For the body, the massage helps taut muscles learn to relax and this, combined with strokes to aid lymphatic drainage, helps to release toxins. The benefits can be felt by all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles. According to the Massage Association, research has verified that office workers massaged regularly were more alert, performed better and were less stressed than those who weren't massaged. It is not just office workers who benefit. Stress affects different people in a myriad of ways, physically and emotionally. Stiffness and soreness in muscles can be due to a wide range of physical factors from an overly energetic session in the gym or carrying too much shopping home, to poor posture through being seated at a desk all day or excessive time behind the steering wheel. The causes are not always physical however. Emotional tension and the day to day stresses that life throws at us can manifest in headaches caused by a stiff neck and shoulders and the body generally tensing up in response to stress, especially if there is not the opportunity to release. Massage can help people to deal with emotional problems such as grief and depression. The medical benefits are very well documented with hundreds of books and websites devoted to the health benefits. You don't need a medical reason to enjoy massage though. A regular massage - weekly if you can manage it, will keep the body tuned. People groom daily, looking after their external appearance. Massage is like grooming for the inside, and if the inside is in good shape, it will shine through the outside too!

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