The current state of our mental health is stark: In the U.S., 21% of adults — 50 million of us — are experiencing a
mental illness. And 55% currently receive no treatment. Knowing these surprising facts will hopefully help to dispel longstanding stigmas around mental health challenges. Let’s look at three recent studies to see how therapeutic massage can play an important role in relieving mental health symptoms.
The vagus nerve derives its name from the latin word for wandering, since it weaves throughout the body from the brainstem to the colon. It’s the nerve that’s largely responsible for our parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the body to rest and digest. This relaxed state also allows the body to heal.
Because modern life doesn’t require us to be active, movement and exercise can often feel like a chore. Humans have had no evolutionary pressure to develop a love of exercise because it used to be built into daily life. It can feel like something we should do, instead of something we naturally want to do. Dance can keep us physically fit, make us smarter, and get us in touch with the joy of movement.
