Massage therapy as a powerful tool to combat stress - WGME

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PORTLAND (WGME) -- Americans are stressed out now more than ever. Research from the American Psychological Association found the number of stressed American has increased this year from the previous year. And in this over-sensitized, hyped-up world, more people are turning to different ways to try to manage that stress. Massage therapy has proven to be a powerful tool to relieve tension.

Maine Bodyworks is tucked away in the busy Old Port, offering a bit of solace to tourists and regulars.

"We're trying to bring massage therapy to another level of awareness to all the benefits that it has," said owner and licensed massage therapist Guy McChesney. "Every form of massage we do addresses stress. And each one addresses something else too in the body."

Maine Bodyworks offers a variety of modalities including Swedish and deep tissue massage, Ashiatsu, Thai yoga massage and Myofascial release.

Thai yoga massage combines the stretching components of yoga, with the deep tissue work of massage. Clients are on a mat, fully-clothed, and assisted through different yoga stretch postures.

"It triggers the breath. It triggers relaxation," said McChesney. "Thai yoga massage is a wonderful thing because it inherently has deep, relaxed breathing like yoga does. And it brings you into your body."

It can be deeply relaxing while offering the same benefits of yoga, such as increased flexibility, as well as correct posture and alignment.

Ashiatsu is the deepest form of barefoot massage. Therapists use their own weight while suspended from bars in the ceiling, to apply pressure to the muscles.

"For me as a practitioner, one thing I really like about it, is I feel like I'm dancing on the table," said Maine Bodyworks co-owner and licensed massage therapist Tatiana McChesney.

The benefits of massage can be immediate, especially in terms of stress release. But massage therapy has cumulative effects.

"Several sessions of massage therapy are usually needed to undo something that's already been done," said McChesney.


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