As a licensed massage therapist with a long successful career, I have witnessed firsthand the power of age-old practices to heal, restore, balance and uplift. I can attest to the fact that there is nothing quite like a therapeutic massage therapy session. When artfully combined with just the right essential oils to tackle pain and soothe stress, massage is brought to another realm and healing is heightened. Combining these two holistic therapies for wellness and self-care can profoundly have a transformative influence on the harmony of the body and mind.[1]

Study after study has shown that the topical use of aromatherapy and essential oils when combined with healing touch and massage therapy, produces positive after-effects. These include relief of pain plus an improvement in mental state, especially when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety in offering solace and restoration to those in need.[2,3,4]

Together, the elements of essential oils and massage form a symphony of healing, orchestrated by the hands of a skilled therapist and carried into the heart of the recipient, where pain gives way to peace and tension yields way to tranquility. Whether you are a seasoned advocate of holistic well-being or new to the world of therapeutic massage and essential oils, this journey promises to inspire and illuminate, shedding light on the remarkable potential for healing that essential oils provide.

The Therapeutic Benefits of Healing Massage Essential Oil Blend

Healing Massage essential oil blend (formerly known as Align) is for many of its current users, perfection in a bottle. It is a perfect union of single oils that carry the versatility to assist in numerous healing effects for the body and mind alike - especially when you have reached your limit at the end of a long, strenuous day. For stress relief, this blend has the ability to bring on deep relaxation and reduce muscle tension, pain and spasms as well as improve immune system function.[5]

While professional massage can be expensive, incorporating some form of touch therapy adds to the experience of essential oils. You do not have to book a professional massage to reap the benefits of Healing Massage essential oil blend. Self-massage techniques can be simple if you follow a few steps. For example, if your issues lie with neck or back pain, self-massage techniques could be fortified by understanding whether the pain is caused by overuse or even bad posture. We all know sitting on computers day in and day out or standing long hours can put a strain on musculature. 

Let’s explore the essential oils in Edens Garden Healing Massage blend and how you can use them for their plethora of healing effects.

The Ingredients Behind Healing Massage

The four dynamic and influential essential oils in Healing Massage were chosen specifically for their prowess to relieve not only muscle tension and pain but also for their ability to balance the body and mind. These oils include Frankincense- Carterii, White Spruce, Rosewood and Blue Tansy. 

• Frankincense- Carterii (Boswellia carterii): A base note, this oil is grounding and centering and extremely healing in blends for the skin. It is proficient in opening the lungs to aid deeper breath and also encourages reduced worry. It is traditionally used for meditation and often added to sleep blends. As a topical treatment with a carrier oil, it is anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic, furthering muscle tension reduction. It also shows promise as an antioxidant and immune stimulant.[1,6] 

• White Spruce (Picea glauca): The strength of its Pine and woodsy fresh aroma offers superb protection for the breath, muscles, and joints. Used often in blends to relieve muscle soreness, it's highly sought after for its analgesic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. Like the other oils in this blend, it has the bonus of being a sedative while also reducing anxiety.[7] 

• Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora): Similar to Lavender, Rosewood contains the component linalool which is especially known for its ability to reduce tension and relieve stress. This alluring floral oil is extremely balancing to the heart and has an impressive ability to boost optimism. Its addition to Healing Massage blend adds softness from its rose-like floral aroma and woodsy undertones. Its properties are in alignment with the other oils, synergizing to ease pain, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. (8, 9,10)

• Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum): Blue Tansy has herbal, sweet and cooling properties and is colorfully blue-hued due to its component chamazulene. Its gifts consist of bringing on an optimistic mood while reducing muscle cramping and lessening tension. It encourages muscles and joints to heal, making it an excellent supplement in this blend for relieving pain and healing with its analgesic, antispasmodic and immune-stimulating abilities.[11] 

Using Healing Massage Blend for Stress Relief

There are a number of modalities and self-massage techniques you can try at home to maximize relaxation with Healing Massage such as incorporating the blend into relaxation and meditation rituals or employing its aroma during yoga practice. With self-massage, there are a number of easy-to-reach places such as the head, neck, shoulders, hands and legs, knees and feet that you can massage into achy areas. Read on to learn how to give yourself a massage.[12]

Using Healing Massage diluted into a carrier oil makes the perfect massage blend. Supplementing these areas afterward with a heating pad for 10 minutes can further help the curative properties absorb into the skin and muscle tissue. If you own a mechanical neck or back massager they can be used as pain relieving options as well but please follow the instruction manual for safe use.

Nourishing the Body and Mind

For neck and shoulder pain, find a comfortable place to sit or even lie down such as on a yoga mat. Relax your shoulders and straighten out your neck and back by tucking your chin down slightly to realign the cervical bones. Close your eyes for a few minutes and visualize your muscles relaxing and take a few deep breaths down into your belly button. This will help to relax your diaphragm. 

