We all know that massage is a type of touch therapy that generally uses the hands or fingers to relieve tension in the body’s muscles in order to relieve stress. And you probably already know that aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to treat everything from allergies to relieving anxiety. So, what exactly is Aromatherapy Massage? Well, combining the two philosophies, aromatherapists can create a sort of super-massage that uses the healing benefits of both touch and aroma therapies to relieve stress, increase circulation, and center your entire mind, body, and spirit.

Aromatherapists use essential oils, those that come naturally from plant leaves, roots, seeds, barks, stalks, gums, resins, and flowers. They are highly concentrated, undiluted oils that are used to restore harmony to both the mind and body. Essential oils are made up of tiny molecules that are then dissolved in alcohol, emulsifiers, or fats to then be applied to the skin and in order to easily enter the body through the pores. They can also be inhaled, usually through steamers, diffusers, or a nice hot bath. Since they are so strong and highly concentrated, they should never be used undiluted.

Massage therapy is used to treat pain, calm nerves, boost circulation, release tension, relieve stress, and eliminate toxins. Physical touch is a comforting sensation that our bodies have craved since we were born. Studies have shown that babies who were not touched during early life can develop problems in adulthood, including illness, emotional problems, and anti-social behaviors. As human beings, we crave physical contact and that bond with others can sometimes only be expressed through touch.

So, combining the arts of touch therapy and aromatherapy seemed only natural. Both have calming, health-improving, soul-replenishing benefits that work together beautifully to create a relaxing, therapeutic, enjoyable experience. Applying a mixture of different essential oils directly to the skin and then rubbing them onto the body with slow, gentle, rhythmic movements will allow the whole body to relax and replenish using the principles of aromatherapy massage.

Aromatherapists will usually work to treat your body, mind, and spirit as a whole. This will require an extensive pre-therapy interview. A good holistic practitioner will try to find out what physical, mental, and emotional issues you might have in order to best treat your stresses and problems together. Once the aromatherapist has determined which essential oils will work best for you, they will be mixed together and placed into a carrier, such as a vegetable oil, lotion, or cream. Since it only takes a few drops of each essential oil to produce a powerful punch, these carriers are used to dilute the oils and give the therapist something substantial to massage you with.

Once the massage begins, the essential oils will penetrate the skin directly through the massaging technique, but you will also inhale the aromas through your nose and mouth. The molecules of the oils will penetrate the nasal passages and receptor cells at the back of the nose. This is important because the essential oils will trigger a message to be sent directly to the limbic system of the brain which triggers emotion and memory cells to activate. This, in turn, will send messages to other parts of your body and brain and can produce feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and sleepiness. These aroma-triggered sensations will allow your body to relax more fully than with just massage alone. These limbic messages can also travel to other body parts and organs in order to treat some of the physical ailments you might be suffering from.

The calming benefits of aromatherapy massage can not only make us feel more relaxed and stress free, but it can also heal our physical and emotional imbalances. When we feel stress, it’s our bodies are telling us that we are in a state of alert and that something needs to happen to relieve that stress. The body reacts by producing hormones that cause us to go into “fight or flight” mode. This mode causes us both physical and emotional harm, especially when experienced over long periods of time. Each person reacts differently to different situations. Some people in “fight or flight” mode can experience anxiety, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, shock, depression, high blood pressure, abdominal cramping, or muscular aches and pains. A soothing aromatherapy massage can reduce these feelings of stress and relieve the symptoms that can result from stress.

It’s important to remember that you need to find an experienced aromatherapist that knows how to properly mix, use, and apply the essential oils in order to receive the full benefits of their healing properties. So, remember, the next time you’re feeling stress from work, school, family, or just life in general, consider getting an aromatherapy massage. It will give you that sweet feeling of calm that will melt worries away. All you need to do is breath deep and relax!

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