Welcome to Grounded Tree Blog!
The Origins of Massage Therapy
The Origins of Massage Therapy: Getting Back to the Roots!
Archaeological evidence showed that cultures all around the world practiced massage therapy. The Egyptians have tomb paintings of people using their hands on each other in a therapeutic way. The Chinese have records of individuals performing a variety of Thai-like massage motions, usually with the person laying on the floor. Ancient India and Ayurvedic medicine show medicine men and women utilizing their hands for medical treatments. Many of these accounts take us back all the way to 3000 BCE. This means that we've been practicing massage and learning different modalities to heal the body for over 5,000 years!
Ancient Japan has recounts of the first formal type of massage therapy called "Amma" or "Anma". This utilized meridians and pressure points to create a therapeutic-like experience. This is the most similar type of massage to what us massage therapists practice today, although there's certainly been a transformation to more "physical" variations of massage therapy.
To this day, massage therapy maintains the same therapeutic benefit as it did when our ancestors practiced it. Massage has mainly branched into what we know today as "Swedish", "Deep Tissue", or "Orthopedic" massage. Swedish = Relax. Deep Tissue = Deep Pressure. Orthopedic = Medically Informed. Of course, there's a variety of other emerging therapies available as well. But you get the gist!
Massage therapy utilizes a variety of techniques that create a “push and pull” to the client. Deep pressure can be applied acutely or over a broad area. Techniques like wringing, vibration, percussion, and varying pressure are all effective and can be utilized during these sessions. This is done to manipulate the muscle tissue and encourage balance and equilibrium in the body.
Over the course of the massage therapy session, the central nervous system starts to relax, allowing the massage therapist to access deeper muscle layers and fascia. In turn, this creates a relaxing and therapeutic experience for the client.
To learn more about the work that we do at Grounded Tree Massage Therapy (which is currently housed at a wellness + acupuncture clinic here in San Marcos called Jade Seed Wellness), visit our Youtube channel or give our website a look below!
Welcome To Grounded Tree Blog!
The Origins of Massage Therapy
The Origins of Massage Therapy: Getting Back to the Roots!
Archaeological evidence showed that cultures all around the world practiced massage therapy. The Egyptians have tomb paintings of people using their hands on each other in a therapeutic way. The Chinese have records of individuals performing a variety of Thai-like massage motions, usually with the person laying on the floor. Ancient India and Ayurvedic medicine show medicine men and women utilizing their hands for medical treatments. Many of these accounts take us back all the way to 3000 BCE. This means that we've been practicing massage and learning different modalities to heal the body for over 5,000 years!
Ancient Japan has recounts of the first formal type of massage therapy called "Amma" or "Anma". This utilized meridians and pressure points to create a therapeutic-like experience. This is the most similar type of massage to what us massage therapists practice today, although there's certainly been a transformation to more "physical" variations of massage therapy.
To this day, massage therapy maintains the same therapeutic benefit as it did when our ancestors practiced it. Massage has mainly branched into what we know today as "Swedish", "Deep Tissue", or "Orthopedic" massage. Swedish = Relax. Deep Tissue = Deep Pressure. Orthopedic = Medically Informed. Of course, there's a variety of other emerging therapies available as well. But you get the gist!
Massage therapy utilizes a variety of techniques that create a “push and pull” to the client. Deep pressure can be applied acutely or over a broad area. Techniques like wringing, vibration, percussion, and varying pressure are all effective and can be utilized during these sessions. This is done to manipulate the muscle tissue and encourage balance and equilibrium in the body.
Over the course of the massage therapy session, the central nervous system starts to relax, allowing the massage therapist to access deeper muscle layers and fascia. In turn, this creates a relaxing and therapeutic experience for the client.
To learn more about the work that we do at Grounded Tree Massage Therapy (which is currently housed at a wellness + acupuncture clinic here in San Marcos called Jade Seed Wellness), visit our Youtube channel or give our website a look below!
