Educational

Educational massage information from Zen Massage in Salt Lake City

3 Things You’re Doing to Strain Your Neck

Amanda Sullivan Alternative medicine, Blog, Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Massage Therapy, Utah , , , , , ,

When we feel a headache, backache, neck pain, or any other kind of pain, our first thought is to make it go away. However, it’s hard to find the solution to the problem when you don’t know the origin. A lot of injuries and accidents feel like they happen all of a sudden, but nothing happens without warning. Your lifestyle plays a huge part in how your body feels, and neck strain is a very common symptom a lot of clients experience.

Neck strain is an injury to the muscles and tendons that support and move the head and neck. The best way to prevent neck strain is to take precautions when doing these three things:

  • Talking on the phone: Of course, talking on the phone can’t be avoided. However, most of us use the phone for long periods of time. We also use the phone while doing other things. Can you recall the last time you held the phone without tucking it in between your neck and shoulder? The American Osteopathic Association recommends using both hands or a hands-free device when using the phone.

  • Desk Work: We often talk about the couch potato who spends all day on the sofa, but they aren’t prone to neck pains like the desk potato. More sedentary jobs require looking at a computer and typing on a keyboard for more than 50% of the workday. After a few hours of doing the same activities, your posture probably becomes poor. Activities like stretching, adjusting your monitor, and sitting correctly can alleviate upper body strain.

  • Workouts: Form is everything when working out. Good form prevents minor and major injuries from occurring. The right exercises can ease neck pain, but the wrong exercises can cause neck pain. For instance, think about an ab move like sit-ups. The wrong neck alignment can make the exercise very uncomfortable. It is always recommended to stretch and warm the body before any workout.

A massage treatment can help relieve upper body pain caused by talking on the phone, deskwork, and workouts. Massages help to loosen the affected muscles and tendons. Although massage therapy is a great treatment, prevention is key.

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Salt Lake City, Utah 84117

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5 Reasons To Book A Sports Massage

Amanda Sullivan after workout massage, Educational, Massage Therapy, Sports Injury, Sports Massage, Therapy Sports Injury , , , , ,

There are many reasons to get a Sports Massage. Today’s athletes expect the most out of their bodies. To always perform at maximum efficiency. This can cause serious stress to be put on the body which in turn can cause muscle fatigue and even serious injury.

Sports massage therapy is a specialized massage therapy that identifies the muscle group in need of repair and works to minimize the stress put on the body by aggressive training. At Zen Massage, we help athletes maintain peak efficiency and recovery with targeted sports massage therapy at our Salt Lake City massage studio.

1. Reduce Pain

Soft tissue massage can be used to help reduce pain caused by injury or soreness caused by intensive training. A variety of research demonstrates the positive impact of massage on pain levels when combined with exercises and manual therapy techniques.

2. Release Muscle Tension 

Certain exercises for long periods can create stress on the body, which can create trigger points and tension in the muscles. Having massage regularly helps optimize your tissue’s pliability and increase your range of movement, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

3. Good Posture

Spending every day at work maintaining the same posture and engaging the same muscles over and over again can cause muscles to shorten and pull your joints. Which over time can reduce function and increase your chances of overuse and repetitive strain injuries. Sports massage can help to release these muscles and counteract the negative effects of bad posture.

4. Accelerate Recovery & Improve Training

Ache after training? Massage is a great way to help reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), basically soreness after exercise….massage may help recovery by increasing the blood circulation to the area and help to flush out the toxins that build up during exercise. Resulting in the improvement of recovery and helping you get ready for your next exercise.

5. Relaxing

Though not generally thought of as relaxing, Sports massage does help to reduce general anxiety by releasing tension. As the body releases and reduces physical tension, the mind follows, bringing about a great feeling of well-being and relaxation.

Book your Sports Massage with the best masseurs in SLC today! 

Sports / Injury Therapy — 45 minutes for $65

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Salt Lake City, Utah 84117

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How to Have a Happy, Healthy Summer

Amanda Sullivan Alternative medicine, Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Zen Massage , , ,

At Zen Massage Salt Lake, we’ve been feeling the heat this summer, so we thought we’d pass along these tips for staying cool and having a healthy summer from cancer.org.

Summertime in Utah

Summertime means longer days, sunshine, picnics, barbecues, and kids out of school. Here’s how to make the most of your summer and stay healthy, too.

