For centuries, essential oils have been used to treat a multitude of common health problems, specifically through aromatherapy — a holistic treatment that uses natural plant extracts to heal the body, mind, and soul. During an aromatherapy massage, you can expect to inhale different essential oils. Your massage therapist may also blend these essential oils into massage oil, so your skin can directly benefit from its healing properties.
At Zense Thai Massage & Spa, we offer a one-hour, 90-minute, and two-hour aromatherapy massage session to treat any of the following symptoms. To make the most of your essential oil therapy session, we recommend at least a 90-minute session.
Relieves Stress and Anxiety
Studies have shown that certain essential oils can improve your mood and lessen your anxiety. When you inhale essential oils, the molecules from the aroma travel through your bloodstream to the part of your brain that regulates stress, anxiety, and depression. Combined with massage, one aromatherapy massage session will relieve you of muscle tension and bring up your serotonin and dopamine levels. You’ll begin to feel lighter.
One of the best essential oils for relieving stress is lavender essential oil. Lavender has a distinct mellow, floral scent which aids in creating a calm, relaxing environment. Lavender oil olfaction impacts the part of the brain that controls emotions. Its anxiety-reducing properties makes lavender a popular essential oil used in aromatherapy.
Improves Sleep
For those of you experiencing insomnia, aromatherapy massage is what you need to help you fall into a deeper, slow-wave sleep. To improve your sleeping experience, ask your massage therapist to use valerian or bergamot essential oil. Both oils slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and help you get better quality sleep. While valerian oil eases feelings of restlessness, bergamot oil will put you in a happy but tranquil mood. By eliminating the stressors in your life and focusing on positive energy, you’ll find that it gets easier to sleep at night.
Eases Joint and Muscle Aches
A typical session focuses on releasing the knots and tight spots in your muscles. Your massage therapist will use a massage oil on your skin to help her hands glide more easily to different pressure points. With an aromatherapy massage, your therapist may mix one or more essential oils into the massage oil for deeper penetration. When added to a carrier oil, essential oils can penetrate deeper into the skin to aid in relieving pain, swelling, and any muscle tension.
We recommend using peppermint essential oil to ease muscle soreness. Peppermint has anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it’s perfect for aching muscles. Applying peppermint essential oil to the temples can also relieve you of tension headaches.
Sharpens Focus
Essential oil massage therapy is also known to increase levels of focus. It’s no secret that massages improve overall blood circulation. A healthy blood flow is especially important for cognitive function. Many brain imaging studies show that higher blood flow leads to better memory and an increase in the ability to focus.
To boost your concentration ability, we recommend using rosemary essential oil for your aromatherapy session. In ancient Greece, people wore rosemary crowns on their heads, believing it to improve their memory. One recent study showed that exposure to the aroma of rosemary increased speed and accuracy in tasks. It also resulted in higher scores on a memory test.
Boosts Energy
While aromatherapy massage is typically associated with a state of relaxation and bliss, you can also use your massage session to boost your energy levels. By relieving muscle tension and improving blood flow, massage will reduce levels of fatigue and lethargy. For an added boost of energy, ask for a citrus-concentrated essential oil, like lemon. Lemon essential oil is commonly used to uplift your spirits and rejuvenate energy levels. Just one session is all it takes to feel awake and ready to take on the rest of the week.
If winter blues have you down, then don’t hesitate to call Zense Thai Massage & Spa in Dallas, Texas for an aromatherapy massage session! Click here to book your appointment online!