Swedish Massage
What is Swedish massage?
For me, Swedish massage is a medium of seeing what is happening in the body, blood flow, muscle tension, etc. It is great for relation of the body and mind for New Yorkers who want a mini-vacation from the stress of the day. It also gets you back into your body, by way of touch, which I beleive we do not get enough of as we get older. Swedish massage is a gentle way to reconnect to the source, which is your self.
Swedish massage helps to lower blood pressure and muscle tension, and increases white blood cells, lymph flow, & flexibility. It makes you feel good. It is great for people who want to unwind, people who want to relax into touch, people with chronic pain, people with medical challenges or discomfort.
It was developed by a Swedish physiologist, Henri Peter Ling at the University of Stockholm in 1812.
Swedish massage employs five different movements:
- long, gliding strokes
- kneading of individual muscles
- friction
- hacking or tapping
- vibration
The therapist generally uses massage oil to facilitate making long, smooth strokes over the body. Swedish massage is done with the person covered by a sheet, a technique called "draping".
Swedish massage is the foundation for other types of Western massage, including sports massage, deep tissue massage and aromatherapy.
Massage Modalities