Be active; be cool

Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle in every season. The warm summer weather can make it easy to exercise outdoors and get the whole family involved. Just be sure to take some precautions so you don’t get overheated in the hot weather.

  • Exercise in the morning or evening, when it’s likely to be cooler outdoors. If possible, exercise in shady areas. If it’s too hot to go out, work out at the gym, or walk laps or climb stairs inside an air-conditioned building.
  • Drink plenty of water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Help your body sweat and cool down by drinking water frequently.
  • Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing to help sweat evaporate and keep you cooler. If possible, wear a light-colored, wide-brimmed hat.
  • Involve the whole family. Physical activity is important for everyone. Take children and oldsters to the park, turn on some music and dance, or get pedometers for everyone in the family and have a friendly competition to see who can log the most steps each day.
  • Plan an active vacation. Camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, and snorkeling are great ways to spend time in nature and get a lot of exercise. If you’re visiting a city, consider renting bicycles or taking a walking tour.

Eat right and stay healthy

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy an outdoor meal with friends and family. Refreshing salads, melons, and berries add color and flavor to picnics and cookouts. But because warmer temperatures can easily spoil food, you’ll need to be extra careful.

  • Wash hands, utensils, containers, and work surfaces before handling food to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading.
  • Cook food the same day as the picnic, not in advance, to give bacteria less time to grow.
  • Wash fruit and vegetables before cutting, in case bacteria are present on the rind or peel.
  • Keep mayonnaise-based foods and other cold foods in an insulated cooler with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs.
  • Throw out leftovers that have been sitting out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is over 90°F.

And if you’re cooking out, follow these tips for safe, healthy grilling:

  • Serve more chicken, fish, and vegetables, and cut back on ground beef, pork, sausage, and hot dogs.
  • Defrost and marinate foods in the refrigerator, and don’t reuse marinade that touches raw meat or poultry unless you boil it first. 
  • Bring one set of plates and utensils for handling raw foods and another for cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination.
  • Bring a food thermometer to be sure grilled foods are cooked enough. Hamburgers should be cooked to at least 160°F and chicken breasts to 165°F.
  • Cooking meat at high temperatures creates chemicals that may raise your cancer risk. Reduce the risk by cleaning charred bits from your grill before cooking and from your food before eating. Line the grill with foil poked with holes. The fat will drip off, but the smoke won’t reach the meat.

Stay safe in the sun

Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and manmade sources like tanning booths. Protect your skin from the sun when you go outside, especially during the long, warm summer days.

  • Cover up: When you are out in the sun, wear clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to protect as much skin as possible. Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV light.
  • Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Put more on at least every 2 hours, and after swimming or sweating.
  • Seek shade: Limit your direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.
  • Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps: Both can cause serious long-term skin damage and contribute to skin cancer.

Have a happy, healthy summer, Salt Lake City!

Set up an appointment with the best masseurs in SLC today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

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5520 South Van Winkle Expy,

Salt Lake City, Utah 84117

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Massage Techniques for Fibromyalgia Relief

Amanda Sullivan Alternative medicine, Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Massage Therapy, Zen Massage , , , ,
Fibromyalgia Relief

Massage therapy is widely used for reducing stress, relieving pain, decreasing feelings of anxiety, and increasing overall well-being, all of which are great for people with fibromyalgia. Below are 5 massage techniques that have been shown to relieve fibromyalgia.

Attention: Massage therapy may not be for everyone suffering from fibromyalgia, but meeting with a trained and attentive massage therapist that eases you into the session may provide the relief you need. Make sure to communicate your symptoms and how much pressure you are comfortable with.

Swedish Massage

Swedish massage is the most common massage therapy technique. This massage utilizes a variety of movements to relax the entire body, including long strokes, kneading, rolling, and circular movements. Swedish massage is widely known for reducing stress, increasing blood flow, and detoxifying the body, all of which are beneficial to fibromyalgia sufferers.

Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger points–widely called knots–are painful spots found on muscles that are sensitive when pressure is applied. These points are very common, particularly around injuries, and can feel very sharp or like a dull ache. Those who suffer from fibromyalgia tend to have more trigger points than the average person. Trigger point massage therapy aims to deactivate those trigger points by applying pressure and kneading the muscle. The pain relief is often immediate.

Myofascial Release

Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber, and muscle in place. The myofascial release technique relieves pain and tightness in the fascia. The massage therapist finds trigger points and tightness which helps reduce fibromyalgia pain and stiffness.

