One of my regular clients recently asked me to "save some time at the end to beat my face." Unless you are familiar with the basic strokes of Swedish massage, this probably sounds strange and masochistic. In fact, nearly all strokes that fall into the category of "tapotement" sound at least somewhat torturous - tapping, pinching, slapping, hacking, cupping, and, of course, beating.
In case you've been wondering what "Swedish massage" means, the other categories of Swedish massage strokes are:
effleurage: lighter, flowing strokes used to apply oil (lotion, gel, etc.,) warm up the tissue and move fluids
petrissage: kneading and wringing motions intended to lift layers of compressed tissue, making them feel "fluffy" and mobile
friction: deeper strokes that can be broad or specific, with the intention of stretching and breaking up "knots" - layers of muscle and connective tissue that have become stuck together
gymnastics: moving joints through their range of motion and stretching where tight muscles or limitations in range of motion are evident
vibration: shaking and rocking - often used in combination with other strokes
He'd jokingly asked to be "beaten" because he has chronic sinus issues, and tapping over the sinus areas of the face, and especially over the supraoribital notch (in the eyebrow) seems to help jostle out congestion and ease discomfort from allergens.
I've also been told that consuming locally produced honey can help reduce allergic reactions like hay fever that are provoked by pollens in the air because the honey contains small enough amounts of the allergens to get the immune response working without causing all-out irritation. I haven't seen any scientific studies on this, but I've heard lots of anecdotal evidence, and at least it would still mean supporting the local economy. Oh! And I saw honey at the Fremont Farmer's Market on Sunday - my guess is that it's available at the Ballard Farmer's Market as well.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment