Anyone who has ever had one knows that the feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation that you get after a nice, long massage will undoubtedly improve both your best and your worst days. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could start each and every day with a two hour long, full body massage?
Unfortunately, most of us live in the real world where scheduling that amount of “me time” is just not practical.
Fortunately, there is an easy at home method for those of you who would like to benefit from feeling more relaxed and rejuvenated even between massages: yoga.
There are a surprising number of parallels between the benefits of getting a professional massage and those of yoga. To be brief:
- Mentally, both massage and yoga are proven to reduce stress and promote overall well being of the mind in similar ways. During both you are encouraged to enjoy the present moment instead of worrying about the future or dwelling in the past, you are encouraged to mentally check in with how your body is feeling, and you are encouraged to just let it go (whatever “it” is for you).
- Physically, yoga poses stretch out your muscles using your own weight or effort. A masseuse rubs them out for you. Obviously one method is active and the other is passive, but the result is the same.
Obviously there are also some differences:
- Getting a massage is just better. You can absolutely relax and allow your muscles to restore at a deeper level, there is just no substitute for making time for a massage every now and then.
- But, you can’t get a massage at home every day with the simple guidance of a book or YouTube video!
Beginning a home yoga practice is an easy and convenient way to maintain the mental and physical benefits of a massage between appointments with your massage therapist. Even a brief 10-15 minute session practiced a couple of times per week can produce powerful results.
Photo Credit: LocalFitness.com.au
