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Aromatherapy
Massage Provides Dual Benefit
There is nothing more relaxing than a good
massage and there is no harm in smelling good when it is
finished. An aromatherapy massage can help work the kinks out
or your muscles while applying additional benefits of essential
oils, known for their healing powers. What you hope to
accomplish will determine the type of oils used, as different
oils deliver different results.
Everyone feels good after a massage, with
most therapists using a moisturizing oil to keep their hands
flowing smoothly across the muscles. With an aromatherapy
massage essential oils are mixed with carrier oil in order to
apply the oils evenly throughout the treatment. An aromatherapy
massage can be enjoyed by athletes, weight lifters or anyone
else seeking to have the stress worked out of their
muscles.
Since a massage can help relax tense muscles
and certain aromas are known to provide certain psychological
benefits, it is only natural that combining aromatherapy with
massage will double the benefit. While working on sore and
overused muscles, the scent of oils can also induce mental
relaxation into a person’s system.
Massage Can Help Entire
Body
An aromatherapy massage can stimulate blood
circulation improving the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the
body as well as having a calming effect, essentially reducing
the body’s stress level. By using scented oils the aroma can
also produce other desired effects, such as muscle relaxation
if ginger is used, or in easing muscle pain with the use of
peppermint
oil.
When receiving an aromatherapy massage some
of the essential oils will be absorbed by the skin and may make
their way into the blood stream providing specific benefits.
The scent of the oils will also be inhaled during the massage,
allowing the fragrance to work into the blood stream by
traveling through nasal passages into the lungs. Science has
yet to determine how much of the oils make their way into the
blood stream, yet it has been acknowledged that the benefits of
an aromatherapy massage are evident in relaxation of muscle
tension.
Sports specialists have long acknowledged the
benefits of massage in sports training for athletes. By working
the muscles they can prevent many of the injuries of which
athletes are prone and even help prevent cramping. Many
times oil is used during the massage but due to slow acceptance
in the sports world aromatic oils are usually left out of the
locker room.
Aromatherapy Treatment for Physical and
Emotional Well Being
Aromatherapy has been used for centuries in
one form or another, to treat a host of mental and physical
ailments. In the early 1900’s, a French chemist named
Rene-Maurice Gattefosse discovered the healing elements in the
essential oils that are found in some plants, and coined the
term “aromatherapy.”
Since that time, aromatherapy has become big
business, and qualified aromatherapists are easy to find to
assist you with your aromatherapy treatment. You can either
choose this route for your aromatherapy, or you can purchase
the oils through a health food store, pharmacy or over the
Internet and use the oils at home regularly for maximum
benefit.
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