Our society views alternative healing as a luxury, but our ancient civilizations healed themselves with methods people now view as superfluous or indulgent. New scientific research, along with personal testimonials about the efficacy of modalities such as massage, cranial sacral therapy, acupuncture, frequency, sound therapy and yoga, show that such “luxuries” can be an important way to experience complete healing. We, as patients and care providers, now have more tools to manage a thorough whole-body regimen for the improvement of our health and well-being.
As our stress increases in our environment and our daily lives, so do mental health related symptoms such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress syndrome. These diagnoses lead patients to seek outside support through psychotherapy, counseling or alternative modalities. From my experience as a massage therapist, my clients come to me for physical and stress relief rehabilitation for their body. Many times the massage session is sufficient, but other times during the session the client begins to release deeper emotions, memories, patterns and thoughts which creates the need for greater support. When additional support is needed, the integration of mental health and alternative healing arts modalities should be considered.
As our stress increases in our environment and our daily lives, so do mental health related symptoms such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress syndrome. These diagnoses lead patients to seek outside support through psychotherapy, counseling or alternative modalities. From my experience as a massage therapist, my clients come to me for physical and stress relief rehabilitation for their body. Many times the massage session is sufficient, but other times during the session the client begins to release deeper emotions, memories, patterns and thoughts which creates the need for greater support. When additional support is needed, the integration of mental health and alternative healing arts modalities should be considered.
We have all heard the phrases “depression hurts” or “I am so anxious, I can’t breathe.” It's interesting that even in our language, the mind and body are one. We must consider that our bodies are in motion, with muscles and connective tissue supported by deeper circuits of energy connected to our organs, glands, vessels and trillions of cells; all of which are exposed and affected by outside factors that cause stress. Our brain is the maestro of such orchestration, it manufactures serotonin, a neuro-chemical, to relay signals from one part of the brain to another. And although its main functions are in the brain, up to 90% of our serotonin supply is found within our digestive track and blood. Basically, this means that when our body is exposed to stress, hormones like cortisol increase and the body begins to compromise systems and functions. When this happens, we find ourselves in a negative loop and disease can occur--cortisol levels spike and our inflammatory process increases as intracellular and extracellular communication is compromised.
Our body changes with stress, whether it is from the lack of movement, excessive movement, trauma or imbalance. Massage therapy, yoga, and alternative bodywork modalities assist not only in relaxation and alleviation of stress, but more importantly influencing circulation, releasing toxins from the body and supporting the body to find balance. Additionally, the biochemical effects of massage have also been known to produce beneficial levels of hormones and neurotransmitters in the human body. The Touch Research Institutes conducted a study on the stress-alleviating effects (evidenced by decreased cortisol) and the activating effects (evidenced by increased serotonin and dopamine) of massage on a variety of medical conditions and stressful experiences. It was their finding that “Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy.”
When the body is relieved of stress and inflammation by incorporating massage and alternative modalities into a healing regimen, the body is allowed to heal itself. The key factor is for us to create an environment to do what our body is innately designed to do. Finding alternative healing modalities to support mental and physical health is no longer a “luxury,” but an opportunity to heal.
Our body changes with stress, whether it is from the lack of movement, excessive movement, trauma or imbalance. Massage therapy, yoga, and alternative bodywork modalities assist not only in relaxation and alleviation of stress, but more importantly influencing circulation, releasing toxins from the body and supporting the body to find balance. Additionally, the biochemical effects of massage have also been known to produce beneficial levels of hormones and neurotransmitters in the human body. The Touch Research Institutes conducted a study on the stress-alleviating effects (evidenced by decreased cortisol) and the activating effects (evidenced by increased serotonin and dopamine) of massage on a variety of medical conditions and stressful experiences. It was their finding that “Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy.”
When the body is relieved of stress and inflammation by incorporating massage and alternative modalities into a healing regimen, the body is allowed to heal itself. The key factor is for us to create an environment to do what our body is innately designed to do. Finding alternative healing modalities to support mental and physical health is no longer a “luxury,” but an opportunity to heal.
 Ally Sanchez has been a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) and life coach for 8 years. She has experienced her clients miraculous healing over these years. For more information, visit massagecircle.com |
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