- A 60 minute massage is about the same as 7-8 hours of sleep to your body.
- Healthy touch of any kind can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure.
- Massaging and gently pulling on your ears – top, middle, and bottom of outer earlobes once per day improves your immune system.
- Bob Hope, who lived to be 100, had daily massage as part of his health regimen .
- Touch and massage stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.
- Specialized massage improves the flow of lymph through the body, relieving aches, pains, and flu-like symptoms.
- There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin? 3,000 in a finger tip.
- Touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be the last to fade. A touch of any kind can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure.
- Massage lessens lower back pain, depression and anxiety, and improves sleep.
- Massage improves an athlete's flexibility, enhances speed and power, and reduces risk of injury.
- Getting a massage at Shine On is WORTH IT! Get your knots gone at Shine On! Go ahead, click the "Book Now" button! You deserve it.
Massage - The Hangover Cure!
Here’s why massage is the hangover remedy you’ve always wanted.
It’s completely natural. No need to take drugs like aspirin, which can thin the blood and tax your already overloaded liver.
Massage boosts your immune system. During a hangover, your body is full of toxins, and your liver, the organ responsible for breaking them down, just can’t keep up. Massage will help your lymphatic system clear your blood of all the poisons you put into it during the Holidays.
Hangovers mean headaches. A massage is a great way to increase circulation, which also pushes blood to the brain, easing pesky headaches caused by your hangover.
The only real cure for a hangover is time and rest. A massage helps your body relax and heal itself.
Remembering to hydrate before, during and after a night of drinking is always helpful.
So have fun but be careful & remember to book a massage with Shine On!
10 Reasons Why every Home Should Have Essential Oil Diffusers!
1. Relaxation and Sleep
One of the best and most well-known uses for essential oils is their ability to help you unwind at the end of a hard day. While there are several other methods for getting your soothing oils from the bottle into your blood stream where they start to work their magic, the diffuser is by far the easiest and longest-lasting of them all. Keep one at the office to help you relax on your lunch break. Have a diffuser ready to go with the push of a button when you get home from work in the evening. Set one on the bedside table to help your mind and body relax so you can sleep better at night.
Recommended oils: chamomile, lavender, clary sage
Get more expert tips on how to catch some high-quality zzz’s (from a former insomniac) with these 11 Natural Sleep Remedies That Really Work!
2. Mood Elevating
Just as a diffuser can help you to de-stress, they can also be used to create an energizing mood. This is not only great for when you’re feeling sad or depressed. You can use your diffuser to inspire high spirits during the holidays, to set a positive atmosphere for business meetings and social gatherings, to help you get moving on a slow morning, or even to create a romantic atmosphere for that special someone in your life.
Recommended oils: sweet orange, jasmine, rose, scotch pine, sandalwood, vanilla
3. Ward Off Illness
Using a diffuser in your home or office is a great way to keep cold, flu, and other nasty illnesses at bay that works on three levels. First, many essential oils are powerfully anti-microbial and when introduced into the air in vapor form, the organic compounds within the oils come into direct contact with airborne pathogens before they can invade your body. Second, essential oils can also be used to boost the immune system. Last but not least, some diffusers also double as humidifiers which will help to keep your airways moist and healthy so you are less susceptible to any microbes that do make it into your body.
Recommended oils: tea tree, sage, rosemary, grapefruit, lemon, thyme
4. Helps You Breathe Easier
Essential oils are great for reducing inflammation and congestion in clogged airways to help you breathe more easily. If you are prone to allergies or other breathing disorders, try diffusing essential oils in the room (or rooms) of your home where you spend the most time. Just remember to keep a box of tissues handy as your nose and sinuses begin to open so you can also avoid that mad dash to the bathroom!
Recommended oils: peppermint, rosemary, lemon, eucalyptus
Want more tips on how to naturally improve air quality so you can breathe better and be healthier? Our wildly popular 10 Reasons To Have A Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp In Every Room Of Your Home is an absolute must-read!
5. Pain Relief
While most people will tell you to apply essential oils directly to the body for pain relief, you can also use a diffuser to extend their effects. This method is an excellent way to combat persistent pain such as that caused by headaches, sore joints, and overworked muscles.
Recommended oils: ginger, chamomile, lavender, eucalyptus, clary sage, rosemary, bergamot
Also, be sure to check out these 14 Effective Natural Remedies To Relieve Joint Pain to learn more about using natural home-remedies in lieu of chemical-laden pain meds!
6. Improve Cognitive Function
Using essential oils in a diffuser is a highly-effective way to super-charge your brain cells. Again, this effect works on multiple levels. First, many essential oils have adaptogenic qualities – meaning that they are soothing when you’re stressed, but they can also give you a pick-me-up when you’re feeling down or sluggish. By leveling out your mood, the oils in the air will help you to focus. Also, there are several essential oils which are known for their powerful ability to balance the body’s hormones. With regular use, these oils can actually help to heal the underlying causes responsible for hampering cognitive function.
Recommended oils: peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon, pine
(Further Reading: 9 Essential Oils For Hormonal Imbalance & How To Use Them)
7. Safer Alternative to Candles & Incense
If you have pets or small children, burning candles or incense can be a potentially hazardous practice. With an essential oil diffuser, you can reap the benefits of aromatherapy – and to much greater effect – without the risk of burns, wax spills, or other accidents.
Recommended oils: any
8. Repel Insects
Whether your problem is mosquitoes, house flies, fruit flies or moths, you can use essential oils in your diffuser to deter these critters from entering your home.
