When we were babies, we had no way to regulate our nervous system. A loving touch, closeness and nurturing were the keys for us to feel calm, safe and not overwhelmed. Most of us do not remember those days, but perhaps we do remember the visceral feeling that accompanied this loving environment. This is all due to the naturally occurring chemical produced in the brain, oxytocin, that regulates the arousal level of our nervous system. As we moved into adulthood, most of us learned how to regulate our nervous systems to a certain degree, but we still need that loving touch to maintain healthy relationships throughout life. Enter massage.
Every relationship, at one time or another, has its stressful or volatile moments that spring your Central Nervous System (CNS) into action. When we shut down, withdraw, disconnect, or even get angry from these moments, your stress hormones rev up your CNS, and it becomes too constricted and prohibits you from engaging in the repair of these relationship moments. These are the precise times that we need oxytocin running through our bloodstream to help regulate the nervous system and help us feel that “all is well.” In turn, just like as a child, the oxytocin response induces a sense of well-being and returns our nervous system to the state we naturally like – relaxed, calm and engaged. So how do you go about this?
Get a massage. The simple human touch from a massage is extremely effective at releasing the oxytocin hormone that will dampen down your nervous system and instantly address your fight or flight response to any perceived danger or threat that is currently going on in your life. Your stress hormone levels quiet down, your blood pressure lowers, and you become less emotionally reactive. Can you see now how this can help you repair your relationship during times of stress? This “emotional calming” has the ability to create a greater openness and flexibility as well as restore that sense of connection we felt to begin with. When we feel safe and relaxed, we have the ability to be more loving and generous to everyone around us, including our significant others.
The release of oxytocin is one of the main reasons why we feel so good after a massage. This is why receiving regular massages is so beneficial to our health, sense of well-being, and can help restore our relationships too! Our Breckenridge spa is here to help you solidify your relationships with a plethora of services that will promote that oxytocin release you’ve been looking for. Contact us today for your next massage.
