MASSAGE AND THE SENSES
Gill Tree, Director of Essentials for Health
Smell
A penetrating aroma cultivates all the senses. It can titillate the taste buds and acts as an anchor for memory. The memory centre plays a vital role in the emotional response.
w Have clean, pure air (use ionisers or a humidifier)
w Place herb pillows under the client’s head
MASSAGE AND THE SENSES
w Have cut flowers to bring invigorating energy and perfume to the room. (Clear glass vases in curved shapes add tranquil chi energy)
w Use essential oils in an oil burner
Sound
Pleasing sounds encourage relaxation and are an important link with nature. Sounds vibrate the air, stimulating the flow of chi energy.
w Play music that incorporates the natural sound of birds, leaves rustling, babbling brooks, waves, etc.
w Music is very therapeutic, but silence too is important for physical and emotional health
w Have healing sounds playing, such as an indoor waterfall and wind chimes
Sight
Clear natural light from the sun raises our spirits and encourages health and well being through the pineal gland. Light is energy in its truest form.
Light and colour create mood and atmosphere. Combined, they have the ability to dazzle or enhance, dim or brighten.
w To increase light, have silky textured wall paper or vinyl silk paint, glass top tables and mirrors, crystals, candles (placed in water), etc.
w Have full spectrum day light bulbs
MASSAGE AND THE SENSES
w Try receiving a massage in a sun bathed and warmed room and see how delicious it feels!
Colour affects us emotionally, physically and spiritually and stimulates our senses by encouraging relaxation or activity.
Choose the colour of your treatment room, towels and accessories with care. Get your clients to think of a colour. Each colour has certain characteristics:
w Blue: Harmony, Peace
w Violet: Royal, Sensitivity
w Red: Warmth, Vitality
w Orange: Invigorating, Warmth
w Yellow: Joyful, Uplifting
w Green: Nature, Hope
Taste
The energy of the five senses should be in harmony including taste.
Give your client a herbal tea or Aqua Libra during your consultation and after the massage.
MASSAGE AND THE SENSES
Touch
Quality touch is important for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. To enhance the touch of your hand, have warmed fluffy towels and an electric blanket or Hydrotherm. Use blankets to create a sense of weight and reassurance over the body.
Nature
Time spent in nature is also a natural way to soothe and heal the mind, and you can bring nature into the treatment room with fresh cut flowers, natural sunlight and the sounds of birds and water.
Alternatively, get your client to simply imagine:
“Walking barefoot through grass, feeling the coolness and moisture of the morning dew, stopping by a babbling brook, dipping you toe in and listening to the voice of nature. Allow the light and warmth of the sun to permeate you. Breathe in the pure clean air. Imagine night is falling and gaze at the myriad of stars allowing the cosmos to fill your awareness.”
Essentials for Health
Essentials for Health, School of Massage, Aromatherapy and Sports Massage based in Central London, was established in 1992 and is now one of the most reputable and innovative schools in the U.K.
The School offers an exceptionally high standard of tuition designed to equip the aspiring Therapist with a broad range of skills. They hold a broad range of courses including professional diplomas in Holistic Massage, Aromatherapy and Sports Massage; Infant Massage Instructors Certificate and a variety of Masterclasses for qualified therapists.
For further information please visit their website atwww.essentialsforhealth.co.uk or call on 0845 1080088
Essentials for Health
11-15 High Street, Marlow, Bucks. SL7 1AU
Tel: 0845 1080088
Fax: 0845 1080527
enquiries@essentialsforhealth.co.uk