The power of touch is recognised by all cultures as one of nature’s best healing methods. So on day 6 of my 10-day Wellness Challenge, I want to tell you about massage therapy. The benefits are endless…
Babies need touch almost as much as they need mother’s milk and as we grow older, touch and human contact becomes less abundant, and for some people, it is entirely possible to go through week after week without touching another single human being. Sad but true.
Massage is therefore a huge component of the wellness philosophy and healing methods used at the Six Senses Destination Spa. Incorporating the traditions of four healing cultures: Thai; Indonesian; Indian and Chinese, the Six Senses Spa has harnessed the very best of massage therapies from each of these regions and offers it as part of the daily (in fact, most guests receive 2 massages per day!) wellbeing ritual.
Having now tried everything from each region’s specialty, I can say without hesitation that there is nothing quite as immediately soothing or exceptionally healing as a regular professional massage.
Add to this international menu and the vast array of specialist guest therapists and you have no excuse not to take up this brilliant therapy to heal your body and soothe stressed out nerves.
One of the most beneficial and transformative massage therapies I have ever experienced is Neuromuscular Therapy and Structural Alignment. This mother of all deep tissue massages is the specialty of Kris Matela, who is a visiting therapist from Florida.
This soft tissue manipulation technique balances the central nervous system within the structure of your musculoskeletal system. This is no rub down with essential oils. During the treatment, trigger points were manipulated to establish where the pain was originating from and then worked on with vigour until the injured tissues are restored and lymphatic flow is improved.
The upshot for me was a huge improvement in my nearly constant neck and shoulder pain, improved range of motion in my neck and better posture. When I return, I am definitely going to find a massage therapist to visit regularly. I can see that it’s as important as regular exercise in transforming the body from tense and tortured, to supple and relaxed.
To find out more about Kris Matela, go to his website.
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