Stress? Find Nirvana with a Massage Chair

By Steve Esquire

Someone is sounding the alarm bell. We kick into high gear. Our stress is activated. We know the symptoms well enough: our hearts are pounding, our muscles are tense, breathing is increased to deal with our red alert. We step it up and deal with the event. That helps to offset some of the stress, but we need to blow off steam as they say. I need time to recuperate and refresh, like at a spa. However, we know stress means we do not have time. What if you could come home and get a relaxing massage from your own massage chair?

But how do we respond? Whether we know it our not our bodies respond. In fact we call it the fight or flight reaction. Either way our body prepares itself for the worst on autopilot. Our hands and feet are ready for action. The major organs divert activities that enhance immediate survival and we are bodily primed to do something. Trouble is with the new economy, our stress is mental and not physical. We get all pumped up for action and then take a seat! The issue with this is we just had a major chemical release in our bodies and we need an effective way to release it if we are not fighting or flighting.

Now, we are not going to be able to avoid stress, but we can learn to counteract it. We need to have a means to reverse the stress building process. Call this a relaxation response. This would be a state of deep relaxation which would be the opposite of the stress. The relaxation response would bring the body back into balance, reduce the stress chemical release and slow down the muscles and organs.

We know that with higher levels of stress we need to find more effective relaxation. What could be better and more effective than a massage? You get full body coverage and peace of mind to boot. Not a bad combo. Your body gets to have its tight muscles slowly and thoroughly worked over. The tightness is slowly soothed and the muscles relax. As your muscles relax, your mind shifts away from pain, torture and the anxiety of the day. Your mind is freed. Drift off into your own thoughts or better yet--no thoughts at all!

Let us take a quick look at two of the most important massage therapy techniques. Swedish massage and Shiatsu massage. These are different schools of through with slightly different benefit sets. Swedish massage uses a variety of 6 techniques to relax and energize the muscles and the body. Shiatsu massage uses a combination of acupressure, kneading and rapid chopping to invigorate the muscles increasing blood and lymph flow, while increasing mental awareness.

Now these two techniques have been masterfully reproduced by modern technology. Welcome to the new age of the machine! Top companies like Panasonic, Omega, Human Touch and Sanyo have massage chairs that provide these massage therapies and many more. They have acupressure, reflexology, deep tissue, sports massage. They also got you covered from head to toe. Stress has met its balancing partner with the touch of a button.

Massage techniques are just part of these new generation massage chairs. You can find heat therapy or muscles stretching and even music. After all, music helps you to relax your mind. If your mind relaxes, your body then has a chance. Best of all for a massage chair is it is always waiting and available. Effective stress relief must occur on a periodic basis, just like the events that are causing you stress. Got Stress? Find your new balance of harmony in the new economy with a massage chair recliner. - 20607

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