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Aromatherapy Massage

Massage therapy is both physically and emotionally beneficial to the body. It is a beautiful way to express caring and help relieve the stress of a loved one. The safe addition of an essential oil blend to massage therapy can enhance your experience.

Qualified massage therapists generally receive hundreds of hours of training before working on the public. Naturally it goes beyond this brief article to provide even a true glimpse at the scope of professional massage therapy. There is so much to know! But we all can share in gentle massage between loved ones by following the below guidelines:

• Do not ever use hard or painful pressure. Hard pressure can feel good, but gentle movements are the safest and most effective in the long term.
  
  
• Don’t ever directly massage on bones, and never massage areas that have been fractured.
  
  
• Don’t massage the abdominal area of anyone with stomach problems or who is pregnant.
  
  
• Don’t massage areas that are infected or injured.
  
  
• Do not ever try to “crack” anyone’s back. Leave this to a qualified professional.
  
  
• Do not massage anyone that has or who may have blood clots. 
  
  
• Be very careful when massaging anyone with special medical or health issues. Those with special medical issues should receive massage from a qualified massage therapist.
  
  
• Never massage undiluted essential oils, absolutes or CO2s into the skin. Instead, make a diluted blend following the guidelines outlined in the recipe shown towards the bottom of this article.

Massage Oil Recipe

• 1 ounce carrier oil such as sweet almond
• 15-30 drops essential oils. Select oils that will compliment the goals of your massage and that are not contraindicated or unsafe to use by the giver or recipient of the massage.  Examples:
  • Stress Blend: 15 drops Clary Sage/10 drops Lemon/5 drops Lavender
  • Aphrodisiac Blend: 15 drops Sandalwood/5 drops Jasmine
  • Sleep Inducing Blend: 15-20 drops Roman Chamomile
  • Sore Muscles Blend: 3 drops Ginger, 2 drops Black Pepper, 5 drops Peppermint, 5 drops Eucalyptus.

Directions: Mix the oils well and store in an airtight, dark glass container. Apply only a small amount (1/2-1 teaspoon) for each massage.

For more information on massage, explore the book The Complete Illustrated Guide to Massage by Stewart Mitchell.

A Word of Caution About Massage Therapists And Aromatherapy

A large percentage of massage therapists still have minimal, if any, training or understanding about holistic aromatherapy. When a massage therapist claims to have aromatherapy knowledge or to use "aromatherapy oils" or "aromatherapy products," ask some serious questions to ensure the massage therapist isn't just all talk.

Quality massage oils and related lubricating products used during massage should be based on a quality blend of nutritive cold pressed vegetable oils and fragranced only with essential oils. Some pleasant smelling "relaxing" or "stress relieving" massage oils include fragrance oils and do not offer the full range of therapeutic benefits that massage oils fragranced with essential oils offer. Essential oils like lavender not only can relax the mind, but lavender essential oil can also sooth the skin. German Chamomile and Helichrysum are both strongly anti-inflammatory. Ginger and other spice oils, when used cautiously in blends can help increase circulation and are good for muscle stiffness. Fragrance oils, on the other hand, are synthetic. Although they have a pleasant aroma, they offer no therapeutic benefit and can go as far as to irritate the skin and cause headaches in some individuals.

Tips on What to Ask a Therapist to Determine His/Her Aromatherapy Knowledge and Quality of His/Her Products:

• Ask the therapist to define aromatherapy and to explain to you what cold pressed vegetable oils and essential oils are.
  
  
• Another way to tell a therapist's knowledge is to ask the therapist for his/her thoughts on the use of candles during sessions and what constitutes an aromatherapy grade candle. Read AromaWeb's Aromatherapy Candles article for enlightening information.
  
  
• Ask for details about the massage oil product(s) the therapist uses and ask to read the ingredient label. Even if a therapist is not interested in promoting aromatherapy as a part of his/her practice, a good therapist should understand the distinction of the different vegetable oils and other lipids used in massage.
  
  
• When you stay at a hotel/resort and want a massage, your choices in therapists might be limited. If avoiding fragrance oils is important to you but you do not have much choice in the therapist working on you, you can try to request an unscented, cold pressed vegetable oil as the oil used during your session.

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