A ‘Self-Massage’ technique January 28, 2009

A tip to a simple technique which you can apply to yourself in this tensed society in Singapore. You may wish to try it at home or in the office:

• Tensing muscles and Relaxing - You can begin by focusing on your breathing. It will be optimal to do this by either being laid down comfortably on a declining chair posture or on the bed. With every breathe that you take in, do become aware of how your body feels. Where is the tension? On each exhalation, let go of that tension. This technique is accompanied by involving the tensing of muscles and relaxing of it. Do this is phases of different parts of your body. Begin from the top of the neck and slowly proceed on to the bottom of your feet. Tense your various muscle  parts for 10 seconds and then let go slowly…slowly. Then give yourself 15 to 20 seconds to relax and just notice how the muscles feel when you let go and relax.  There are some examples of areas to tense and relax: clench your fist, tighten your upper arm by showing your biceps, tense your forehead, raise your eyebrows, clench your eyelids shut, press your shoulders back, shrug your shoulders, pull in your stomach muscles, slightly arch your back, tighten your buttocks, curl your toes. Notice the difference between tensing the muscle and then letting it go.

Top 7 Reasons you need a massage January 12, 2009

These are the top 7 reasons and scenarios you need a massage:

1. An injury and you wish to speed up the recovery (Sports massage is ideal!)
2. You have been working far too hard (To rest and relax means to go on a further journey ahead)
3. Feeling bored and absolutely ran out of ideas (Have you heard of massage-exchange?)
4. When you are frustrated and vexed (A soothing environment coupled with a massage can calm you down)
5. Want to do a sideline as a masseuse (How else better to pick up from the experts than to experience it)
6. Need to show your love through touch (Massage is definitely a good way to present it!)
7. A time when you just want to pamper yourself (Reward your body and mind)

During a Massage…you should… January 8, 2009

Massage is seen an effective manner to de-stress as it promotes muscle relaxation and a great amount of tension release. It is a chance to unwind oneself in the midst of heavy load on the pressured body and mind.

Here are some of the Do’s and Don’ts during your massage therapy:

Do’s

•Schedule your appointment in advance. It is so that you will end up with lesser hassle of waiting and be better off than disappointment when your preferred therapist is engaged. Do be considerate by showing up or at least dialing in to inform them of any last minute changes as a form of courtesy.

• Be ahead of time. This will then give you some time to relax prior to your session…arriving earlier will also prevent you from scurrying for your appointment adding to the displeasure. Moreover, there are many facilities to enjoy at the spa centre. So grab the opportunity to do so!

• Do drink a lot of water before and after engaging in these therapies. Massage is known to release unhealthy toxins and drinking plenty of water helps a lot in flushing them out.

•We are living in a world of mobile phones. Switch it off. It is time for you to relax and forget about your business appointments, put yourself in a state of total relaxation and you can imagine yourself in a land where only you and your therapist is…relax…relax…take the world off for a few moment.

• Did you bring your briefcase along with you? Leave it in the office or home before coming for the massage session. You would want to bring in a mind of calmness and not leave with your chunk of papers in a bag right?

• Discuss with your therapist any concerns and preferences that you may have about the session. Share with your therapist what do you like most? The part that she massages and the methods you like.

• Toilet break. Do you intend to go to the toilet halfway through your session relaxing? Go to the loo first and you can enjoy the whole massage session without breaking the momentum of the whole process.

• Frankly speaking, a masseuse will feel more appreciated when she is being tipped. It gives a sense of satisfaction too when she knows you feel good enough to tip her. The next time when you come back for massage, she might even throw in an additional surprise of 10 minutes!