By Ian Chow, Certified Massage Therapist / Infant Massage Instructor / Oncology Massage Trainer
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No. 1. Our skin (integumentary system) is the largest organ in our body that contributes 12% to 15% of our body weight and has approximately 5 million touch receptors (with 3,000 in each finger tip).
No. 2. A good massage session can benefit by your body releasing D.O.S.E hormones: Dopamine (happy hormone), Oxytocin (love hormone), Serotonin (mood stabilizer hormone), Endorphin (natural pain killer hormone). And on the other hand, it can help to reduce Cortisol (stress hormone) by up to 50%.
No. 3. Our sense of touch is the first to develop and the last to diminish. (gulp….on hindsight, depending on how you look at it, being the last sensation to diminish can be bit scary too, lol).
No. 4. A 60 minutes massage session is equivalent to what a 7 to 8 hours of good sleep can do to your body. (Maybe it is time for me to get a personal therapist to massage me everyday).
No. 5. According to Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, there are more than 350 modalities of bodywork and massage (you definitely will not be out of options if you indulge yourself with a weekly session). Don’t believe me, check it out here: https://www.massagetherapy.com/glossary
No. 6. You can enjoy massage in your entire lifetime from the time that you are born right up til when you are old. A great selfcare activity that you can have for yourself.
No. 7. Not only massage is beneficial to your physical well being, massage can also help with your emotion and mental health.
No. 8. Depending on which sources you are reading, some said massage originated from the Swedish by Pehr Henrik Ling, some said it is an ancient Chinese art, some said it originated with Ayurveda practice by the Hindus and some said the Egyptian with evidence found in the tomb painting.
No. 9. Massage therapy is a recognized practice and acknowledged as a form of alternative medicine in many western countries and some Asia countries like Thailand and India. For Malaysia, the value of massage is linked more to tourism instead. (looking forward to the day where I can amend this sentence).
No. 10. In South Korea, only blind or visually impaired individual can be a massage therapist (hmm….so not going there to develop my career).
Bonus. Massage (depend on modalities) can be done while you are standing, seated or lying down on your bed, mat or a massage table. You can be fully clothed, in just your underwear or fully naked; One of the easiest activity that one can enjoy at anywhere at anytime.
Next: Top 10 Dos and Don’t Before Getting A Massage
Next: Top 10 Dos and Don’t After Getting A Massage
Next: 6 Dimensions of Care
Ian Chow Massage Therapy 