Forget ‘Blue Monday’ get relaxed with a Swedish massage!

Blue Monday……..Have a Swedish Massage to dust away those January blues!

Massage has been a popular treatment for the health of the body and mind for centuries. There are quite a lot of different types of massage however Swedish (the standard type of massage) remains to be the most popular and most widely used out of them all. Swedish massage helps to relax and rejuvenate the body and mind as well as nourishing the skin from the oils used.

Swedish massage was created in 1812 at the University of Stockholm by a Swedish physiologist named Pehr Henrik Ling. Pehr’s influence came from a Chinese friend who was a master of Chinese Tui Na massage. Pehr wanted to create a style of treatment that promoted health by increasing circualtion which would then stimulate the body’s healing abilities. A Dutch practitioner Johan Goerg Mezgar later reduced Ling’s techniques to make the style of Swedish massage we see today. We still use the French names for the strokes that he invented all that time ago.

Swedish massage is by far the most popular massage in Western countries. It can be performed on as many areas of the body as the client wishes, the back is usually the most common area although a lot of people will indulge in a full body massage to really relax. A lovely oil or cream is always used to provide a nice smooth stroke without any friction and essential oils can be used to provide a specific mood.

There are five main techniques used in Swedish massage and each has its own benefits.

Effleurage strokes are long, slow movements used to warm up the muscles. I always use these strokes to start and finish the massage, they are extremely relaxing and instantly put the client at ease.
Petrissage is deeper than the effleurage strokes and is a kneading motion. Rolling and squeezing techniques are used to remove toxins from muscles and aids circulation from deep within the muscle tissues.
Frictions are the deepest of the techniques and are used on a concentrated area to break up any knots found. I love to use this around the shoulders and shoulder blades by using my thumbs to really get in deep.
Tapotement is a method used to relax muscles that are in spasm. There are lots of different tapotement motions including the most commonly used cupping and hacking. I don’t always use this technique as it isn’t as relaxing as some of the others but it is a good one to know.
Vibration is just as it sounds! Shaking movements with the hands can be used to loosen adhered joints and muscles. Again I only use this method if needs be as it isn’t the mist relaxing!

Swedish massage can be very beneficial for the mind as well as body as the soft flowing movements promote relaxation. And we all know this is a must, especially in January! A relaxed mind can help you with stress, fatigue, anxiety and depression, all things that can build up in the busy Christmas period! As well as being relaxing Swedish massage has a lot of physical benefits too, these include relieving muscular stiffness and pain, which can cause some real discomfort and sleepless nights; Improving circulation, which can assist in removing toxins and healing injuries and boosting your immune system!

At Eden Beauty I offer 4 different Swedish massages which range from 30 minutes (£22) to a ultra relaxing 75 minutes (£45). This means that there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be a little selfish, after all its for the good of your health, and you cant put a price on that!  ?