Valentine’s Day is just around the corner; though many people still choose the traditional flowers, chocolates, or schmaltzy cards to express their love and affection, others look for less conventional means of celebrating the day. If you are looking for a way to spend time with your special someone and connect to them in an innovative way, consider a massage.
What is massage?
Massage therapy is the process of stimulating and strengthening soft tissues in the body, thus producing a more relaxed state of mind and body. Massage can also help to manage chronic pain, alleviate stress, and reduce fatigue. Different types of massage can produce different results, so depending on the symptoms that you are looking to treat, you may want to know more about your options:
1. Swedish massage is a more gentle form of massage that helps you to relax. Your massage therapist will use long, sweeping strokes, kneading, and deep circular movements to stimulate soft tissue and increase circulation.
2. Deep tissue massage involves a little more targeted pressure to areas of the body that are inflamed. If you have chronic pain or an injury you are more likely to benefit from this type of stimulation.
3. Sports massage is close in mechanics to deep tissue massage, as it targets specific areas of the body to treat or prevent injury. If you are undergoing physical therapy, your medical practitioner may suggest sports massage to treat your condition.
4. Trigger point massage deals with specific areas of tension held in the body in hopes of releasing excess pressure and stress, helping you to relax.
What about a couples massage?
If you haven’t experienced the benefits of massage, you are missing a critical aspect of self-care that can add to a better quality of life. Here are a few of the many benefits of a couples massage, this Valentine’s Day and beyond:
It can provide a new shared experience for you
Couples who experience new things together are more likely to establish a deeper connection with one another. Each time you jump into something new, you and your partner are able to learn new things about each other, thus finding new things to appreciate about each other and your relationship. A massage is a perfect experience for deepening your connection, promoting relaxation, and establishing more intimacy.
It can increase your affection for one another
Massages relieve muscle tension and stress, but they also do their part to stimulate the release of a hormone called oxytocin in the body, providing you with a feeling of all-over wellness and affection. Oxytocin, also called the “cuddle chemical”, causes you and your partner to feel calmer, happier, and cuddlier than ever before.
It can help relieve family stress
Like oxytocin, the body can also release chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin during a massage. You’ll experience improved mood, feelings of calm well-being, and happiness that can contribute to a happier household.
It allows you to spend more time together
You and your partner are likely running in different directions all day long; with increased pressures at home, with family, and with work, it is not uncommon for partners to miss time with each other on a daily basis. Over time, this absence can lead to misunderstandings, the breakdown of communication, and family stress. A massage allows you to prioritize your relationship–spending time with one another in this manner sends an unspoken yet understood message that you value the other, and you find the relationship important enough to prioritize. Valentine’s Day is just the start; creating a tradition of regular massage appointments will keep the two of you connected and communicating.
It allows you to be present with one another
One major source of stress in relationships is the inability to remain present with one another, and a couples massage can bring you back to the present moment, allowing you to feel and experience emotions and sensations that remind the two of you just what’s important in life. As the tension of the day melts away, you are brought into the present moment to focus on sensations, relaxation, and a feeling of overall wellbeing that makes the rest of the day a bit easier to handle.
Ready to celebrate? Book at Qi Massage & Natural Healing Spa in Winston-Salem today!
At Qi Massage & Natural Healing Spa in Winston-Salem, we attend to all your self-care and wellness needs. Life is stressful, and you and your partner deserve to look and feel your best. Our couples massage occurs at the same time, in the same private room, but on two separate massage tables and performed by two massage therapists. Book your Valentine’s Day couples massage with us today, and get started on the road to better health and wellness.
