The Healing Touch: Inside the Unsuspected Benefits of Massaging Your Body

“Be in your fingers and hands as if your whole being, your whole soul, is there.” – Osho

You have with you, one of the most potent healing tools, namely your hands. Massaging around afflicted areas and still points reduces anxiety and provides quick relief and ease. Ancient healing practices such as Ayurveda (using Mudras, aka yoga of the hands) and TCM (acupressure) consider hands as gateways to health. Emotional freedom technique (EFT) tapping, reflexology, and Reiki are other modalities that focus on the innate healing properties of our hands.

Let it flow

Our body is filled with energies and for a myriad of reasons, those energies may not circulate as fluidly, thus creating blockages within us and dysregulating our harmony. Hands have the amazing ability to unlock and restore the free flow of energies all over the body.

Subsequently, the simple action of applying moisturiser, balm, and oil onto the skin with our bare hands has a genuine positive impact on our overall well-being. It goes beyond the skin, an approach that resonates with SCENTIANA’s philosophy which allies skincare with scents and sensoriality. The human body contains special nerve endings, “sensory receptors” that enable us to feel things. These receptors can be found in the skin (in addition to other parts of our body) and are also responsive to touch and pressure. Fingers contain some of the densest areas of nerve endings in the body, and have more touch receptors than other parts of our body.

Using hands improves brain function and promotes relaxation.

Woman In Bath Robe Applying Body Balm To Legs

Sowing massage, reaping health benefits

Massaging the body is intuitive and not cognitively demanding, thus promoting relaxation. The mind can rest while the hands are gently gliding over the neck, arms and legs. Massage protocols have been proven to increase parasympathetic nervous system activity¹ (the system that helps the body relax and maintain some of the body's functions, such as digestion, heart rate, and breathing).

The notion of pleasure provided by massages shall not be underestimated or overlooked. Pleasure is intimately and innately tied to well-being: it connects us closer to ourselves, to the vessel that is our body, and opens up a wide range of sensations. In a high-tech, globally connected world, it is crucial to find moments that ground us. This type of activity contributes to improving mood, releasing blockages, and relieving us. Multiple studies are currently being conducted on the healing power of touch/massage: some of the published conclusions are incredible, reporting “a significant decrease in their heart rates, with an improvement of the parasympathetic nerve activity and reduction of the sympathetic nerve activity” (the system that activates a flight-of flight and acute stress response). Moreover, a significant anxiety reduction, an increase in relaxation level, and “a willingness to communicate were also noticed.”²

Not only does this act of self-care bring us closer to ourselves, it also organically encourages us to open up to what’s surrounding us.

Using your hands to apply a body product, immersing yourself in this moment with the intention to nourish your skin and mind becomes a transformative action. Magic ensues when you combine bare-hand massages and an oil that is packed with botanical extracts. It is known that topical application of plant oils has various benefits on the skin, from promoting homeostasis, skin barrier repair, wound healing, and anti-inflammatory activity.

Woman Lying In Bath With Sensual Body Oil On Table

5 unexpected ways to use Sensual Body Oil

Our Sensual Body Oil, a skin-conditioning and circulation-boosting powerhouse, was purposefully made to encourage massages. With its silky texture, it glides beautifully on the skin, nourishing it effortlessly while providing a warming and revitalising effect.

The versatility of Sensual Body Oil invites you for more agency over your body. The way you can play with this product is up to you, let its texture and aroma guide towards your needs. Here are some of our suggestions:

  1. As a post-workout treatment to prevent muscle soreness, since the formula contains Arnica which is renowned for pain relief and inflammation reduction.
  2. If you spend too much time in front of a computer screen or you’re prone to bad posture and inclination when browsing your phone, all of which contribute to stiffness and pain, massaging a couple of drops to the back of the neck will do wonders.
  3. When feeling sluggish or low-energy in the morning, allocate yourself a few minutes to lovingly massage your body with it, in gentle, soft motions.
  4. Sensual Body Oil also works impeccably as a midday pick-me-up to alleviate tension and stress. Dab it onto pulse points, such as your inner wrists, and breathe in the wondrous aromatherapeutic blend of Rose, Jasmine, Vanilla, and Neroli.
  5. Last but not least, self-care takes also the form of acts of service. Take a moment to provide a hand or neck massage to a loved one: this is a beautiful way to swiftly improve someone’s well-being, in addition to being a moment of deep human connection and love.

If you feel unexplainably worn out, stressed, or sensitive, consider taking things into your own hands, literally: a gentle self-massage to remind you of your innate strength and magic.

 

¹ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71173-w

² https://scispace.com/pdf/the-effects-measurement-of-hand-massage-by-the-autonomic-587xqpl56k.pdf