Since I was a teenager, I’ve prioritized regular massages in my life. I work a very physical job, and my body craves massages. I try to go at least once a month. (If you want affordable massage in Alexandria, VA, I recommend A Great Massage. It’s $70/hour or $100/90 minutes, and every 10 massages, you get a free hour-long massage).
I’m such a big fan of massages, I try to incorporate some self-massage in yoga practices sometimes, both as a teacher and a student. Massages can be pricey, but you can use your yoga practice to get some of the same benefits massages offer. Props like foam rollers can also provide a nice massage effect.
If you love stretching your body in a yoga practice, consider adding regular professional massages or self-massage into your lifestyle. Learn more about the benefits of massage and how to use it to complement a yoga practice.
Health Benefits of Massage
Massage is the hands-on, targeted manipulation of muscles and tissues that may be holding onto tension. By working them through pressurized movements, a massage therapist can loosen them up, provide a beneficial stretch and offer amazing relaxation.
According to Mayo Clinic, some of the health benefits of massage include:
- Decreased muscle stiffness
- Less joint inflammation
- Improved circulation
- Strengthened immune response
- Better sleep quality
- Improved flexibility
Massage can be used as a treatment to address conditions including anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, headache, neck and shoulder pain, insomnia, low back pain, osteoarthritis, nerve pain, injuries and post-operative care.
The mental benefits of massage are endless, with massage resulting in lower stress, improved mood, more relaxation and decreased anxiety. These benefits mirror the mental health benefits of yoga.
Getting massages while pursuing a yoga practice can result in even more holistic well-being. Even a quick 15-minute chair massage in an airport or mall can provide immediate benefits.
Because massages can be pricey, one way to save money on them is to get massages at a massage therapy school in your area, as prices tend to be cheaper at massage schools. You can also take a closer look at your budget and see where you can decrease costs to accommodate a monthly massage for your health and well-being.
Ways to Incorporate Massage in a Yoga Practice
By using our hands, the floor and yoga props like blocks, we can incorporate self-massage into a yoga practice. The following are some of the most common ways I encourage students in my Alexandria, VA yoga classes to add massage to their practice.
- Massage the lower back: Pull both knees into the chest while lying down on your back. Rock gently from side to side.
- Massage the hips and lower back: Pull both knees into the chest. Place each hand on the corresponding knee. Move the knees out away from each other in a circle, then back in toward each other. After a few circles, reverse the motion, and repeat.
- Massage the trapezius muscles: The trapezius muscles, sometimes called “traps”, are the muscles that are located between your shoulders and your neck, along your upper back. While lying down in Savasana (Corpse Pose), bring your fingers to your trapezius muscles and gently push down.
- Massage the back of the neck and head: From the trapezius massage while in Savasana, move the fingers to massage the back of the neck, the base of the skull and behind the ears.
- Massage the temples: Bring your pointer and middle fingers from both hands to the sides of the head that line up with the eyes. Make gentle circular movements one direction, then the other.
I’ll often incorporate massaging the lower back and doing hip circles in either a yoga practice warmup or cool down. I might cue other forms of self-massage, like massaging the traps, head, neck and temples, as students reawaken from Savasana.
Self-massage like the methods above can be a great form of self-care. You don’t need any equipment or anyone else but yourself to feel some of the luxurious benefits of massage.
You can even do these moves as part of a bedtime yoga routine. To make the self-massage more integrated into your yoga practice, link your breath with your mindful movements.
Has Massage Positively Impacted You?
Do you regularly get massages, too? Have you tried to incorporate massage into your yoga practice? Let me and other readers know your tips and preferences in the comments.
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About the author: Nicki Escudero is a journalist and RYT-200 yoga instructor certified by Yoga Alliance. She teaches group and private yoga classes in Alexandria, VA, and Washington, DC. Contact Nicki.
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