Massage and Sabertooth Tigers
I am so stressed out!! Sound familiar?
Stress is a part of life. It can actually be good in short term bursts. What matters is how we experience stress and then how we manage it.
Our minds are still wired like our stone age ancestors. While our modern lives may not include being pursued by sabertooth tigers anymore; work deadlines, relationship problems, financial issues, or uncertainty in the world still trigger the same fear response.
Just like our cavepeople ancestors, when we feel threatened our bodies prepare to “fight or flight” in response. Our breathing increases, blood pressure rises and muscles tense as we assess ways to survive an attack.
We feel stress in our bodies as aches, pains, exhaustion, dizziness, headaches, muscle and jaw tension, sleep problems…the list goes on.
If we are constantly feeling threatened, stress becomes chronic and opens the door to long term physical and mental issues.
Chronic stress has been linked to
- High blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Psoriasis
- Weight loss/gain
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Ulcers
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic Attacks
Ok. We got it. Now what can we do about it? The answer is unsurprisingly..well, stress relief. Find a way to break the chronic cycle before it manifests as a physical/mental disorder. There are many ways to seek stress relief but they all start with feeling good physically.
Exercise, yoga, meditation, nature walks, eating right, connecting socially all have their place in the stress relief line up. And so does massage.
Here’s how massage helps with relief and relaxation:
- Relieves muscle tension
- Improves circulation/lowers blood pressure
- Reduces anxiety/Boosts mood
- Increases body awareness
- Helps mental clarity
- Improves sleep quality
- Enhances a sense of well being.
From energy techniques to deep tissue, regular massage can be a powerful tool in your self care routine for your overall health and well being.
So the next time you feel stressed out, consider coming to a safe, quiet, welcoming, and experienced massage therapist for an antidote for the saber tooth tigers of our modern world.