Find out what this massage therapist does for stress-relief.
Crystal Riner, Certified Massage Therapist and owner of Moon H2O Massage, knows about the responsibilities of working full time with a family plus owning a business all the while serving others. This is what she does every day.
I recently spoke with Crystal about the many benefits of massage therapy for stress-relief and how she personally manages stress. This is what Crystal had to share:
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m just a small town girl with a big vision for alternative health care. My dad told me while growing up “figure out what you like to do and do it because you’ll be doing it for the rest of you life”, so I did. I have been a practicing massage therapist since 2006, however I had been interested in the range of holistic health since I was a teenager. I began my interest in the healing aspects of herbal remedies and essential oils. Soon after meeting another young massage therapist, I made the decision to pursue massage as a career.
I see on your website “A Holistic Approach to Stress-Relief”. What role does massage therapy play in stress-relief?
Massage is essential to physical and energetic stress-relief. Physically, the body is stressed through inefficient or damaging actions and movements. Massage can reset the muscles to their more natural state of movement. Massage has been shown to lower blood pressure, release naturally healing endorphins and dopamine, and increase blood supply to muscles and organs. Energetically, many people feel drained by the hustle and bustle of modern day life. Incorporating a variety of energetic modalities, including Reiki and crystal therapy, to the inner “wiring” of the body provides mental clarity and better awareness of the body, producing another form of relaxation. Combine the two layers, and a state of total relief is possible.
You incorporate essential oils into your massage. How do you use essential oils and which oils are best for stress and or the adrenal glands?
In a massage session, I select the appropriate oil for the specific ailment. For example, to calm the adrenal rush that can accompany anxiety, I would apply a mix of orange oil and myrrh. Orange oil is a natural sedative and the myrrh acts as a respiratory enhancement. If the stress stems more from hormonal imbalances, I would use geranium and clary sage oils instead, as they help to regulate hormone levels, as well as soothe the nerves. These oil mixes may be used not only in a massage session, but taken home and used topically as well.
Note that most essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil, such as olive oil, before use, as the concentrated nature of some oils may cause skin reactions.
You are a massage therapist, the owner of Moon H2O Massage and a mother. How do you deal with balancing all of those roles all-the-while keeping your stress levels manageable?
It can be challenging to say the least! However, by keeping my schedule as regular as possible, having plenty of backup support from my family, and maintaining a good rapport with my staff and clients, I have managed to be as successful as I can in keeping everything in balance. I have also established routine of mental, physical, and energetic self-care, like a careful diet, Epsom salt soaks, and meditation.
What is the most common misconception about massage therapy that you would like to dispel?
We are not magicians! Many people expect it to be a “one and done” solution for what ails them. Stresses are built up over time; one session is only the first step to wellness. Massage therapy works well if coupled with a proper diet, hydration, and moderate exercise. The combination can make for a less stressful life.
Massage therapy is becoming less of a treat at a beauty spa or a fringe pseudoscience and is being taken seriously by medical professionals as a legitimate treatment for previously “untreatable” ailments, such as PTSD and fibromyalgia. We have moved alternative therapies from the darkness of gypsies and snake oils into the bright light of science and everyday life.
Crystal, thanks for sharing your experiences and insights .
Check out Crystal’s Website Moon H2O Massage