Using massage for Anxiety
Anxiety is something everyone experiences but few people can call it out when it’s happening. I am not a mental health therapist but I have been in therapy for the majority of my life for a number of mental health issues, including Anxiety. As I get older and find better ways to deal with my anxiety I want to share that with the rest of the world.
When I first started my massage career I was an energy worker that helped people “relax”. As I learned more and more from a D.O and P.T I started to shift my practice. I started to do less and less energy work, guided meditations, and sound healing and more pain management.
As of 2022 my mother was having some orthopedic issues and I could visibly see her anxiety causing a feedback loop with her orthopedic issues. I developed a massage where I could address her orthopedic pain issues while also calming her anxiety.
Tranquil Therapy foundations are in the biopsychosocial model so adding Somatics and the Polyvagal theory really tied everything together. As Ashley learns more in 2023 you can expect to have in person and digital Somatic therapy tailored to your chronic pain needs.
How do I know if I have anxiety?
Although I am not a mental health therapist there are some consistent signs of anxiety. In this particular case anxiety could be manifesting physically in a number of ways. Usually this occurs in subconscious way and the user is unaware that they are doing these things. The following are a few examples of anxiety displayed physically.
- Clenching or grinding your jaw
- Clenching your fist
- Grabbing and holding onto an object like a pen or your clothes like your sleeve
- Hugging yourself or having your arms crossed tightly without realizing it
- Rocking when in a worried state you can’t break away from
Please talk with a professional before coming to any conclusions. As stated before everyone has anxiety but there are anxiety disorders that need a mental health professional. These professionals will be able to help with cognitive behavioral therapy and much more. If you are having a hard time finding a therapist please reach out or try “Open Path“.
How can massage for anxiety benefit you?
Tranquil Therapy is offering a 90 minute full body massage complete with singing bowls, bells, and chimes called Integrative Zen.
Ashley uses these tools as she was trained in 2012 to complement a slow moving, deep pressure, myofascial massage. Your mind will focus on the sounds or guided mediation as Ashley massages the body. Focusing on relieving pain through technique, breathing, and easing anxiety that may hold you in a chronic pain cycle.
The goal is to have a relaxing session and to not even notice the clinical massage aspects. The Mayo Clinic has this nice article about the benefits of massage for Anxiety and Depression. There is more to this session that just a physical change. The hope is that this treatment will facilitate long lasting physiological change in systems you may be unaware of.
Ashley loves to solve puzzles and her favorite is the puzzle of our mind – body – spirit connection. This massage is packed with somatic exercises you can use at home as well as things unique to you and your situation. This varies from strength training exercises, somatic exercises, mindset changes, and information regarding new research in pain science.