Get a massage!
Hello Julia again….
Ever noticed how stress creeps up on you? At first it’s nothing but then all of a sudden you’re not sleeping and things snowball out of control! It seems never ending - but do you take action to do something about it?
Let me tell you from recent personal experience don’t ever, ever put off doing something about your stress levels! I have had a rather stressful week. Little sleep added to the mounting nightmare then to top it all off I missed a flight to Sydney for an important conference (big oops and massive stress!).
It was Friday night and I had 20 minutes before I had to meet friends for dinner in Gouger Street. I was at the Central Markets so it made sense to get a massage from one of the many little places there.
I got a neck and shoulder massage and OH MY ….! It was (and I don’t say this lightly) better than Haighs chocolate! My left shoulder had tightened up so much it was causing a massive headache and I felt like my shoulders were around my ears! But after that simple 20 minutes on my neck and shoulders it was as if a world of pain and stress just melted away and I could see clearly, think clearly and just felt HUMAN again!
As a Remedial Massage Therapist I could talk for pages about the HUGE rang of benefits of massage but really when it comes down to it, it makes you feel good! And when you feel good that spreads to everyone around you!
The endorphins you get from massage are the same as when you exercise; not to mention the toning and toxin removing and a myriad of other health benefits. And there are so many types of massage out there for all types of price ranges!
Go to the Central Markets or any of the Westfield shopping centres and get one of the Chinese massage quick fixes! The only problem with that type of massage is it’s a one size fits all type approach - and it can be quite painful if you haven’t had a massage in a while.
Then there are day spa’s. They are awesome when combined with a facial or a pedicure but you pay for the ambiance and the products so it tends to be a once off or special occasion. Not to mention that the beauty therapists aren’t often trained extensively in massage, so it tends to be a light, fluffy ‘put you to sleep’ kind (which means you may miss out on the therapeutic experience but the perk is you might catch up on missing sleep!).
The dream person to find is a massage therapist who is in between. The benefit of these people is that they are mid priced and they get to know you and your body.
They will tailor the massage to just what you need and want which can change each time you get a massage, due to a number of different reasons.
The massage is more than just removing the knots from your body - or at least it’s more than that for me as a client on the table. It’s a chance to “let go” both emotionally and physically in a safe, warm place.
This advice is not just for mothers but fathers as well! You both need to be on the same page to be able to communicate well as partners and parents!
Bottom line - Get a massage! It makes you feel so good! Get them regularly as it helps to keep that good feeling lasting longer in the body. Speaking professionally, a lot of people wait until they are in pain before getting a massage and it takes so much more time to undo that damage than if you get a regular massage before there is a problem. Besides, prevention of stress and pain is always better than cure!
Julia Fry
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monsoon massage & infant massage centre owner
certified infant massage instructor
trainee doula
secretary of Future Families Inc
040 77 24 628
www.monsoonmassage.com.au
