When you think of a classic massage, you’re actually thinking of a Swedish massage. It is the most commonly practised massage therapy and offers you a wonderful relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Here we cover all you need to know about this type of massage, and explain the Swedish massage benefits. So you can look forward to booking one of your own.
You probably already have a reasonably good idea of what Swedish massage is. That’s because it is the classic and traditional massage that you will have seen in movies and advertising, even if you haven’t experienced it personally.
There are a number of different Swedish massage techniques, but all combine to deliver a delightfully relaxing massage through gentle circular pressure applied by the therapist’s hands (known professionally as ‘friction’). Other Swedish massage techniques include:
- Effleurage – a type of gentle stroking, including long strokes.
- Petrissage – what you think of when muscles are kneaded.
- Vibration – includes light tapping and other techniques which can cause the body to lightly shake or vibrate.
- Hacking – includes the karate-style ‘chops’ you may also associate with massage.
- Aiding pain relief
Swedish massage is incredibly enjoyable. It is restorative, working with the muscles and soft tissues to provide calm and balance, and even have an overall effect on your wellbeing.
The goal of Swedish massage is to improve your circulation and promote relaxation through soothing your muscles. It’s therefore quite different from deep tissue massage or sports massage. The techniques involve soft strokes over areas which are more prone to pain, or without much muscle coverage. Where the muscles are thicker, the pressure is changed and the massage is deeper.
Some other benefits of hot stone massage include:
- Improves circulation
- Easing of muscle pain
- Increased range of movement
- Improving sleep
- Reduction in physical stress
- Releases feel good chemicals
- Aids immunity
- Reduction in emotional stress