Is Massage Therapy an Extravagance? Or is it a Necessity?

Massage is probably one of the oldest healing arts around. It's been traced back over 3000 years in India as a shamanic healing practice in the form of what's now called "East Indian Head Massage." That being said, today, we all hear a lot about cutting back and eliminating "extras", but before you cut our your bi-weekly massage, I would like to offer you some food for thought.

Stress, likely the number one killer in our society today, has been linked to nearly every disease known to man. No matter what direction we look in, we can see the ravages of stress in our own lives and in the lives of those that we care about. Stress has been linked to heart disease, cancer, depression and the list goes on.

Massage Therapy has been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of stress in many ways; by lowering hormones like cortisol (known as the death hormone), by activating the parasympathetic system, by lowering blood pressure, and by raising other hormones associated with pleasure.

Could anyone experience more stress on a daily basis than what our culture is going through at this very moment? Do you suppose that watching the evening news might be escalating our stress levels?

What I find interesting about the current situation is that my clients fall into two basic groups.

Group 1: These people feel that they need to continue their massage because their lives have become more complex. They feel that an ounce of prevention is worth more than the 10 pounds of cure. This group, overall, appears to be managing their stress in a balanced way, which also demonstrates in other areas of their lives.

Group 2: These people feel that they must discontinue (or decrease) their massage because their lives have become more complex. They feel a pervading sense of fear, and they no longer have the tools with which to cope. Over time, I see this group turning to other less healthy mechanisms such as drugs, alcohol, or just vegging in front of the TV. The cost of this course of action remains to be seen, but I would venture to guess that the cost of the damage done to one's self out of fear far outweighs the cost of prevention.

Both groups are using the same rationale to make completely different decisions. My point in the comparison here is that a proactive, healthy and preventative solution is always more effective than a reactive, fear-based avoidance tactic. I harken back to the old saying by Winston Churchill, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself!"

So, if you are trying to justify your massage habit, I hope I have given you a little something to think about. There are many other ways to cut expenses. But, YOU are the only you that you will ever have. Take good care of yourself and you will come out the other side of this situation stronger, healthier and a great deal calmer.

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