Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden

Rub It In! Massage Oils for Health and Pleasure

Most of us know how good a massage feels. When was your last one? I know I'm overdue! But how much do you know about the health benefits of massage, its history, and how to enhance the effects through the use of herbal oils?

What is Massage?

When you get a massage, the therapist manipulates your tissues so they become normalized. Typically, masseurs use their hands, but sometimes they also put their forearms, elbows, or feet into it. The therapist's goal is to "help the body heal itself and to increase health and well-being," according to Holisticonline.com. Emotional healing often happens as well, because being touched makes us feel cared for.

Benefits

Our muscles can be the victims of much overuse. When this occurs, things like lactic acid can build up and cause pain. Massage helps circulation to afflicted areas, which gets rid of waste and promotes healing. "Therapeutic massage can be used to promote general well-being and enhance self-esteem, while boosting the circulatory and immune systems to benefit blood pressure, circulation, muscle tone, digestion, and skin tone."

History

Massage might be the oldest and simplest form of medical care. From Europe to China, massage has been mentioned in ancient texts. In Greece and Rome, it was one of the main techniques physicians used to relieve pain: Julius Caesar, who had neuralgia, received daily massages.

Types of massage:

In Hawai'i, Lomi Lomi is the "national" form of massage. It was developed hundreds of years ago and continues its popularity more than ever today. It's a deep massage, "but the emphasis is on soothing, rather than more pointed techniques such as acupressure. It makes use of passive stretching and range of motion, compression, vibration and soothing strokes," says the Web site destressexpress.com. The resulting physical benefits can include "greater range of motion and release of stress on pinched nerves and disks, resulting in pain reduction or elimination."

Other forms of massage include Swedish, which uses techniques to relax muscles "by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart" (mamashealth.com/massage). Esalen massage, developed and practiced at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, is similar to Swedish. It's part of Gestalt psychotherapy, focusing on emotional and spiritual healing (massage-classifieds.com/esalenmassage).
Relaxation Massage is a smooth, flowing style that promotes general relaxation, improves circulation and range of motion, and relieves muscular tension. Remedial Massage is a paramedical treatment that helps to restore function to injured soft tissues. Sports Massage combines different techniques to enhance sports performance and recuperation. Reflexology applies pressure on the feet, which helps to restore balance within the body. Oriental-based systems of finger pressure massage, such as acupressure and shiatsu, treat points along the acupuncture meridians.

Massage today

Research from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) shows that people are getting more massages, and that therapeutic massage is becoming very common. A survey found that 54 percent of physicians recommend massage as a treatment, and one third of them said they refer patients to a massage therapist. Enlightened employers offer massage during breaks, because it increases employee productivity and morale.

Recipes

Massage oils are very easy to make. I mainly use fresh herbs from the garden, but you can purchase dried herbs. Essential oils must be purchased, and the amount you add is up to personal preference. Add your herbs to olive oil (good for spot massage of sore or stiff areas) or grapeseed oil for full body massage. To make an herbal oil infusion, fill a clean jar about half full with chopped herbs, fill with oil, and let it sit in the sun for one full sunny day (or bake at 150 degrees for three hours). Strain, and then add your essential oils.

Here are some massage oil recipes I've developed that can help enhance your massage.

Pain Begone: This one is made with olive oil and is great for sore muscles, aches and sprains. I use fresh St. John's wort, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender with essential oils of rosemary, lavender and lots of eucalyptus.

Hawaiian Heaven: The oils in this are said to relieve feelings of despair and depression. It contains orange, basil, peppermint and rosemary oils. Orange dissipates depressing thoughts; basil opens and clears the mind; peppermint energizes and relieves mental fatigue; and rosemary balances intense emotions and lifts spirits.

Hi'iaka's Meditation: Containing oils of lavender, ylang ylang and clary sage, this oil can neutralize sensory overload and balance a racing mind. Ylang ylang is very soothing and helps promote relaxation. In aromatherapy, clary is the scent of "euphoria."

Pele's Passion: For an aphrodisiac effect, infuse fresh Kava kava ('awa) root, damiana, burdock root and passionflower (leaves and flowers) in grapeseed oil. Lastly, I add several drops of lavender and lemongrass essential oil.

On the Web:
holisticonline.com/massage
destressexpress.com/lomi
mamashealth.com/massage/sweed
massage-classifieds.com/esalenmassage

Upcoming Events:

July 28: My "Noni Needn't Taste Nasty" Workshop at La'akea Permaculture Community near Pahoa. 2:00-5:00; $20. Check their Web site at permaculture-hawaii.com. Register at 443-4076.

August 4: Hawaiian Paradise Park 55th Anniversary Festival: I will have a table to promote my garden tours and sell my books. FREE at the HPP Activities Center at Maku`u Drive and 17th Street. Entertainment, art show and sale, kids' playground, water slide, dunking tank, and food! More info: 966-4143.

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Barbara Fahs is the owner and creator of Hi`iaka's Healing Herb Garden, LLC and author of the book Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens. Contact her at 966-6126 or www.hiiakas.com to learn about her workshops, internships and Garden tours.