Your abdomen is your friend.

The abdomen isn’t merely a container for most of the body’s internal organs; it is also contains emotions. Have you ever received terrible news and had the feeling that your heart has plummeted into the pit of your stomach? I have.

Some of us experience tension mostly as headaches while others of us deal with stomach problems connected with daily stress. Body stress actually begins in infancy. Many babies experience abdominal distress on a regular basis (often linked to colic,) and children get tummyaches when they are stressed out about school or friends. As we get older, we usually fall into one of two categories: headache people and stomachache people.

Sure, we might all get both every once in a while, but one type of discomfort is definitely prevalent. While I feel fortunate to be able to say I’ve never had a migraine headache, I can’t say the same about excruciating stomach pain. Most of my stomach troubles came at a time when I was being treated for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Not surprisingly, a study published in “Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics” found a direct association between GAD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Emotions are indeed very physical. It’s the reason why getting a massage doesn’t just feel good physically, but also allows us to leave the table feeling like life is completely worthwhile. The best part is that, while massage does help reduce physical ailments, its benefits are multiplied because a healed mind contributes to a healed body.

I’m disappointed that massage therapists don’t spend much time working in the abdominal region. I currently have one client on whom I perform regular weekly abdominal massage, and the treatment is truly a mind-body experience for both of us.

If you get a lot of stomachaches, I encourage you to ask your massage therapist to focus on your abdomen for at least a few minutes every session. Because the abdomen can be so closely connected with emotional reservations, receiving a massage in that area can feel a little more intimate or even invasive in the beginning. Over time, however, you will get used to having someone else apply healing touch in that area, which I believe will allow you to release some of what is causing the discomfort.

I also encourage you try some basic abdominal massage techniques on yourself:

1. Lie flat on your back with a thick pillow just below your knees.

2. Rub your palms together until you feel heat radiating from your hands.

3. Let your hands rest side by side and palm-down just below your navel. Feel the steady rise and fall of your abdomen as you take slow, deep breaths. Focus on every breath, allowing your body to relax under the warm weight of your hands.

4. Using the full surface of both palms, massage your abdomen in clockwise circles to follow the natural digestive pathway in your colon. Start with small circles directly around the navel, gradually working your way out toward the edges of your torso. Let your hands work in a flowing motion by alternately stroking with one as you lift the other.

5. Let your massage last as long as your body is receptive to it, but try to work for at least 10 minutes to start with.

Tips:

• You can massage your abdomen through thin clothing, but working directly on your skin with a warming massage oil is a more effective way to induce physical and emotional relaxation.
• Check out this video if you want to see some advanced techniques.

Warning:

Abdominal massage is contraindicated for anyone:

• In the first trimester of pregnancy
• Actively undergoing chemotherapy
• Experiencing a flare-up of IBS or Crohn’s Disease
• Recently recovering from abdominal surgery
• With an abdominal aneurysm
• With cirrhosis of the liver
• With angina pectoris
• With an active infection or cancer in the abdominal region

Prenatal massage therapy can help improve your pregnancy.

When you’re pregnant, you deserve a massage.

Your baby is growing at such a rapid pace that your body must quickly change to accommodate him. Since most of your new weight is going to the front of your body, your pelvis pulls forward and adds extra strain to your back, shoulder, and neck muscles. All this added tension is enough of a reason for you to get a weekly massage when you’re pregnant. But then there are the mood swings, the nerve pain, the breast tenderness… the list goes on.

Massage therapists trained in the prenatal massage modality employ techniques that were designed especially for the needs of pregnant women. Plus, a massage table can be set up just for your body. If you can’t find a therapist with a special pregnancy table or a pregnancy pad, you can get a prenatal massage while you lie on your side and hug a pillow. (Pregnant friends have told me that just being able to lie face-down on a pregnancy table was worth what they paid for the massage.)

If everything I’ve mentioned up to this point hasn’t convinced you to get a prenatal massage, consider the following:

1. Prenatal massage therapy can reduce your stress levels and improve your mood. A study conducted by the University of Miami studied the effects of a twice-weekly 20 minute massage on pregnant women. The results were promising. Researchers found that the pregnant women’s stress hormones were lowered and their mood states were improved.
2. Prenatal massage therapy can improve your pregnancy experience and improve your baby’s health. The University of Miami study showed that women who received massages also noticed a dramatic decrease in body pain as a result of the hormone regulation. Moreover, the quality of their sleep was improved and their risk of having any pregnancy-related complications was reduced.

With that in mind, massage isn’t just a luxury when you’re pregnant. If you don’t care about getting a massage for your own health, get one on your baby’s behalf.

Tips:

• Mention prenatal massage gift certificates on your baby shower wish list.
• Join your partner in learning some prenatal massage techniques to save some money.
• Click here to find a massage therapist who specializes in prenatal massage.

Warning:

• Talk to your OB/GYN before you schedule your first massage treatment. Some pre-existing pregnancy complications are contraindications for prenatal massage.