Lomi Hawaiian Massage and Stress

The loss of a job, a divorce, a death of a loved one, as well as the emotional ups and downs of everyday life, all cause emotional stress.

By: Tony Crawford

Stress. We all have it. We all feel it, and we all know it’s not a good thing for us. It can be brought on by work, family, friends and just life’s situations in general. A certain amount of stress is normal and helps us function at peak performance. Excess stress on the other hand can trigger physical, mental, and emotional disorders.

Unchecked stress turns into distress. Distress can have many long term physical effects on our body as well as lingering emotional effects.

Unchecked stress can manifest itself through the body as high blood pressure, headaches, pains, tight muscles and sleep disorders. On the emotional side stress can effect your overall mood and behavior and contribute to depression and anxiety.

It has been my experience that many people have stress stored in their neck, shoulders and lower back. As you sit at your computer for a long period of time, try stopping and relaxing your shoulders. You may feel, once you relax, that you have been holding your neck and shoulders in a rigid position without realizing it.

Most of us “store” stress within our bodies. It becomes such a common occurrence we tend to forget it. This leads to both health issues and emotional issues that may be avoided through massage. Stress can be silent and overlooked. It will sneak up on you and can have very damaging effects.

On the physical side, Lomi massage will relax your muscles, help to release the tightness in your body and, by doing so, will bring you to a more balanced and stress free place. Looser muscles means less chance of physical trauma being placed on joints, and importantly, nerves. When a nerve is being pinched by a tight muscle, pain will result. When pain occurs stress will undoubtedly follow.

We all have gone through rough times: loss of a job, a divorce, a death of a loved one, as well as the emotional ups and downs of everyday life. All these issues cause emotional stress. This is the kind of stress that may not show up physically with us, but stay buried inside us waiting to explode.

Lomi massage is designed to allow not only your physical body to relax, but will also allow your mind and your emotional being to come to a place of relaxation. Lomi creates a safe place for this to occur. Lomi works the body in long, continuously flowing strokes, not just a body part at a time. It is the “incorporation” of the whole body. The therapist works in a dance like manner. Lomi will stop and work each area, as in traditional Swedish Massage. It will go as deep as needed but then always going back to its long, flowing continual strokes incorporating the entire body as one and not just individual parts. You get the benefits of both Swedish as well as deep tissue massage, with a total sense of relaxation and well being.

I have been a massage therapist for 16 years. I am licensed in Florida #MA0027867. I am a graduate of the Swedish Institute of Massage in New York City and have studied Lomi for over 7 years throughout the country. I am a member of the Advisory Committee for Florida State College at Jacksonville and teach in their Massage Program.

I work on an out-call basis coming to your home, office or hotel. Please feel free to call if you have any questions regarding Lomi, or where Lomi training is available.

Tony Crawford
904-557-8350