Hot-Stone Massage

During a hot-stone massage, the massage therapist places heated, smooth, flat stones on key points of the body. These stones help the body relax, provide pain relief and release muscle tension.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is very similar to Swedish massage but with stronger pressure from the massage therapist. This massage focuses on releasing tension in the body’s soft tissue and relaxing and detoxifying the body. This massage technique is not recommended for those just starting with massage therapy for fibromyalgia relief as many with fibromyalgia suffer from a lower pain threshold. Acupuncture for fibromyalgia or consistent massage therapy sessions can actually help increase this pain threshold.

Fibromyalgia can feel debilitating, but with a multi-treatment approach, this chronic condition shouldn’t slow you down. 

Zen Massage in Salt Lake City, Ut. Set up an appointment with the best masseurs in SLC today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

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5520 South Van Winkle Expy,

Salt Lake City, Utah 84117

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Massage Therapy for Headaches

Amanda Sullivan Alternative medicine, Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Zen Massage , , , ,
Massage Therapy for Headaches

Nothing is worse than a headache disrupting your personal or professional life, and some headaches come with symptoms like nausea and fatigue, making it even harder to get things done and live your life.

Whether you suffer from chronic migraines or get random stress-related headaches, there is a good chance massage therapy can help you. Massages provide a variety of health benefits, many of which can prevent headaches from happening in the first place. 

What are your headache triggers?

It’s important to figure out what could be triggering your headaches so you choose the correct treatment methods. People have different headache triggers, especially those who suffer from chronic headaches like migraines. 

The most common triggers for all types of headaches include: 

  • Stress
  • Hormones
  • Diet
  • Changes in sleep
  • Dehydration
  • Caffeine
  • Light

If your headaches are becoming more frequent or you are unsure what triggers your headaches, we recommend speaking with your primary care doctor. You deserve to know how you can live a headache-free life. From simple treatment methods to figuring out how you can avoid getting the headache altogether your doctor will have some helpful ideas.

How can massage therapy help?

One of the most common causes of headaches is Stress, a well-known benefit of massage therapy is stress reduction. Studies have shown long-term stress relief for people who get regular massages from a licensed therapist. 

Massage therapy also:

  • Increases serotonin levels
  • Relieves tension
  • Improves oxygen flow

All of which can contribute to headache prevention and relief.

Unlike a lot of the other headache triggers, stress is a pretty difficult thing to avoid. If you think stress is causing headaches, we recommend giving massage therapy a try for your headache relief.

Book Your Massage @ Zen Massage Luxury Massage in Salt Lake City, Utah

If you want the best masseurs in Salt Lake City, set up an appointment with ZEN Massage.

Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

Zen Massage

5520 South Van Winkle Expy

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

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7 Foods for Natural Healing

Amanda Sullivan Alternative medicine, Educational, Healthy Lifestyle , , , , ,

Foods can heal your body after an accident or injury. Yes, it’s really that easy. Although hunger is not what leaps to mind after an injury, food is essential to help you heal and some foods help more than others. So let’s talk about 7 foods for natural healing.

Healing Foods

Even though you’ve been injured, don’t worry, your body is equipped with superpowers. Maybe not Super Girl powers, but still powerful and worth talking about. So, let’s chat about vitamins C & A, protein, greens, bone broth, zinc, and foods rich in curcumin.

Vitamin C & A

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, giving your body protection from harmful free radicals. C’s job is also to build new protein for skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. So eat your citrus, broccoli, and peppers. 

Vitamin A helps stimulate the production and activity of white blood cells that are vital to healing and fighting off infection. You can get some good A’s in sweet potatoes, carrots, and sunflower seeds.

Amazing Protein

Our bodies are made from protein, so it makes sense to eat it when you’re injured to rebuild your body. Protein is a key player in a number of important healing processes right after an accident. Foods high in protein include meat, eggs, yogurt, and quinoa. 

Great Greens

It’s true, greens are on every “good for you” list out there. And so healing is no exception. Greens, especially kale, are high in micronutrients and minerals. Choose any that look interesting to you such as spinach, chard, mustard greens, or arugula. 

Bone Broth

Bone broth helps to speed up the healing process. Use chicken bones, with lots of stuff left on them. You’ll end up with a broth that’s very nutrient-rich and precious to healing tissues.  With all the building blocks that ligaments, tendons, muscles, and skin need to heal. Bone broth is one of the best foods for healing, and it’s always comforting.

