
LIVING EARTH
Holistic Massage Therapy

About Living Earth
Oban, Scotland
Kristin Buchholz-MacKillop
MSN, RN, ACNP, CMT, ESMT
click here for my full relevant credentials
Yeah, I know - that's a lot of letters after my name. Let me break it down for you. I've been a Registered Nurse and hospital-based Nurse Practitioner for over a decade, both in the US and the UK. As the years have progressed, I've begun to notice something; culturally, we have become disconnected from our bodies. Our culture of immediacy contributes to everything from chronic pain, depression and anxiety to unexpected illnesses that can truly blindside us when we least expect it. Western medicine is the best diagnostic modality available, yet tends to look at the body through a narrow, problem-focused lens.
Instead of looking at the body one trouble-spot at a time, holistic therapies like massage, herbalism and energy work focus on the bigger picture; mitigating the effects of stress, trauma, and anything else that may be standing between your mind-body connection and your best, most joyful life. Culturally we tend to relegate such therapies to the "do it later" pile when really, we ought to do it now. All of us. Even those of you who find these modalities all a bit too "crunchy" or "woo-woo" (and trust me, I used to be one of you) - there is benefit here for you when you're ready.
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Set the stage for yourself to feel better, and you will be better.
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Why Holistic Therapy?

Holistic therapies offer more than just a problem-focused approach, whether you are just looking to relax or have a specific issue you are hoping to address. For example, holistic massage is a style of massage that focuses on releasing tension in the muscles and promoting relaxation while taking into account the client's emotional and spiritual wellbeing. At Living Earth, I draw from the styles and techniques from several different styles of massage to create a tailor-made treatment that suits the client's specific needs.
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It can help with

Stress
Massage therapy has been shown to have a significant impact on the physiological symptoms of stress including a reduction on both heart rate and blood pressure.
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Anxiety
Holistic modalities have been widely used to reduce anxiety, improve emotional resilience, and enhance feelings of general well-being.

Pain
A meta-analysis of the existing research shows that massage therapy should be "strongly recommended" as a pain management option.

Increased Immune Function
Studies have found that moderate-pressure massage results in an increase in the body's Natural Killer cells, which are beneficial in warding-off bacteria, viruses, and even cancer.
Healing
Massage therapy promotes quicker healing by activating molecules that reduce inflammation.
