One of the best things about going on vacations especially if you are staying at a nice resort or a well-known hotel is that there is usually a wonderful spa on the premises. There are many benefits you can get from getting a massage, but first, do you know the different massages? Let’s look at the most common massages available to us at pretty much every spa.
First let’s go with the most common, the Swedish massage. If you’ve ever looked at a spa menu, then you would have already seen this type of massage being offered. It’s usually first on the list or on the first page, so it’s hard to miss. This type of massage usually involves a lot of gliding and rubbing. If you tend to be a little ticklish then this is probably your best bet. With the use of massage oils, the gliding techniques will feel very relaxing. Swedish massage techniques tend to be more delicate and make use of soft pressure. If it is your first time to get a full body massage, I suggest you go with this one. It’s simple but effective in helping you unwind. Some other benefits of getting a Swedish massage are, easing aches and pains, and improving circulation.
If you want to try something a little more intense then you might want to try a Shiatsu massage. This type of massage originates from Japan where “shi” means finger and “atsu” means pressure. When you think of a massage, Shiatsu is probably the image that comes to mind. Using fingers, palms, elbows and thumbs to really get in there and relieve those muscles and joints. If you are worried about it being painful, you can always ask your masseuse to be gentler and use less pressure. After getting this kind of massage, you may feel a little sore and that’s totally normal. The soreness should subside within a day or two. It’s probably best to do this after a long day of traveling and not just before boarding a long flight where you’ll be sitting for hours and lifting heavy bags between destinations.
If you are fortunate enough to go to Thailand, you definitely have to try a traditional Thai massage. They usually offer this in spas around the world, but nothing beats a side street massage parlor in Thailand. However, before trying out this massage you must know what to expect. It’s not your usual oil and hands working on your body kind of massage. For this one, you will be fully clothed the whole time. If you are not wearing massage appropriate clothes, they will probably ask you to change into loose pants that you can use for the duration of the massage. This massage involves more stretching and pulling and not much kneading at all. If you’ve ever done yoga, you’ll find that during the massage some of the stretches feel a little yoga-like. The benefits of getting this kind of massage is that it not only will make you feel rejuvenated and energized afterwards, but it can really help your joints and flexibility as well.
Next up, we have the famous Aromatherapy massage. This is just like a regular massage but with the use of essential oils. It is believed that different kinds of oils and their scents have different effects. Aromatherapy will be based on what you want to target. For example, if you want to relax then the first thing we can expect is lavender. If you are getting a massage for pain management or decongesting then eucalyptus or tea-tree might be used, and if you want to feel more energized or invigorated then a choice of citrus scents might be used like, orange, lemon or ylang-ylang. There are two ways to go about this kind of massage therapy. You can have the essential oils included into the massage oil that will be used all over your body, providing you do not have sensitive skin or are allergic to essential oils. If you are unsure about how your skin will react then you can always ask them to use a diffuser instead, so, you still get the smell without having to apply it onto your body. If you are pregnant then you should probably stay away from this kind of massages or make sure to thoroughly check with the spa about the oils they use, since some essential oils are not recommended for pregnant women. Aromatherapy can help relieve stress and anxiety and make us feel good. There’s something nice about inhaling a wonderful scent that helps us ease a little.
Now that you know the different kinds of massages, you can walk into your next spa session a little more comfortably. Knowing what to expect takes away some of the anxiety when trying something new. Massages have many benefits, and it is recommended to have one every three to four weeks or so. Time to schedule those appointments and reap the benefits such as improved immunity function, better sleep, lowering your heart rate, improving circulation, reducing stress and many more.
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