Super Healer, Zinc

Zinc helps you grow new tissue after an injury. It’s vital in the healing process. It’s an important player in the immune system and is also very important in wound healing. Foods with zinc include oysters, lamb, pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef, and cashews. 

Yellow = Curcumin

Yellow equals Curcumin. Turmeric is high in curcumin and turns curries that lovely yellow color. Besides the beautiful yellow color, it decreases inflammation which is necessary to heal from an injury. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. So it’s important to eat your pineapple, ginger, and turmeric when you need to heal.

Massage can also be a great way to enhance the healing process. Contact us about our Sports Massage Therapy in Salt Lake City.

Zen Massage Luxury Massage in Salt Lake City, Utah

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If you want the best masseurs in Salt Lake City, set up an appointment with ZEN Massage today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

Zen Massage

5520 South Van Winkle Expy,

Salt Lake City, Utah 84117

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10 Things Your Massage Therapist Can Tell About You

Amanda Sullivan Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Massage Therapy , , , ,

So, we all expect massage therapists to ease muscle tension and help us work through injuries. But that hour on the table reveals a lot more than just the stress we’ve asked them to soothe. Here are 10 things your massage therapists can most likely tell about you and your health after a massage.

1. You Love Big Purses

If your body is tighter on one side, a therapist knows that you shift more onto one leg while standing (this happens with women who carry purses predominantly on one shoulder). Glutes, hamstrings, and quads will be tight, and you’ll also have an unnatural pelvic tilt.

2. You Have A Desk Job

The signs? A weak lower back, as evidenced by one hip being higher than the other. People who sit in front of a computer all day also have tight glutes and legs.

3. You Do A Lot Of Driving

Sitting behind the wheel leads to a far-forward posture. People who spend a significant amount of time commuting by car will often exhibit hunched shoulders because of this.

4. You’re Injured

If you have an acute injury, therapists can feel heat and inflammation. Chronic injuries show themselves in the form of dehydrated muscles that feel tight. And with repetitive injuries, tendons and muscles will feel wiry like guitar strings.

5. You Text Too Much

Chronic texters will find it painful when a massage therapist rubs their shoulders. The cause? The downward position of your head when texting creates an imbalance in the shoulders.

6. You’re Dehydrated

Trigger points in the upper back will be tender if you haven’t had your recommended eight glasses of water each day.

7. You’re Cold All The Time

It’s instinct to hunch up our shoulders to our ears when we’re cold. So it’s no surprise that clients come in with stress in their necks and the tops of their shoulders during winter months.

8. You’re A Runner

Hips and the low back will feel tight, and you might also complain about tension in the bottom of the foot.

9. Your Allergies Are Acting Up

Is Pet dander getting to you? The tissue around your eyes, forehead, cheeks, and jaw will feel tender and inflamed. The same goes for lymph nodes in the chest, neck, and underarms.

10. You’re A Frequent Backpacker

Heavy backpack straps cut across the shoulder blades, and the muscles in your scapula become tight in response to the pressure.

Book Your Massage @ Zen Massage Luxury Massage in Salt Lake City, Utah

If you want the best masseurs in Salt Lake City, set up an appointment with ZEN Massage today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

Zen Massage

5520 South Van Winkle Expy

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

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Spring Cleaning and Massage Therapy

Amanda Sullivan Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Therapy Sports Injury, Zen Massage , , , , ,

Cleaning up around the house is a physical task that often results in muscle pain and soreness.

When it comes to yard work or even deep cleaning our homes, most of us don’t really stop to think about how we are lifting. It’s important to lift properly, even when handling a lightweight box or reaching for something small that is just a little beyond our reach. It’s common for Massage Therapists to get a lot of clients coming in for sore back, stiff neck, knee pain, and/or muscle spasms during the spring season. 

Lifting should be done with a straight neck and back, about 45 degrees angle from the ground, legs bent. Most of the lift is really coming from your legs and gluteal muscles. They are a lot more powerful than the many smaller muscles of the back and spine. Even when what you are about to lift from the floor is just a few pounds, it’s best to lift properly regardless of the weight you are about to pick up.

The more you practice proper lifting (with your legs and NOT your back), the easier and less likely it will be for you to lift improperly later because by then it’s automatic.

Not only do we lift improperly, but some of us also seem to do a twist in the middle of lifting. That usually results in immediate spasms in the mid to lower back. Remember, that when we lift AND twist our backs, we are then pulling the muscles. 

