Couples Massage Enhances Relationships
Elizabeth Mitchell, writing for TheFashionSpot.com, was very familiar with the health benefits of massage (“trust me,” she said, “there’s a whole laundry list of ’em!). And both she and her significant other enjoyed those benefits – but they hadn’t experienced a couples massage, so Elizabeth started doing some research.
“Specifically,” she says, “I wanted to find out firsthand how — or if — a couples massage could help our love life, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Thus, as any good researcher would do, I spoke with a few experts and booked an appointment.”
The first thing she looked into was the claim that a couples massage can help you and your partner reconnect:
“Often, couples are busy and find little time to be alone without worrying about what they need to get done or haven’t gotten done that day, notes Esther Boykin, a licensed marriage and family therapist and co-founder of Group Therapy Associates. “But during a massage session, people are almost instinctually driven to let go of the past and the future and turn their attention to the present moment. This practice of being fully engaged in an activity together that can help couples reconnect, and with a little effort, they can bring that same level of mindful awareness to their time outside of the massage,” she says.”
Elizabeth said that her experience backs up this claim. “As soon as we got changed into our bathrobes and were lying in a bed full of pillows waiting for our massage therapists back in the spa’s zen lounge, all of our worries seemed to melt away.”
Couples massage in Los Angeles – and around the world – is also said to increase feelings of affections – Elizabeth wanted to see if this was accurate. “In our experience this is… so true,” she said after conducting some research. “After an amazing full body rubdown though, it’s no surprise that we literally couldn’t quit smiling or keep our hands off of each other.” Elizabeth reported on the reason why:
“According to Stef Safran, dating expert and owner of Chicago matchmaking and social networking service Stef and the City, massages stimulate the release of many feel-good hormones, which boost feelings of intimacy and affection. “Most notably, touch increases oxytocin (otherwise known as the ‘cuddle-chemical’), as well as serotonin and dopamine,” he explains. “So basically, a couple’s massage is pretty much a scientific love potion.”
Elizabeth also found that a Los Angeles couples massage encourages bonding.
“Research tells us that partners who continue to inject novelty into their relationships have closer, more rewarding bonds,” couples therapist Dr. Holly Cox of Lotus Therapy Center in Raleigh, NC, told Elizabeth for the story. “I think couples massage, for couples in which both partners find the idea interesting, can offer an avenue to that shared adventure.”
Elizabeth’s own personal experience backed that up. “My boyfriend and I have always made it a habit to try new things together, whether it be a couples massage or a restaurant that just opened up in town,” she said.
Interested in conducting a little research of your own? Raven Spa is known as one of the best couples spa in Los Angeles. Any treatment we offer can be done side-by-side at our spa in Santa Monica, located at 208 Pier Avenue, for a memorable experience that will enhance your relationship. You can also enjoy any massage on the menu of services as a couples massage at our Silverlake spa, located at 2910 Rowena Avenue. For your convenience, both of our spas in Los Angeles are open daily from 10 am to 9 pm.
