Olympic Massage
In recognition to the Olympics and The United States Track and Field Team. Olympic massage want to known more visit this massage therapist blog on massage helping the US Team to achieve GOLD. Good Luck to all. And the link http://massagemag.com/massage-blog/olympic-massage
Olympic massage or Greek Massage and gymnastics. The Olympic games originated in Athens, Greece where the Greek culture has been using massage for centuries. The Greeks made gymnastics and massage part of their regular routines for physical fitness. Homer, the Greek poet who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey wrote of nutritious foods, exercise, and massage for the returning heroes to promote healing and relaxation.
The Greek physician/priest Aesculapius was the first in a long line of physicians to use massage and later after his death was worshipped as the god of medicine. He combined massage and exercise called it gymnastics and founded the very first gymnasium to treat disease and promote health. The gymnasium and baths became very important centers where philosophers and athletes gathered to exercise and discuss ideas. Its a place were the young where educated, soldiers were trained in combat, and the sick were healed. The staff of Aesculapius is still used today as the symbol of medicine and pharmacy.
Women participated in gymnastics and dancing, they used massage as a health and beauty routine. This holistic concept is still used today. The holistic concept of the mind and body are cumulative and should be treated as one. Health of the mind and body together with are art of touch became known as massage.
The Hippocratic Oath, founded by Hippocrates is still used today by doctors and massage therapists alike its founding principal is “DO NO HARM”. His teachings where to physicians to do their best to maintain the health of their patients, honor their patients secrets, and prescribe no harmful treatment or drug.
Hippocrates stated that there are three types of rubbing, hard rubbing which binds, much rubbing will waste the muscles, and moderate rubbing will make muscle grow. Hippocrates used the word anatripsis many times in his writings, meaning the art of rubbing upward not downward. Hippocrates believed that all physicians should be trained in the art of massage for healing. Some how that did not translate into the modern western world.
