Beware of the sun after a massage

Now that the sunny weather has arrived, there's a reason for caution. Massage oils often contain essential oils, which jave pleasant fragrances and can help you in many different ways.

One thing that many people don't realize is that some essential oils can make the skin very photo-sensitive. This means that after the appliance of these oils, even in a diluted form, you should avoid exposure to the sun, unless you want to risk burns and damage.

The oils in question are the citrus oils. In particular avoid bergamot, but the other citrus oils like lemon and grapefruit can pose a risk as well. Orange oil is possibly safe, but better be careful than sorry and just avoid all citrus oils.

Some sources say to avoid sunlight for 12 hours, others are more cautious and say to avoid direct exposure to the sun for up to three days.

So next time you get a massage, ask the therapist which essential oils are in the massage oil and take precaution thereafter.

Source among others: Aromatherapy for healing the spirit by Gabriel Mojay

Learning Deep Stone

As this article is posted, I'll be on my way to England again to attend the LaStone course Deep Stone. I'm very excited and look forward to gaining new skills and better my massage. I'm certain this will also increase my non-stone massage skills. It'll  be interesting to discover how to use the cold stones properly, so my clients feel even better after a massage.

A quick course description, as written on their site:
This course takes you on a journey into a deep tissue and temperature based treatment system, designed specifically to look at 43 specific muscle groups. This advanced course is for those wishing to extend their stone massage technique and extend their knowledge on geo-thermal therapy. It enables a therapist to offer so much more on their treatment menu and work much more prescriptively with their clients. The first module looks specifically at large muscle groups of the lower body. This allows the therapist time to master the site specific massage techniques. The secret of this course is to cocoon with the warm and work with the cold!!!!

It can only be good! Four days of learning, massage, stones and good company.

Involuntary erections and oxytocin in massages

I've had an overwhelming response to my articles about massage and nudity and a lot of questions about involuntary erections and ejaculations during a massage. It is one of those questions only a very few dare ask openly. To sum up what I've written in my previous posts and answered people who've mailed me.

Erections during massages happen and are quite natural. In most cases the client has no control over it at all. It is pretty easy to tell when an erection is sexually charged and most often the client is more embarrassed than the therapist about what's happening. The same seems to be true for ejaculations and often there's no orgasm involved at all. Women too can experience these things, though rarely is it noticeable.

I've been struggling to find a natural reason why these things happen that goes beyond physical touch, relaxation, erogenous and sensitive areas etc has been ruled out. I've had discussions with readers where I just have to admit that I can't find the reason why an erection or ejaculation happens when it's so strongly against the wishes and desires of the person.

Reading up on the hormone oxytocin I came across some rather interesting information. Oxytocin serves many roles and I'll cover some of these in later articles. What had me remember my reader's questions is that the hormone is closely tied to arousal, erection and ejaculation. It's one of those hormones which peak during sexual activity and orgasm.

Oxytocin is also released during massage and touch when there is trust between the therapist and the client. Paul J. Zak wrote in one of his articles on oxytocin studies: "Adding massage [to an expression of trust] was like putting the human oxytocin system on steroids"

This brings me to my theory is of might what be happening during some of the involuntary erections.
When a person receives a massage and trust exist between the therapist and client, oxytocin is released into the blood. High levels of oxytocin can lead to erections and in some cases ejaculation (the hormone is needed for the contractions during an ejaculation).

If my theory is true it might explain why some people experience these situations and why nothing they try to do seems to make a difference. It might simply be that the oxytocin released because of the massage causes the erection and/or ejaculation. Something that's completely outside the control of either therapist or client.

Not all people experience this of course, which isn't completely odd either. Our brains are wired differently, as are the receptors for the hormone. Some people are insensitive to oxytocin as their receptors can't quite switch off and on. Others might lack production and so on. The research into the area is still new and there's a lot we don't know about the hormone yet. It seems certain though that it's a very important hormone for our wellness and health and that it influences many different aspects of our lives.

To learn more about oxytocin you can start here:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/search/apachesolr_search/oxytocin?keys=trust&x=0&y=0
http://www.moodraiser.com/2007/11/peace-love-and-oxytocin.html
http://blog.timesunion.com/holistichealth/category/oxytocin/

Massage helps dealing with grief and loss

Image via Wikipedia

An article on The Medical News website describes how massage helps bereaved deal with grief and find strength to better deal with the situation.

Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving.

Touch can be very powerful. We all know how much comfort we can gain from a warm hug or just holding hands. Parents especially become aware of the importance of touch when a child is deeply upset or hurt. A squeeze and a magic kiss works wonders.

"Soft tissue massage is gentle, but firm" explains Dr Cronfalk, who carried out the research with colleagues from the Karolinska Institutet. "This activates touch receptors which then release oxytocin, a hormone known for its positive effects on well-being and relaxation."

Oxytocin is also the hormone that bonds mother and baby, and is the hormone which ensures that couples stay together after the rush of falling in love has passed. The stronger bond between two people, the more relaxation and trust, which in return allows for more healing during a massage.

So not only does the hormone released help with relaxation and a general well-being, it also allows the recipient to open up to work through and release the intense emotions they go through.


"All the people we spoke to used the word consolation" says Dr Cronfalk.

"The massages provide physical touch and closeness and helped to diminish the feelings of empty space and loneliness that people felt.

"Study participants also told us that the massages helped them to balance the need to grieve and the need to adapt to life after the loss of their relative."

I think these words speak for themselves.

Consider a massage next time you go through an emotionally stressful time and a feeling of loss. All big changes in our lives bring a sense of loss as we let go of the old and prepare to embrace the new. Massage will most likely aid you in the process and it feels good.