It is not recommended to contract your muscle while twisting and thus stretching. This combination could result in muscle tearing.

There are two common types of lower back strain:

  • A muscle strain happens when the muscle is over-stretched or torn, resulting in damage to the muscle fibers (also called a pulled muscle).
  • A lumbar sprain happens when ligaments are stretched too far or torn. Ligaments are very tough, fibrous connecting tissues that connect bones together.

For practical purposes, it doesn’t matter if it is a muscle strain or a ligament sprain that is causing the pain, since the treatment and prognosis for both are the same.

When the muscles or ligaments in the low back are strained or torn, the area around the muscles will usually become inflamed. The inflammation leads to back spasm, and it is the back spasm that can cause both severe lower back pain and difficulty moving.

The best way to NOT have any of these symptoms is PREVENTION. That means proper body mechanics and proper posture.

So before you start your spring cleaning projects, please make sure you set your massage appointments within a few days after each project. That way you can recover from any muscle fatigue or soreness that has resulted in this once-a-year physical event. Your body will thank you.

Book Your Massage @ Zen Massage

If you want the best masseurs in Salt Lake City, set up an appointment with ZEN Massage today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

Zen Massage

5520 South Van Winkle Expy

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

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Gain Mental Clarity by Zenning Out

Amanda Sullivan Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Zen Massage , , , , , ,

Why should you zen out?

You have so much you want to do and accomplish, but life has a way of stepping in and presenting challenges. These challenges can cause you to go into stress mode, compromising your ability to think clearly or in an emotionally balanced way.

Many of the issues we have with mental clarity and emotional imbalance can be traced directly to stress. Stress, which signals a natural hormonal response to our fears, and negative perceptions of information, events, challenges, and issues, has a way of depleting our peace of mind. This leaves us open to negative thoughts and self-talk, unfounded fears, anxiety, and depression that can release an overwhelming dose of fight or flight hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, into our bloodstreams.  These hormones are what make us physically feel our stress. They speed up our breathing and create shallow breaths. They tighten the muscles across our shoulders and can leave a queasiness in the pit of our stomachs. Stress hormones can cause insomnia, headaches, toothaches, backaches, and other illnesses that arise from a lowered immune system, like colds and infections. The best ways to override the symptoms of stress are to know your signs of stress, and consciously avoid them by getting your zen on.

Getting your zen on is all about managing and eliminating your stress by taking yourself easily into a relaxed state on a regular basis. In your zen state, you will realize that it is your perceptions of things that cause you pain, not the thing itself. You will also realize that you have the mental power to choose how you process and understand information, as well as how you respond to issues and challenges.  Below, you’ll find some ideas on how to get your zen on.

What is zen and zenning out?

Zenning is the new version of an ancient Japanese Buddhism practice that emphasizes the value of meditation and intuition. In Japanese, zen means ultimate meditation. Zenning out is the combination of mind, body, spirit actions you can take, to raise your ability to meditate, heighten your intuition and release the stress that is interfering with your mental clarity and emotional balance.  

How to zen out

  • Meditate – A neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School did an extensive study that found, meditation not only reduces stress and relaxes you, but it actually restores grey matter to various areas of your brain and helps you to retain your short term memory longer. If you are not good at meditation, try a guided meditation app, like Calm, or find a free one to help you get going. Take a look at this list of meditation apps to see if any of these will work for you.
  • Practice yoga – Yoga can help to gain and maintain mental clarity by increasing your body’s awareness, relieving stress, and reducing muscle tension, and inflammation. Yoga also sharpens your attention span and calms your nervous system as reported by the American Psychological Association. To get started you might look for classes in your area or try a health spa.
  • Get a massage – Massage therapy can actually treat anxiety and other mental health disorders like depression, because of its ability to reduce cortisol levels in highly stressed individuals. Also, you need to know that massage releases toxins from your muscles into your bloodstream for elimination, so after a massage, drink lots of water and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Also, avoid getting a massage when you are feeling sick. To get a professional massage you might look for deals in your area or if you live in Salt Lake contact us at Zen Massage https://zenmassage.net/ 
  • Take Tea – In general, low or reduced caffeine teas can promote calm serene feelings, but according to a 2017 study, reduced caffeine green tea shows great promise as an aid for helping you to sleep better as well. Getting a good night’s sleep is critical to gaining and maintaining mental clarity and emotional balance. Don’t just drink tea, learn how to Take Tea. Try this zen tea music with your tea.
  • Take a stroll – All exercise is deemed beneficial to mental and physical health, but according to the website, Walking for Health, consistently walking for 90 minutes a week, can improve your self-perception, self-esteem, mood, and sleep quality, all while helping to reduce your stress, anxiety, and fatigue.  Lace-up a good pair of walking shoes, find a scenic path, and get to walking.
  • Clearing – Clearing is a lovely ritual, of getting rid of things that are no longer useful to create sacred space for positive energy; be it clothing, habits, or even thoughts. Clearing will open your mind and heart and allow peace to flow freely in and around you. 
  • Cleansing  – When we cleanse as a form of meditation, cleansing becomes a ritual of commitment to personal harmony and beauty.  When we cleanse, we are detoxing and purifying everything that contributes harmony and beauty in our lives; be it our minds, bodies, homes, or even relationships, cleansing can help us find mental clarity and emotional balance. 