Recommended oils: clove, lemongrass, rosemary, cedarwood
Arm yourself against the swarms of creepy crawlies this spring and summer with these 6 Fragrant Herbs & Plants That Repel Flies and 13 Natural Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away!
9. Keeps You Cool
(While it might make you appear more eco-savvy to your friends and family, that’s not the kind of ‘cool’ we’re referring to.)
In the heat of the summer months, running the air conditioner all day and all night is a surefire way to send your electric bill through the roof. Instead, try diffusing your favorite crisp, cooling minty essential oils in the rooms where you spend the most time to help you beat the heat.
Recommended oils: peppermint, eucalyptus, spearmint, wintergreen
10. Saves Money
So far we’ve covered the top nine reasons that owning a diffuser is an investment in your health and well-being, but it’s more than just that. With all of the versatile uses for essential oil diffusers around the home which ultimately lead to less doctor visits, lower electric bills, fewer cups of coffee and better productivity; you will soon discover that this handy little device is a money-saver as well!
Living with Bad Posture & What it Can Do To You
Living with bad posture can result in muscle and ligament imbalances that result from poor alignment. This can lead to all sorts of problems:
- chronic neck, back and shoulder pain
- foot, knee, hip & back injuries
- headaches
- Stiffness
- Fatigue
- Muscle atrophy & weakness
- difficulty breathing
- impingement & nerve compression
- sciatica
- carpal tunnel syndrome
Good posture holds the key to relief of not just back pain, but sometimes other common body complaints too. Good posture helps improve:
- headaches
- constipation
- tingling & numbness in hands & feet
- bachaches
- headaches
The human body was designed to move - not sit in a chair for several hours at a time, slouched over a computer or over our phones. These are a part of our daily life and over time bad habits like these can result in problems. Getting regular massages can correct these problems!
Is Massage Safe for People with Cancer?
Light, relaxing massage can safely be given to people at all stages of cancer. Tumor or treatment sites should not be massaged to avoid discomfort or pressure on the affected area and underlying organs.
Some people worry that massage can spread cancer cells throughout the body via the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, organs and nodes through which lymphatic fluid (lymph) flows. It is part of the body’s immune system. Lymphatic circulation occurs naturally as we move.
Cancer may spread (metastasize) into the lymphatic system via the lymph nodes, or it may start in the lymphatic system itself. However, the circulation of lymph – from massage or other movement – does not cause cancer to spread. Researchers have shown that cancer develops and spreads because of changes to a cell’s DNA (genetic mutations) and other processes in the body.
Read more at https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/17958/b1000/massage-and-cancer-42/massage-and-cancer-benefits-of-touch/#X1Eg1x8JpPheXOkk.99
Benefits of Myofacial Release!
Reduce muscle soreness. With better circulation to your muscles and connective tissues, you'll experience less muscle soreness. Maintains normal functional muscular length. Self-myofascial release relieves tension in the myofascia network and helps your muscles return to their normal length, improving muscle function.
Our Online Scheduling is Back!
Our scheduling was down for a couple of days and we just got it back up and running for good! We are sorry for any inconvenience! You can now schedule any appointment and choose which therapist, day and time that fits you best! Shine On!
Water After Massage? It couldn't hurt!
After most massages, you will hear your massage therapist say "Drink a lot of water today!" The reason that we tell our clients this is because there is belief that the manipulation of muscles causes a release of toxins in the body. Whether people want to believe this or not, what could it hurt to have a glass of water!?
The most important glass of water is first thing in the morning. Your body has been dehydrated while you’ve been sleeping, so start your day with a tall glass of water. It’ll boost your metabolism.
Water is the most important nutrient for health, growth, and development and it’s the most abundant nutrient in the body. Although water does not provide energy in the same way carbohydrates and fat do, it plays a very important role in energy transformation. Water is the medium in which all energy reactions take place. Water also helps out with the lubrication of your joints. It’s an ingredient in the makeup of the synovial fluid, which is the lubricating fluid between your joints. If your body is dehydrated, even for a brief period, less fluid is available to protect these areas.
Muscles are 70% water. Your brain is 85% water. Just imagine how fatigued or tired you might feel during the day because you haven’t replenished your body’s water supply. Drink more water and you’ll feel and see the difference in your body’s health.
Great Things are Coming!
In the next few weeks we will be announcing some amazing winter massage deals! Stay tuned and make sure you do not miss out on what is to come at Shine On Massage Therapy!
Benefits of Prenatal Massage!
Studies indicate that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health. Massage therapy addresses different needs through varying techniques, one of which is called Swedish Massage.
Swedish Massage aims to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation through mild pressure applied to the muscle groups of the body. Swedish Massage is the recommended massage method during pregnancy because it addresses many common discomforts associated with the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts.
Hormone regulation
Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered when massage therapy is introduced to women’s prenatal care. This leads to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health.
In women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks, hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (hormones associated with stress) were reduced, and dopamine and serotonin levels were increased (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression).
These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence strongly suggests there are maternal and newborn health benefits when therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.
Reduction of swelling
Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints. This also improves the removal of tissue waste carried by the body’s lymph system.
Improvement of nerve pain
Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves.
Massage therapy addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many women have experienced a significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through massage.
Other potential benefits of prenatal massage:
- Reduced back pain
- Reduced joint pain
- Improved circulation
- Reduced edema
- Reduced muscle tension and headaches
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Improved oxygenation of soft tissues and muscles
- Better sleep
Source: "americanpregnancy.org"