Reach your arms above your head and use your fingertips to locate the areas of pain in the neck from the base of the skull down to the upper shoulders. With just the right amount of pressure that you are comfortable with, massage the diluted massage oil into those areas where you find the most release of tension. If you find a particularly tense spot, hold it for a minute until the pain begins to dissipate and remember to breathe deeply and rhythmically in and out. You should feel the muscles relaxing under your fingers, not tensing up more. 

For pain in the rest of the body, massage the oil blend into the skin and using the palm of your hand or your fingertips, massage the areas in small circles, eventually making that circle smaller to focus on an exact area of pain. Once you have located a painful spot, hold steady pressure on it for 60 seconds and then release the tension. Massage the area gently with the palm of your hands to finish and flush the area. Repeat these steps as often as needed.

For harder-to-reach areas such as the between the shoulder blades and midback, ask a partner or a friend to massage the oil blend onto the problem areas and afterward consider using a tennis ball to disperse areas of tension where knots might be lurking in the muscles. For those hard-to-reach areas of the back, you can follow the self-massage techniques in this article.

Transporting to a Tranquil Realm with Healing Massage

Some users have stated that if they had to choose only one blend, Edens Garden’s Healing Massage with its potent mix of essential oils, would be just that blend. Its aroma is smooth and captivating and when inhaled through the olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity, its molecules prompt an immediate calming effect on the limbic system, the hormonal area in the brain which is the seat of our emotions. Inhalation of essential oils therefore is one of the tried and true techniques to benefit from its effects to release stress and let go of the hectic day behind you.

Here are some options for using Healing Massage throughout your day to reduce stress and pain: 

• Diffusion: Diffuse, at home or in your car. Diffusing can be utilized at any time of the day to set the mood for the day, during meditation to reach a deeper realm of the senses or to keep the workday running smoothly in the office.
• Topical Treatment: Apply massage oil or cream directly onto achy joints and sore muscles or try Edens Garden's ready-made Healing Massage roller for on-the-go treatment for pain and to naturally balance mood and destress. For a DIY massage oil, blend 1 oz Grapeseed or Jojoba oil with 15-18 drops of Healing Massage. You can read more about Edens Garden carrier oils here.
• Room/Clothing Spray: Combine 2 tbsps of 190-proof grain alcohol and 24 drops of Healing Massage essential oil blend into a 4 oz Glass Bottle with a spritzer and let this mixture sit overnight. The next morning add in 3 oz distilled water and shake the bottle gently. Spray in the room or on clothing as needed.
• Boost your Unscented Shampoo: Hair holds perfume for longer periods of time. To carry the aroma throughout the day, blend 10-15 drops per oz of shampoo and shake to combine the oils and shampoo as usual.
• Comforting Bath: Blend 6 drops of Healing Massage with 2 cups Epsom Salts and  2 tbsp of liquid Castile soap and mix well. Meanwhile, fill up a warm tub, letting the salts dissolve before climbing in and sitting for at least 15 minutes with calming music. Bonus: The magnesium naturally found in the salts helps to further relieve muscle pain. 

Remember that we all have hectic days and different preferences. To be your best self, find the relaxation technique that is right for you by experimenting with classes and modalities such as yoga, meditation and even taking evening walks. But always remember to keep Healing Massage close at hand and take a whiff even straight from the bottle or on a cotton ball as needed. You can also try Edens Garden essential oil inhalers for on-the-go use and when traveling. 

Edens Garden carries a number of other massage essential oil blends. You can take a look at other extraordinary blends here. 

SOURCES:

1. The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in the Management of Labor Pain & Anxiety https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7445940/
2. The Effects of Massage With Frankincense and Myrrh on Chronic Lower Back Pain https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830723001027#:~:text=Conclusion%20and%20clinical%20implications,living%20in%20patients%20with%20CLBP\
3. The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy, Massage and Reflexology in People with Palliative Care Needs https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269216319884198
4. Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Depression and Anxiety of Elderly Adults https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8887855/
5. Immunological and Psychological Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142199/
6. Health Benefits of Frankincense Essential Oil https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-frankincense-essential-oil
7. Chemical Composition of the Hydrosol and the Essential Oil of Three Different Species of the Pinaceae Family https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0972060X.2012.10644040
8. Constituents of Rosewood Oil https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Constituents-of-rosewood-oil_tbl1_51100528#:~:text=Rosewood%20oil%20(RO)%20
9. The Effects of Essential Oils on the Nervous System https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/9/3771
10. Rosewood Aniba Rosaeodora https://www.science.gov/topicpages/r/rosewood+aniba+rosaeodora.html#:~:text=From%20this%20study%2C%20it%20is%20suggested%20a%20sedative%20effect%20of%20linalool%2Drich%20rosewood%20oil&text=Cardiovascular%20effects%20of%20the%20essential%20oil%20of%20Aniba%20canelilla%20bark%20in
11. Blue Tansy Essential Oil https://www.healthline.com/health/blue-tansy
12. How to Ease Stress and Pain with Self Massage Techniques https://www.healthline.com/health/self-massage#headache