SOME HISTORY NOTES ABOUT MASSAGE

Rik Francis here again. An overseas client called me a 'Massage Guru' yesterday. I'm not sure about that, but I was pleased my massage met his expectations. I specialise in man to man and gay massage in Auckland. I can be reached on 021 109 1058 and 550 4287.

I'd like to talk a little about the history of massage in this blog. Massage is an intuitive healing art that has been around for millennia. It is based on our instinct to rub areas that hurt. We rub our leg when we hit it against something. Parents rub their children's arms or legs when they scuff themselves and mothers rub their infants when they cry.

Massage therapy takes basic touching (rubbing) and evolves it into a science. The word ‘massage’ comes from the Arabic root “mass’h” which means to touch, knead or squeeze.  Many believe massage therapy is the precursor to all other forms of hands on therapy, including physiotherapy, and chiropractic treatment. 

The oldest written record of massage was found in a Chinese medical text called Con-Fu of the Tao-Tse and  is approximately 4000 years old. These early accounts detailed the correct way to use massage techniques for therapeutic purposes.  Unfortunately, much of the healing knowledge and wisdom of the ancients has been lost through the passage of time.

However, we do know the Greeks also had strong faith in the power of massage. Hippocrates of Cos (460 to 380 B.C.), known as the ‘father of medicine’ and author of the Hippocratic Oath, wrote in his memoirs, “The physician must be experienced in many things but assuredly also in rubbing for rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose and loosen a joint that is too rigid."

Massage is truly an effective way to reduce stress in the body. Sensual massage adds pleasure to the experience. Give me a call and you'll see what I mean.