Massaging is one of the best remedies for many of our illnesses. It is very relaxing, like sleeping as a little baby while mommy strokes you all over the sores of your tired body. Just the thought that someone is there while you close your eyes and mind and lie down eases your mind like no other activity available on earth, except perhaps. . . .But what power does massage have that it provides so much healing benefits to humans? Even animals practice it instinctively as a means to heal themselves, as dogs and cats apparently do. Of course, we know that muscles need massaging in order to remove obstacles in our veins and to enhance blood circulation and breathing. It also removes unwanted dry skin and toxins within our bodies that other cleansing therapies may not totally remove. All in all, massage offers health benefits which are both physiological and emotional.
The emotional side of massage therapy derives from its social dimension as a form of therapy, as we have mentioned. Having someone take care or treat your body in a way that you or someone else you know intimately cannot do for you crosses a barrier that revolves around trust and harmony. One cannot entrust one’s body to someone who does not have the ability or intention to provide healing. In many cases, massage and prayer (or meditation -- notice the spa music they use?) go together. The event becomes essentially a social or cultural activity which goes beyond attaining healing to that of providing peace and harmony among people.
Massage as a therapy then does not deal only with healing the body but more so the mind. Spas have provided a very valuable service to modern society by providing a convenient escape where tired, harried and lonely people can totally relax and obtain body and mental rejuvenation. No wonder that it has become such a lucrative business for many people.
Health, obviously, is wealth in many practical ways.