philosophy that acupuncture uses. That means, your massage therapist applying this focuses on your body’s Qi, pronounced “chee.” According to the definition, Qi is your life energy force that flows throughout your body. This complementary and alternative Chinese massage makes use of rhythmic compression techniques along different energy channels of your body. This practice establishes harmony and balance back to your Qi.

Originally developed from ancient Taoism healing practices, Shiatsu massage is a traditional Chinese Medicine. Shiatsu Massage a famous Japanese massage technique often used for correcting bodily imbalances. To explain, it provides various amounts of pressure applied to particular points around your body.  Therefore, the purpose of Shiatsu massage is to promote healthy energy flows and to rectify any imbalances that exist.

Shiatsu is one of several massages that are based on a spiritual belief.  Many eastern cultures believe that most illnesses result from unhealthy energy flows in your body.  To explain, they believe that energy flows within your body, and any imbalance will cause an illness or some type of pain.

Lomi Lomi Massage from Hawaii is a profound modality that is gentle or deep, depending on your situation. Lomi Lomi Massage utilizes a continuously-flowing technique with mostly forearm strokes. Also, it is for light joint mobilization and ample amounts of oil is used. It emulating the waves on the ocean. Your Lomi Lomi Massage therapist will release physical, mental, and emotional blockages within your tissues and joints. It brings about a more grounded, relaxed, flexible you.

Thai Massage, known as Nuad Bo Rarn, is very meditative for the recipient. To explain, this massage technique is applied very slowly for a heightened state of consciousness. It’s a practical application of the Buddhist concept of metta, the four divine states of mind which are Loving Kindness, compassion, vicarious joy, and equanimity or composure.

Using a slow meditative rocking motion, Thai Massage uses a gentle palm and thumb press applied to “SEN Lines” or energy lines similar to meridian lines and Acupressure points used in Chinese medicine, revitalizing and energizing the body’s natural flow of energy.

An Indian traditional art of vital points, Marma or Varma Adi Massage manipulates your pressure points. It originated in present-day kanyakumari, called Tamil Nadu. This massage technique combines massage, alternative medicine, traditional yoga and martial arts. During your massage, pressure points, known as varmam, are manipulated for healing. This application is called Vaidhiya Murai and is part of Siddha medicine.

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