It’s a very rare person who doesn’t complain of stress and anxiety. Everybody has their own reasons, but the result is the same – an excess of anxiety compromises our mental and physical health, and limits our ability to enjoy the good things in our lives.

Happily, there are as many ways to reduce stress and anxiety as there are reasons to feel stressed. Massage therapy is a great tool for easing our nervous systems and restoring balance to busy, complex lives.

Reducing muscular tension is of course a primary goal of massage therapy. This is not only for the direct benefit of the muscle tissue itself, but because when muscles relax, the stress response is interrupted. We have a body-mind, inextricably entwined – the body and mind aren’t the neatly separate things we may often imagine. Relaxing at the physical level helps to calm the emotions and mental processes. That’s because we can’t be led simultaneously by the sympathetic nervous system (the body’s “fight or flight” state) and the parasympathetic (the “rest and digest” response as we relax). Even the most dedicated and best-practiced stress response won’t stay in the lead for long once our muscles start to relax in the hands of a practitioner we trust.

Massage can also help to address the physical effects and manifestations of stress and anxiety. I’ve relieved many headaches, painfully tight muscles, and digestive issues, and plenty of insomnia sufferers have gotten a head start catching up on their sleep while still on my table!

With regular massage sessions you may also get relief from nagging aches and pains, because the body has an opportunity to release the tension that causes ineffective movement patterns. Many people experience a vicious cycle of mental and emotional stress, tight muscles, poor movement, increased physical stress on muscles and joints, and physical pain that leads to more stress. Massage helps reverse this for many clients. An hour’s relaxation leading to pain relief gives an opportunity to move more effectively – the body-mind can re-examine its habits, and remember how to function in the world with greater comfort and ease. The knowledge that you have a regular resource to tap into, someone whose work can help you get back on track when feeling good becomes challenging, also fosters a sense of optimism and trust. Daily life certainly presents difficulties, but it also offers opportunities to restore ourselves…and we don’t have to go it alone!