Much like yoga, a good massage allows us to take a moment for ourselves, connect with our breath and let go of the endless pressures of life. But have you ever thought about how massage and yoga complement each other? The benefits to our mind, body and soul are endless – and imagine combining the two! Our resident massage therapists (also Yogis!) have shared their insights on the parallels of benefits of massage and yoga for your wellbeing on and off the mat.

1. Don’t stress – find bliss

We have all experienced the post-practice yoga bliss. Much like yoga, massage therapy is also known to release mood and health enhancing chemicals. Our skin is full of millions of receptors that are linked to our nervous system. When these receptors are stimulated during a massage, they lead to the release of chemicals in the brain. For example, massage can increases dopamine and serotonin levels, two neurotransmitters that regulate our emotional responses (e.g. depression) and motor skills. It also reduces the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. They are one of the major causes of a low immune system, so we don’t want them to hang about in our bodies!

2. Get it flowing

Fatigue, general achiness, cold hands or feet and muscle knots are all related to poor circulation. Although your regular yoga practice will get your blood flowing, the process of kneading, pushing and pressing during a massage can stimulate the flow of fresh blood especially in areas you may not access during your practice. This helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body’s cells and to eliminate metabolic waste. And hey, in the end, there is nothing like a good massage to loosen those stubborn deep-rooted knots!

3. Immense cleanse

There are many ways in which the body can build up toxins, not only through our environment, what we breathe in, or what we eat, but also through emotions like fear and anxiety. By stimulating our body to get rid of toxins and by providing it with healthy nutrients, we kick off a rejuvenation process. Similar to the twisting, squeezing and sweating during our yoga practice, not to mention your yogic breathing, massage therapy supports the body to detox. It increases the flow of our lymphatic fluid, helping to boost our immune system, fight infection, and eliminate toxins. Amongst these toxins is lactic acid, for example, which leads to sore muscles and cramps (maybe after an extra long Utkatasana in an especially oomphy class!).
During your massage, just like in yoga, remember to breathe – fresh air in, old stuff out. And also just like after a yoga class, it is crucial to replenish the body with plenty of water after a massage treatment. Not so much to replace the fluids you have sweated out, but to support the process of flushing out toxin and waste.

4. Find more flexibility

A healthy, flexible body can move freely and easily through its natural range of motion (ROM) without discomfort or restrictions in the joints and surrounding tissues. Every body is different, and any number of factors may restrict our normal ROM, including hyper-toned muscles, scarring in muscles and connective tissue, adhesions, trigger points or connective tissue thickening. While different massage techniques can alleviate the conditions of joint inflexibility and return the joint to its normal state, your regular yoga practice helps to maintain that flexibility – in both body and mind.

5. Just trust & let go

As with your yoga practice, in order to get the most out of a massage, you need to let go. While in Yoga you surrender to the pose, during a massage, you surrender yourself to the movements of the therapist. We mentioned it earlier, but can’t say it often enough: breathe in, but don’t hold on – let go of your breath and anything else that doesn’t serve you! The more you give yourself permission to let go physically and mentally, the more you can surrender any tension and resistance in your yoga practice – and beyond.

Until December 21st, resident massage therapists Juna, Tatum and Sophie are taking bookings for Lumi Spa Days on Thursdays and Sundays.

Book your treatment online here, ask at reception, call us on 0208 8468504 or email info@lumipoweryoga.com.