What if the secret to good health and well-being lies not in medication or surgery, but in your hands that have healing power? Touch represents the basis of all forms of massage and bodywork. Being a holistic therapy, touch creates a natural healing process that connects body, mind, and spirit. It may be the oldest form of healing, even perhaps the most powerful way of giving and receiving love, care, and comfort. All of us, every human being, even the animal world, has an innate wisdom of healing power that can be activated by touch or massage movement and the body can heal itself, if given the opportunity. Prior to the 19th century, massage therapy was used for many medical conditions, such as anemia, neuritis, laryngitis, bronchitis, colds, constipation, heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, fractures, fibromyalgia, digestive disorders. multiple sclerosis, and much more. Today, we witness a resurgence of interest in massage therapy for various medial complaints and rehabilitation. At last massage therapy is gaining a better reputation because of proven and realistic benefits, extensive research and increased professionalization. Such research has indicated, overwhelmingly, that the health benefits of massage therapy and bodywork are many and varied and continue to be widely acknowledged due to ongoing research. All of our eleven body systems can benefit in some way or other, some more than others. While bodywork is not intended as a substitute for conventional medical care, properly trained and certified body workers can play an important adjunctive role in the treatment of a number of disease conditions, as well as restoring structural balance, which can improve respiration and enhance muscle tension and promote relaxation is well known and recognized by conventional and holistic practitioners alike, as well as increasing numbers of the general public. Therapeutic massage offers a broad range of scientifically validated benefits. These include relief for muscle pain and spasms, spinal curvatures such as scoliosis and lordosis, pain due to injury or stress, headache, whiplash, tension-related respiratory condition (including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema), cardiovascular conditions, and temperomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). Massage has also been effective for correcting body posture and relieving musculoskeletal disorders, improving range of motion, eliminating toxins from the body, and reducing swelling. It can reduce swelling caused by fractures, increase blood circulation, aid in relieving constipation and promote overall elimination, and can help reduce scar tissue and adhesions. Sinus and lung congestion can have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Anxiety and depression, even due to chronic fatigue syndrome can be helped. Furthermore, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia can benefit from massage.

Massage is one of the most rewarding paths into deep relaxation, increased self-awareness, and overall well-feeling of calm, tranquility, and peace. It provides you with a comforting feeling of being taken care of. Touch is a deeply needed sensation. We all need it. Be it a gentle touch on your shoulder, a hug, or a kiss on the cheek, the body will respond immediately. Touch is the champion of senses, whether it is for pain or pleasure. Life regularly bombards us with daily chatter, noise, and interference. If we cannot escape this situation, our body starts to react and stress builds up. So, touch or some massage therapy techniques are an ideal solution, or even an effective remedy to distress and unwind. Now, while on the massage table, you know you need to relax and let go. Your self-awareness will help you to achieve that far-reaching state of quietness. Well, that is better said than done. OK, you try to start relaxing, you try to shut out your other world, but gradually and surely you experience that soft increased feeling of tension relief. The cramped-up muscles, the bottled-up nerves, the tight and restricted joints are slowly softening and melting away all over. All troubles, pains, discomforts seem to have dissipated. You feel at ease, unbothered, undisturbed.
All tension gone away. Your mind seemingly drifting away. You feel almost normal again. Your entire body feels re-energized by those gentle yet effective massage strokes that are so restoring, reanimating, and gratifying. The gentle hands slide along the flat, still sensitive muscles on either side of the spine, loosening up your neck, then sliding down which lets you feel good in your skin again. Now and then, you doze off into a wonderful and different world of peace. You lie there in exquisite detachment while the soft music plays on and you wonder whether this could be heaven forever.

Now that you learnt what a truly experienced massage therapy session can achieve, do you really want to come back from that other world experience? Unfortunately, life has to go on here. How does one feel after such an experience? The results can be very positive. Your mind and body feel and work differently, the way every system in your body should function optimally. Pain, discomfort, and restrictions will be gone. The physiological and psychological effects of massage are indeed many.
Massage and bodywork are available everywhere today. More people start to realize that these ancient-long therapies can indeed be very effective and help a range of people whether suffering from simple or more complicated conditions, when administered by true professionally-trained and skilled, serious-minded therapists. By performing massage as a holistic approach that integrates all aspects of body, mind, emotions, and spirit, there are greatly increased therapeutic benefits. Traditionally, the medical community has not embraced this holistic approach, and as a result, it became clear that there is a need to be creative and even artistic in one's approach which should also integrate Eastern and Western though that addresses the energy systems of the body as well as the physiological body.