Mood Boosting Benefits of Massage - Yoga Breaks in Spain

During our yoga retreats you’ll be encouraged to take time out for some self care and experience the mood boosting benefits of massage. Today we wanted to share the multitude benefits of massage with you as it’s more than releasing tension & tight knots!

This post has been kindly provided by the wonderful Mel at Soulshine Health in Wiltshire, UK. We absolutely recommend you go visit Mel for an amazing therapeutic treatment if you’re ever in the beautiful Wilts area . Mel specialises in Sports & Holistic Massage, Chinese Cupping, Indian Head Massage & Reiki .

Massage therapy is one of the oldest healing traditions and has been used throughout history to prevent and treat illness and alleviate pain. Archaeological evidence of massage has been found in many ancient civilisations including China, India, Japan, Egypt, Rome and Greece.

Massage therapy is based on our instinct to rub an area that hurts. Touch has a calming effect and brings about slowing of the nervous system. The physiological effects of this include a decrease in heart rate, lowered blood pressure and a slower rate of breathing.

Massage can improve poor sleep patterns and insomnia. Sleep is related to how much activity there is in the nervous system, so this physiological slowing down into “rest-&-digest” mode can actually help you sleep more deeply too. From easing muscle soreness to reducing stress, studies have consistently linked massage with real physical and psychological benefits.

As humans we have two main states of being – “fight-or-flight” and “rest-&-digest”. Our sympathetic nervous system is responsible for stimulating our fight-or-flight response. When we are under stress our bodies can end up in a continuous state of fight-or-flight, this has a negative impact our immune system, resulting in fatigue and burn out. Long-term activation of this physiological stress response and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones is, over time, extremely detrimental to our health.

During massage therapy our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, reducing feelings of stress and bringing us out of fight-or-flight mode and into our calming rest-&-digest state, enabling our body to fully relax and recharge. Massage can help to relieve anxiety, with regular massage significantly reducing symptoms and improving mood. Studies have shown that the positive effects of massage therapy in decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety can be long-lasting.

Massage prompts the release of endorphins, the brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that produce feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Levels of stress hormones, such as adrenalin, cortisol and norepinephrine are also reduced. Studies have shown that massage increases blood flow in areas of the brain associated with mood and stress regulation, with levels of the stress hormone cortisol dropping by around 30% following a massage and levels of feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin increasing by around 30%.

Pain relief is another area that research has most consistently linked to massage. When stimulated, pressure receptors under the skin increase vagal activity. The vagus nerve, a key component of the nervous system, has a role in autonomic functions like heart rate, breathing and digestion. Increased activity in the vagus nerve could, among other benefits, have a meditation like calming effect, which would explain the drop in cortisol and other stress-related symptoms.

In a nutshell, the wonderful benefits of massage therapy: