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New York Monthly Herald. May 2006 Issue. P. 2  Continued from P.1                                                                                                                 Continues on P. 3

Lifestyle

Between Sex and Massage: similarities and dissonances   

By Marion DS Dreyfus

A recent study by Stuart Brody of the University of Paisley, UK, indicated pretty conclusively that serious romance had a stress-reduction effect that lasted close to a week, as opposed to self-satisfaction, which did not achieve  50% of the stress reduction of two-person full-on encounters. Though less effective, auto-entertainment was still far better than zero romance, it turned out (total subjects: 24 men, 22 women). Abstainers had a far rougher reaction to crises and difficult life events than the other two groups. The stress reduction functioned also in faster return to normal blood pressure and body function at optimum. The abstainers had the hardest time adjusting to crises, and spent far longer returning to full function than their more sexual-functioning cohorts, masturbatory or heterosexual.

Erotic engagements that avoided true penetrative encounters were not effective: Turned out that love, person-to-person interaction, released the hormone that makes the coupling difference--oxytocin. This hormone 'binds' couples, and is only released when full-on sex occurs. Masturbation does not release it. Nor does abstinence.-- [Data extracted from: Reported in Biological Psychology, vol. 71, p. 214; New Scientist, issue 2536, 26 January 2006, p. 17.] Massage, for its part, reduces tension, unknots stressed nerve bundles, and impacts on the subconscious in ways akin to love-sharing, in that touch--simple, skin to skin contact--releases endorphinic response surges that mimic love-making in its salutary affect.

Massage, for its part, reduces tension, unknots stressed nerve bundles, and impacts on the subconscious in ways akin to love-sharing, in that touch--simple, skin to skin contact--releases endorphinic response surges that mimic love-making in its salutary affect. Massage has a spectrum of styles, of course, but for the vanilla imbiber, the meat-and-potatoes consumer of the welcome-mat massage, as most understand the term, a massage delivers far more to the one experiencing its emollient relaxations than the cost in dollars and cents can compute.

The salubrious effect transcends, in a sense, those of love-matching, since massage is best experienced alone. Love and sex demand a full presence, being there, before the healthful aspects can be extracted. Massage, on the other hand, can be enjoyed all alone, with a maximum of indulgent luxuriance, and a minimum of fuss or worry about how the Other will perceive one. It is the province of ultimate self-regard, while not tilting the least bit toward sin or controlled-substance guilt. Massage adds value, not calories. Massage enhances self-esteem, not fretfulness. Many religions share an aspect or three with the well-being imparted by this age-old weekend magic--the wonder lies in our being so slow to apprehend its numerous benefits, in coming so very late to this particular luscious party.

Photo: Massage Amma style.