What Is Korean Massage (2022)

Introduction

Korean Massage is one of the best massage therapies practiced across Koreans. It is a blend of different massage philosophies acquired from the oriental world and western world.

It is a full-body massage, encompassing all body parts from head to toe. It covers the head, neck, shoulder, buttock, upper extremity, and lower extremities.

Do you want to know more about Korean massage? Keep reading the next blog article.

What is Korean massage?

Korean massage is a rub style used and practiced by Koreans. Whether the massage technique is acquired or originated from Koreans, as far as, it is practiced and adopted by Koreans, it is designated as a Korean massage.

As of the other massage techniques, Korean massage is also the systematic manipulation of the body parts by using several rub techniques like stroking, kneading, and pressing. Korean massage is a blend of different Asian massage styles, principles, doctrines, and disciplines.

But, Koreans also add some sort of their own rub flavor based on their own culture and traditional Korean values, which makes it awesome and satisfying. Koreans use different alternative designation names to massage therapies like Korean spa or jjimjilbang. To read more on Korean massage, click here.

Koreans use the name jjimjilbang to indicate the use of heated water or steam in the bathe rooms or houses.

In order to achieve an effective healing outcome, Koreans use a combination of Japanese shiatsu, reflexology, Thai massage, and Swedish massage.

To rub the body, Koreans use a combination of maneuvers like elbow, thumb, fingertips, and others.

In addition to the eastern acquired massage disciplines, What Koreans add their own flavor to the oriental blended massage is that they add services like using hot bathe, saunas, swimming pools, and food services combined together.

These are additional complementary services derived from the Korean origins, culture, and traditional healing principles and perspectives which paves comfort and satisfaction to the overall Korean massage.

Origins of Korean massage

It is obvious that The Oriental word is the origin and the hub of the massage theory and disciplines. The eastern world was a pioneer in developing and introducing massage philosophies to the world,

Especially, ancient Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and Thailand were premiers in introducing and developing traditional massage treatments to bring holistic healing to the world.

In addition to Koreans, there are many other Asian countries that adopted these massage techniques from these ancient Asian pioneers. They acquire it through trade, monks, and other means of routes.

It is known that, as Koreans are part of the Asian continent too, like the other nations, their massage disciplines were acquired from a combination of Asian countries like India, China, and Thailand, and Japan.  To read more on what is massage, click here.

Indeed, Koreans use a combination of Asian massage disciplines. But Later, Koreans also, adopt the Swedish massage technique and use and integrate it with the other Asian massage techniques.

It is known that Asian massage theories and techniques work based on the Asian rub philosophies that, rellies or emanate from the divine power.

The Ancient Asians state that, naturally, there is a free flow of energy flowing/circulating along the Sen lines or meridian lines within the inner body of humans which keeps our body balanced and homeostasis.

These sen lines or meridians serve as the main medium for the free flow of energies.

These energy forces have two opposite forces, the negative and the positive energies( yin, & Yang). These free-flow energies keep our bodies in the balance between the inner and external environments.

When there is a blockage of energy in these lines, disease and ailments occur.

The same to this view, Korean rub styles also perform their rub techniques based on this belief and philosophy.

And later, they combined and blend it with the western, physiological Swedish massage. To read more on Asian massages, click here.

How to do Korean massage

When we see Korean massage principles, they have their own massage disciplines that emanate from their own beliefs and tradition which will lead to a heightened healing outcome.

These incorporated new systems and disciplines add flavor and comfort to the already existing acquired Asian principles and philosophies.

Korean massage style uses a full body massage that encompasses all body parts by using long, soft strokes by applying some sort of force that ranges from medium to vigorous massage pressures.

Moreover, the bodywork can also go up to the deeper tissues. As it is an Asian in Origin, likewise, more attention is given to the pressure points to release these energy blockages.

They manipulate it with the help of their hand, elbow, thumb, and fingers. Sometimes, when there is deep pain, it can include deep tissue massage, foot massage, and other massage modalities.

Before you go directly to massage rooms, Koreans incorporate treatment Spas, hot water bathe scrubs, swimming pools to help you get more relaxation even before you dive directly to the massage body works.

By recreating in these spa centers, prior to your massage therapy, you can release some sort of tension, pain, and anxiety a lot. You will take hot baths with skin scrubs with the help of a towel, which will be used to clean your dirty skin and keep you neat before the body rub procedure.

After incorporating these prior services, instilled with the Korean traditional healing medicine, Koreans also becomes well known for beauty and skincare center. Korean spa centers are well known for keeping facial skin beauty, hands, and others.

Anyway, as Korean massage is a full body massage, every inch of your body will be massaged starting from head to toe.

The head, neck, shoulder, upper back, lower back, buttock, upper limbs (upper arm, lower arm, hand, fingers will be covered).

As well as your lower limb like the thigh, hips, calf, the foot will be also massaged.

All the procedures are done with different alternative massage styles with special attention to a Swedish massage, which covers full-body, long, soft, kneading strokes.

But, based on other indications, deep tissue massage, hot stone massage, and others can also be used in combination with these styles.

The Massage therapist can start either from the shoulder and neck downwards, or starting from the foot upwards, either way, is acceptable. But, clients can also opt their own way and massage therapist should work to satisfy their client’s needs.

Benefits of K. massage

With regard to the applications and use of additional Korean-origin massage styles, Korean massage has several benefits in maximizing and improving the overall health status of individuals.  These include

Attain maximum relaxation

As Korean massage covers the whole body, it will benefit you to attain the maximum level of relaxation.

Decrease stress

Massaging the entire body helps to reduce intense stress to its minimum level.

Relieve pain

The source of an individual’s pain and agony can be multiple areas. As Korean massage encompasses all these areas, it has a tremendous use to relieve these pains to their minimum level.

Increase blood flow

Massaging all muscles and tissues results in releasing muscle knots and spasms, which in turn helps for increased blood flow and circulation.

Boost immunity

When muscles, tissues, and other parts of our body get massaged, the proliferation of white cells increases which help us to boost our immunity.

Enhance muscle function

Through massage therapy, muscle knots and spasms get released, which in turn helps to enhance muscle function for good mobility and structural function.

Promote Health and well-being

The overall body manual manipulation and massage therapy help individuals to attain overall health and well-being.

Improve the quality of life

All the above, combined, result in improving the quality of life and well-being.

In General, as Korean massage covers the entire body, it has a tremendous benefit in boosting the health and well-being of individuals, which results in improving the quality of life.

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