The Power of Floating

Imagine being a 24-year-old man, naked and floating in a pod, inducing complete sensory deprivation and being immersed in what I can only describe as adult sized womb. Sound terrifying? Well, today I did just that, but alas, it was not scary in the slightest and instead it ending up being both relaxing and transformative.

To my surprise, I learnt that floatation therapy has been around for around 60 years. It is yet however, to become mainstream. I for one, knew nothing about it.

A few weeks back, I was browsing the web looking for something interesting and new that a friend and I could try out. This is when I came across ‘Float Works’ in Vauxhall, London. Intrigued, I booked us one ‘float’.

I arrived at 9 am and was overcome by a sense of tranquillity. The receptionist positively oozed zen, making my friend and I feel at ease; this was particularly reassuring when trying something so new and unusual.

He showed each of us to our private room where a large white pod filled with salt water greeted me. He explained its features and left us to shower and hop in. Normally I would be nervous, but the staff were so friendly and positive that any residual nerves evaporated.

I took off my clothes and lay down in the water. I felt the tension in my body melt away. Turning the pod’s lights off, I was lost in complete darkness, left to focus on my own thoughts for a full hour.

After the fifteen minutes of quiet music (to ‘ease you in’) I lost any sense of time. I began to fade in and out of active thought, managing in the main to clear my mind. The water, being perfect room temperature, meant that I wasn’t able to tell which parts of me were in the water and which were out. I focused on my breath and could hear only my heartbeat; I had completely succumbed to the pod.

The hour was up in what felt like minutes. Before entering, I was convinced that this whole process might drag on, but instead I was shocked at how quickly the time flew!

After the float, I felt happier, lighter and rejuvenated. I made my way up to the ‘relaxation room’ and poured myself a complementary herbal tea, and pondered the immense and positive impact of the float. I am a massage addict, but let me tell you, this float session was more wellness inducing than any massage I have ever received. It was special absolutely worth the £50 price tag.

I’m giving this 5/5 on the happiness scale.

This article originally appeared on huffingtonpost and was written by Nader Dehdasht

How to Help Soothe an Upset Stomach and Improve Digestion

Stomach ache got you down? Rubbing your tummy can be extremely comforting, not just for your mind but also to give your digestive system a nudge in the right direction.

We use the term ‘stomach ache’ to refer to all kinds of abdominal pain. However, often what we perceive as a stomach ache is really intestinal pain. A simple self-catered massage can help to relieve digestive aches and pains, and help your stomach feel (and look!) better fast.

How to Give Yourself a Stomach Ache Massage:

1. Lie on your back on a yoga mat or comfortable surface. This massage is most effective a few hours after eating or first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Breathe in and out slowly for a few minutes to relax.

2. Identify your cecum. The cecum is where the small intestines empties digested food into the large intestines and where the peristaltic muscle action begins to push digested food through your colon. This is generally located halfway between the part of your right hip bone that juts out and your belly button. Place your right thumb on your belly button and your pinkie on your hip bone, lower your middle finger so it touches your skin and this is approximately where your cecum should be.

3. Once you have identified the cecum, begin to push down on it with two hands (one atop the other), massaging slowly and carefully in a circular motion. This helps to enhance digestive action.

4. Next, expand these circular massage movements in a clockwise motion, which mimics the passage of food, across your entire abdomen — upwards to just under your rib cage, across and along the rib cage to the left side of your abdomen and downwards to below the left side of your belly button.

5. Now, using sweeping motions with your hands, repeat the same clockwise direction. Repeat 2-3 times, alternating between circular massage movements and sweeping movements.

6. During the stomach ache massage, you may notice a particularly tender part of your abdomen or an area of particularly strong stomach pain. Once you’ve pinpointed the exact location, focus your attention there, continuing with clockwise massage movements.

7. Bend both of your index fingers and use your knuckles as a mock acupuncture needle, so to speak. Apply pressure to opposite ends of the area just under your rib cage — one on the furthest left point of your abdomen and the other on the furthest right point of your abdomen. These areas are called flexures and are where your colon bends. Often food and gas will get caught in pockets of your flextures. Applying pressure helps to release them.

8. Keeping your back flat on the ground and your arms by your side, twist your body below the waist, with your right leg leading the way. Stretch it to your left side. Repeat with the left leg. Pull it up and stretch it to the right side of your body.

9. Gently roll off your back and stand up. Jog in place for a few seconds and twist your body with the abdomen as the focus. This helps to inspire get gas and other problem areas moving along.

This article originally appeared on ecosalon.com and was written by Aylin Erman

Relief from Gastrointestinal Disorders with Massage Therapy

Gastrointestinal disorders include more than 40 acute and chronic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, ranging from common ailments such as indigestion and flatulence (gas) to serious, life-threatening diseases, such as colorectal cancer.

Even if it is not related to a serious health condition or disease, gastrointestinal dysfunction is typically quite painful and has the capacity to interfere with daily activities and overall quality of life. Patients looking for an alternative or complement to pharmaceutical solutions may seek out the expertise of a massage therapist to effectively manage chronic digestive disorders.

Accredited massage therapy colleges teach a range of modalities that may help limit the aggravation of existing gastrointestinal conditions, alleviate painful symptoms, and relieve discomfort after diagnostic screening.

