Stressed and Overworked? Revitalise Your Spirit with Reflexology
Are you feeling stressed and overworked? Has everything become too much? Do you exist in a permanent state of tension where everything makes you feel worse? You’re not alone.
Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life and many of us carry the burden of stress with us throughout our daily lives. Whether it’s job-related stress or stresses related to family life, finances or relationships, ongoing stress can have drastic negative effects on our bodies and overall wellbeing. Left unchecked, stress and anxiety can cause bodily imbalances, affect sleep, sap energy levels and even become the root cause of some pretty nasty illnesses. That’s also not to mention the negative impact stress can have on our relationships, work life and overall enjoyment of life.
But don’t despair. Stress may be unavoidable, but it is certainly manageable — and that’s where reflexology comes in. In this post, we break down how to fight stress and revitalise your senses through reflexology massage, so that you can get that spring back into your step.
What Is Reflexology?
Have you ever noticed how intimately connected your emotions and body are? Butterflies in your stomach when you're excited; sweating palms when you're nervous; a lump in your throat when you’re sad — we’ve probably all experienced these things without thinking too much of them. But what these physical manifestations show is how much our bodies register and represent our emotional states.
Reflexology is a holistic massage therapy that uses this connection between mind and body to heal both body through targeted pressure and release. Focusing on different reflex points in the feet, hands, ears and legs, reflexologists stimulate and soothe pressure points to re-adjust and rebalance your body. Think of it as a connect-the-dots game for the body, during which seemingly unconnected points in the body are targeted to reveal and improve the bigger picture of your problem. For example, a massage therapist may stimulate the blood vessels in the feet to improve blood flow and circulation, which will boost the synapses in the brain and increase concentration, joining up the dots from the feet to the brain!
What Are the Benefits of Reflexology?
Reflexology has many amazing health benefits that can help to improve your life and general wellbeing. First and foremost, reflexology is a wonderful and decadent way of reducing stress and easing anxiety, making it the perfect form of massage for those among us who feel overworked and worn down. By targeting pressure points and opening up the neural pathways in your body, reflexology works overtime to induce you into an intoxicating state of total relaxation, calming the mind and reviving the body. Stimulating your nervous system, it floods your body with serotonin — the “feel-good” chemical — to make your fears and worries melt away.
All of those good vibes also help to tackle insomnia by helping you ease into your natural circadian rhythm, as well as increase energy, boost circulation and eliminate toxins from your body to fight depression and anxiety disorders.
Reflexology not only improves your emotional health but your physical health, too. Studies suggest that the stimulating effect of reflexology can help to tackle migraines, urinary tract conditions, hypertension and circulatory problems. If you’re feeling sluggish and you’re carrying a bit too much post-holiday weight, reflexology can work wonders for that too. By aligning the body and stimulating the circulatory systems, muscles and vital organs, reflexology boosts your metabolism and generates energy in the body. Of course, a massage is a much more fun way to drop a few pounds than slogging it out at the gym or signing up to a restrictive diet, right?
Whether you’re suffering from an illness or just feeling a little run down, a reflexology massage may be the key to getting your health and happiness back on track.
What Can I Expect from My First Reflexology Massage?
If you’re heading for your first reflexology massage, you’re in for a treat. Similar to many massages, a reflexology massage with a UK Massage Guide therapist is designed to induce pleasure and relaxation. You can expect the same set-up with essential oils, candlelight and a massage table — and, of course, a gorgeous masseuse.
We recommend speaking to your masseuse before the session to establish what your particular concerns are — do you have chronic pain in your back? Are you struggling with a slow digestive system? Or are you simply looking to relax and unwind? Your massage therapist will use the information from this conversation to tailor your massage experience and tackle any specific areas.
During your massage, your masseuse will use their expert hands to tease out and stimulate the pressure points in your feet, hands, legs and ears. Under her guidance, you will feel completely relaxed, revived and ready to take on the world.