The relationship between yoga and massage therapy

Yogis need massage and massage therapists and body workers need yoga. The two arts are sisters. Therapists’ knowledge of yoga informs their creativity as body workers, while their knowledge of body mechanics enhances their own yoga practice and teaching. For their yoga-practicing clients, massage therapists can sweep away the tension remaining after a yoga session, thereby facilitating the transformative nature of yoga.

 Yoga and massage have a lot in common. Yoga is actually a form of self-massage. You lengthen and breathe space into areas that are tight. You massage the internal organs through bending and twisting, breathing nourishing breaths throughout the entire session. Both yoga and massage detoxify the body, increasing circulation in the blood and lymphatic system. And just as you might be a bit sore in the most healthy way possible after a yoga practice (or a workout), a deep massage can leave some tender spots asking for time to sort themselves out.

One of the differences about massage is that you have to trust the person who is working on you, as massage is not self-inflicted like yoga. A good massage therapist helps you relax and feel comfortable, but you need to do your part to relax as well.  This is so important; because a therapist can’t really do their best work if you’re fighting them by tensing up.

The same element of relaxation applies to yoga. There has to be integration and strength, of course, but there also must be spaciousness to allow the nourishing breath and circulation to do their work. You have to find the right balance of effort and ease, strength and surrender, to ultimately find freedom.

If you are being treated for pain by a massage therapist they may recommend some healing yoga poses to help you recover from injury faster and live pain free sooner. There are many overlaps between the two and treating your body to both massage therapy and regular yoga sessions will help you find greater balance in your life.

Here at Structura Body Therapies we are concerned with the overall performance of the body and understand the importance of all areas of health and massage therapy. We treat patients with all types of needs from automobile accident related injuries to sports performance work.

Please contact us today for any information needed related to massage or structural integration.