Be Aware of the Boob Massage

This is for all the ladies out there.

I have had massages in the states before and the masseuses are pretty aware of their client’s sense of privacy. Imagine my surprise, then, the first time I got a massage in China and she massaged my boobs. And my butt. And, you’re pretty much naked for the whole thing because they only give you these little see-through disposable panties to wear that are way to small for a western woman whose hips don’t lie. Getting a full body massage in China is definitely a way to get over your self-consciousness fast. (just as a note, this only happens with a full body massage, not a foot or back massage)

The first time it happened, I was with my Chinese friend Jasmine. She asked how it was and I was like “great, but it was kind of weird when she massaged my boobs.” Jasmine looked at me like I was dumb. “Of course they do. It is important for your health. Don’t they do that in America?”

So I did some research on the benefits of breast massage. Turns out, there are quite a lot of them. Massage in general is good for your health. A massage helps clean out toxins from your body and flush out your lymphatic system. It is good for your muscles and can help with pain. So it makes sense that all these benefits can also be applied to your breasts. Breast massage can break up benign cysts, strengthen muscles, and tone ligaments to improve breast appearance. Breast massage can ease soreness, sensitivity, pain, and swelling. Some people believe it can also reduce chances of breast cancer since it can help flush out toxins that can build up on the muscles, fat, and tissues of the breasts. With so many sure and probable benefits to breast massage, why is this area of holistic health ignored in the West?

We ignore a lot of women’s health issues in the West simply based on prudishness and ignorance. The most important thing women can do for their health is perform a monthly self breast exam to check for any anomalies, but many women don’t or don’t do so regularly. Many women do not get regular “well-woman” exams as a preventative measure, and even when symptoms are present that something is wrong, the symptoms are ignored due to embarrassment, fear, or worries about money. Far too many women die or live with chronic pain because of excuses that simply shouldn’t exist.

I find it really strange that a country like China, which is far more prudish, repressive, oppressive, and behind the times medically, does see the benefits of regular breast massage. So if you are in China (or, as I learned last week, Thailand) and you feel the urge to say “no” to the surprising breast massage, please don’t. Just enjoy it 🙂