Holistic Massage Types

There are clear benefits to the practice of holistic massage, and overall, getting health benefits from a massage is a nice, easy way to improve health. Visiting a massage therapist regularly can help lower stress in your life, can help you function better at work, and can help respiratory problems. Having regular massages can also decrease tension and increase the white blood cell count in the body, which helps the immune system. Special massage oils can help with these benefits as well, by introducing helpful herbs and oils into the skin, making it firmer and more elastic. There are so many benefits to massage therapy that it is almost a disservice to yourself not to get one or a hundred. So many people feel better and more relaxed after a massage. This is why massages are such a huge part of most spa treatments. In some instances, massage therapy was noted to help calm and lessen the pain of cancer patients, help autistic children have less outbreaks, aide grieving individuals cope with their losses, help surgery patients heal faster, and help premature infants gain weight quicker.

All of the different types of holistic massage are designed to produce different results. The main function of a massage is to help the blood circulate faster, but the difference in how it is done will yield different health benefits. The most common forms of massage are: aromatherapy massage, reflexology, oriental massage therapies, relaxation massage, remedial massage and sports massage. The aromatherapy massage heals the body with different smelling massage oils. Reflexology is when foot pressure triggers other areas of the body, making them feel better. There are many different types of oriental massage therapy, some of which are: hot stone massage, Shiatsu and acupressure massages. Relaxation massage focuses on making the body as relaxed as possible, remedial massage kneads the tissues in the body that have been weakened by something, making them stronger, and a sports massage is designed to help an athlete perform better.

The health benefits that come from the holistic massage are amazing. There are so many problems that can be aided by regular massage therapy sessions. It is really neat to see how many different massage therapies there are and what they can do for the body. Massage is an integral part of holistic healing.

Traditional Healing in Modern Medicine

You've heard that it's takes a village to raise a child, but Dr. Mehl-Madrona believes that it often takes a community to heal someone who is ill. The indigenous ways have much to teach us. In his books and this interview he tells us stories that he's told to his patients to help in their healing process. These stories give us universal wisdom and strength.

• Discover how to use the community to help your friends and family heal
• See how to integrate contemporary medicine with traditional healing
• Learn the traditional meaning of the Four Directions
• See how you can use stories to enhance the healing process
• Discover the hidden meaning of the Native American Medicine Wheel
• Be Inspired to live in harmony with the seasons and nature
• Learn about the real meaning of “success” in healing
• Explore how to use our ancestors’ spirits in healing and story
• Find out what the benefits of ceremony can be in your life
• Learn to create your own ceremonies for daily living
• See how the Ravens Beak story relates to modern health issues

Lewis Mehl-Madrona holds an M.D. from Stanford University and has been a practicing doctor for over 20 years. An experienced healer who has led many Native American healing ceremonies, Dr. Mehl-Madrona has also headed traditional medical clinics, helping AIDS and cancer patients as well as researching the benefits of relaxation techniques to aid in the natural correction of breech positioned babies. He is currently an Associate Professor of Family Practice at the University Of Hawaii School Of Medicine. He has been studying and working in the field of Native American and indigenous healing for many years.