Relaxation Massage to Reduce Gastrointestinal Flare-ups

People who suffer from chronic conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Colitis and Crohn’s are often challenged to achieve genuine and sustained relaxation. In addition to withstanding painful symptoms, continual worry about gastrointestinal dysfunction can result in significant anxiety and stress. Unfortunately, stress is known to trigger a range of digestive issues, and can contribute to flare-ups of more serious conditions. Administered regularly as a complementary treatment, gentle modalities like Swedish massage and Lymphatic Drainage can help limit the frequency of flare-ups, reduce painful symptoms, and lower stress levels - encouraging patients with gastrointestinal disorders to reach deeper levels of restorative relaxation. Massage college graduates use their knowledge of assessment best practises to coordinate with patients’ medical team, selecting the massage modality most appropriate for each individual case of digestive dysfunction.

Abdominal Massage to Alleviate Gastrointestinal Dysfunction

Whether symptomatic of a serious disease like Crohn’s or the result of daily stressors, millions of Canadians suffer from constipation on a regular basis. In order to minimize reliance on laxatives, some people turn to a massage therapist to improve digestive performance with gentle abdominal massage.

Besides stimulating blood flow, massaging the affected area helps encourage the spontaneous movement of the digestive tract (a process called peristalsis), which helps alleviate cramping, bloating, gas, and constipation.

Massage to Support Recovery from Colonoscopy

One of the most serious gastrointestinal diseases, colorectal cancer, is 90 percent preventable if detected early. According to Colon Cancer Canada, over 24,000 new cases were diagnosed in Canada in 2014 - and more than 9,000 patients lost their lives that same year. Screening is one of the most valuable defences against this disease, but many patients avoid colonoscopy because of potentially painful side effects following the examination.

Gentle abdominal massage has been found effective in minimizing some of these bothersome and painful side-effects, specifically bloating, flatulence, and cramping. Students who have completed massage therapy training and are ready to launch their career can share this technique with patients who seem anxious about an upcoming examination - potentially helping saves lives by encouraging early detection.

Whether the goal is prevention or the alleviation of disruptive symptoms, massage therapy is an ideal complementary approach for encouraging optimal gastrointestinal performance.

This article original appeared on ovcmt.com

Manual Osteopaths: Your Ally in Complete Health Care

Osteopathy is a form of drug-free non-invasive manual (therapy) medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, which includes the joints, muscles and spine. Its aim is to positively affect the body's nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems.

This therapy is a unique holistic (whole body) approach to health care. Osteopaths do not simply concentrate on treating the problem area, but use manual techniques to balance all the systems of the body, to provide overall good health and wellbeing.

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still established the practice of Osteopathy in the late 1800s in the United States of America, with the aim of using manual 'hands on' techniques to improve circulation and correct altered biomechanics, without the use of drugs.

What does osteopathy treat?

Osteopaths treat more than you think. Many patients present with complaints of aches in the head, back, neck, and heel/ foot pain; sciatica; shin splints; tennis elbow and repetitive strain injury. Other patients suffer from asthma; arthritis; digestive problems; carpal tunnel syndrome; whiplash and postural problems.

Osteopaths also deal regularly with patients who have been injured in the workplace, at home or while playing sport.

What are the qualities of Osteopathy

The philosophy of Osteopathy is what sets it apart from other (manual therapy) disciplines. The key principles are based on all parts of the body functioning together in an integrated manner. If one part of the body is restricted, then the rest of the body must adapt and compensate for this, eventually leading to inflammation pain, stiffness and other health conditions. When the body is free of restrictions in movement, Osteopathic treatment assists the body with pain minimisation, reduced stress and greater mobility providing the body with the opportunity to heal itself.

Osteopaths use a broad range of gentle hands-on techniques including soft tissue stretching, deep tactile pressure, and mobilisation or manipulation of joints.

In some cases, Osteopaths can complement the advice given by GPs. For example, people who suffer from arthritis are often prescribed medication by their GP. In addition to that, Osteopaths can ease the pain caused by joint and muscle stiffness, by improving joint mobility and the flow of blood to the joints, and show arthritis sufferers how to prevent causing injury to themselves...

Benefits of Osteopathy

Osteopathic treatment in itself is not 'preventative'. Osteopaths respect the body's natural ability as a self-regulating mechanism and only intervene when pain or discomfort is present. The benefits of osteopathy are the general improvement in mobility and structural stability of the body. In turn, other systems of the body such as the circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems function more effectively and for a number of general conditions, minimal treatment is required.

Osteopathy and sleep

A key indicator of pain or discomfort is lack of sleep or restless nights. An effective osteopathic treatment outcome often reflects the first signs of recovery with a good night's sleep. Poor sleep patterns only serve to magnify the body's inability to function adequately and reduce our psychosomatic (Psychosomatic illnesses are those in which physical symptoms are caused or aggravated by emotional factors) ability to cope with pain.

Osteopathy and the nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems

Osteopathic treatment positively affects the nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems, to deliver a more balanced body and better health overall. This combined with good dietary and /or exercise prescription can enhance a patient's well being and often leads to a positive approach to individual health responsibility.

This article originally appeared on medicalnewstoday.com and was written by Christian Nordqvist