How do you zen out? 

Come in and Zen out @ Zen Massage

If you want the best masseurs in Salt Lake City, set up an appointment with ZEN Massage today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

Zen Massage

5520 South Van Winkle Expy

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

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WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY MASSAGE?

Amanda Sullivan Educational, Healthy Lifestyle, Massage Therapy , , , , ,

What is Aromatherapy Massage?

Well, Aromatherapy Massage is a specific type of massage therapy that incorporates the use of scented essential oils into a massage. The massage involves alternating between gentle and harder pressure while using a specific blend of essential oils. The essential oils are diluted before use and are applied along with lotion during the massage. Not only is the client’s body benefiting from direct contact with the essential oils, but the oils are alleged to have specific healing properties upon inhaling after exposure. 

What are the benefits of Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapeutic massage not only has the client leaving with a full body massage but they also allegedly provide emotional healing and relaxation. The benefits are on a long list that includes some of the same benefits as other massages. Below are a few benefits of a massage that incorporates aromatherapy:

  • Stress-reducing
  • Anxiety reliever
  • Increased calmness and relaxation
  • Decreased muscle tension
  • Pain relief
  • A reduction of symptoms of depression
  • Ease of pain from these conditions:
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Chronic lower back pain
    • Myofascial pain syndrome
    • Arthritis
    • Insomnia relief
    • Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
    • Peripheral neuropathy
    • Polymyalgia rheumatica
    • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
    • Premenstrual syndrome
    • Rheumatoid arthritis

As you can see above, the benefits of aromatherapy are fruitful. There are many different essential oils that correlate to many different healing paths so it’s up to you to communicate with your therapist to decide what oils are best for you to use. If you are someone who has trouble sleeping or needs to relax, something like lavender would most likely be applied during your session. If you are suffering from emotional distress, perhaps rosemary or rose will be applied. 

How Does It Work?

The process of aromatherapy is just like any other massage. After scheduling an appointment with your therapist, you will then discuss any issues you have or what you need to work on (only if this was not discussed prior). Then after you let the therapist know what type of condition you have or what specific oils you would like they will then give you your options. If a client isn’t requesting a massage to heal any nerves, muscles, or joints, they can ask for a more general request such as an energizing, uplifting, relaxing, or decongesting massage. Once you choose your oils, the therapist will give you time to un-robe and situate. Then your experience will begin.

In terms of the research that backs the science of essential oils; it is conflicting. There is clear evidence of essential oils aiding people in their healing process, but there is no clear research that shows how essential oils directly correlate to that healing process.

Here are the facts:

  • Essential Oils can make people feel good
  • Aromatherapy is a widely used practice
  • So far the dangers of oils arise only when clients are allergic to them (which is not common)

Why Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy has very few precautions attached to it. The main thing to worry about when dabbling in the realm of essential oils is making sure that you are not allergic to any of them. Not only are you inhaling the scent of the oils, but they will be in direct contact with your body and it is not safe to expose yourself to any substances you are allergic to. Other than that, essential oils and aromatherapy massage are holistic methods of healing that does not involve any sort of drugs.

If you are someone who is interested in healing with minimal drug usage, then investing your time in learning about essential oils would be great for you.

Book Your Massage @ Zen Massage

If you want the best masseurs in Salt Lake City, set up an appointment with ZEN Massage today! Book Online or Call (801) 467-3529

Zen Massage

5520 South Van Winkle Expy

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

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