To experience a spa treatment is a gift. The faint aroma of beautiful essences, herbal teas, soft music, skilled therapists and the sound of bubbling water. Spa is a place to rejuvenate and recharge, a place to nourish the skin and soul. But the benefits of spa treatments go beyond just nourishment and muscle relief. Spa treatments help to release an important hormone called oxytocin which helps us to feel loved, connected and blissful.
Oxytocin is a hormone consisting of nine amino acids, made in the hypothalamus portion of the brain. These amino acids are then transported to and secreted by the pituitary gland located at the base of the brain. Oxytocin acts as a hormone and as a brain neurotransmitter—it is really important to our overall happiness and sense of wellbeing.
During my time in Sweden this summer, Kerstin and I had the opportunity to meet Kerstin Uvnas Moberg, M.D., Ph.D., a world-renowned authority on oxytocin. Her research takes place at the famed Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, where she is a professor of Physiology. She is the author of more than 400 scientific papers and books—including The Oxytocin Factor, which I am just finishing.
Dr. Moberg is a firm believer that oxytocin—released during a spa experience—is responsible for a series of benefits that go beyond relaxation, increased circulation and detoxification. So, next time you receive a spa treatment or massage, consider these added benefits:
- Increased self esteem
- Faster healing (anti-inflammatory properties help to heal wounds)
- Pain relief
- Antidepressant—you will feel blissful
- Improved digestion
- Reduced anxiety
- Reduced stress responses
- Feelings of extraversion
- Increased ability to trust
- Greater psychological stability
- Beneficial metabolic effects
This amazing research proves again how important it is to include regular spa treatments in your lifestyle regimen.
Love,
Charlene