How Massage Supports the Nervous System & Eases Stress
Discover how targeted touch helps your body shift from “fight or flight” into deep relaxation and recovery.
Your nervous system is like your body’s electrical wiring—constantly sending messages that tell your muscles how to move, your heart how fast to beat, and your brain how to respond to what’s happening around you.
A Body and Brain in Balance: from Head to Toe
When your brain and body are in balance, you feel alert, calm, and capable. But when they’re stuck in overdrive—whether from stress, over-training, injury, or daily demands—you might experience muscle tension, fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, or even slower recovery after workouts.
Our intentionally-designed Massage Therapy treatment offers more than just relaxation. The right techniques can directly influence your nervous system, helping it switch gears from a constant “on” state to a place where your body can rest, heal, and restore.
That’s exactly what our Relaxation: Nervous System Reset Massage is designed to do.
What is the Nervous System?
Your nervous system is made up of two main parts:
• Central Nervous System (CNS): Your brain and spinal cord, which process information and send out instructions.
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Nerves branching out from your spinal cord that carry messages to the rest of your body.
Inside the PNS is your autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls things you don’t have to think about—like breathing, digestion, and heart rate.
The ANS has two modes:
• Sympathetic Nervous System: The “fight or flight” mode that keeps you alert in stressful situations.
• Parasympathetic Nervous System: The “rest and digest” mode that promotes recovery, healing, and balance.
A healthy body moves between these states throughout the day. But when stress takes over, that balance gets thrown off—and that’s where massage can help.
How Massage Influences the Nervous System
Massage has a unique ability to affect both body and mind.
Here’s how Massage supports your Nervous System:
• Activates sensory receptors: Gentle, consistent touch sends signals to the brain that it’s safe to relax.
• Calms the stress response: Certain techniques lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.
• Encourages rest and recovery: Slow, rhythmic strokes activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Improves nerve–muscle communication: Freer movement and better coordination after tension is released.
The Nervous System Reset Massage: A Deeper Focus on Balance & Relaxation
While many massages can help you feel relaxed, our Nervous System Reset Massage is intentionally designed to bring your body into a restorative state.
This specialized session may include:
• Long, flowing strokes to help the body feel grounded and safe
• Gentle myofascial release to ease restrictions without triggering tension
• Subtle breathwork guidance to deepen the relaxation response
• A quiet, low-stimulation setting so your nervous system can truly reset
It’s not about deep pressure or targeting knots—it’s about creating the ideal conditions for your body to heal and recharge.
The Many Benefits of a Nervous System Focused Massage
• Less muscle tension and chronic pain
• Better quality sleep
• Improved stress resilience
• Sharper focus and mental clarity
• Faster recovery from physical activity or injury
Who Can Benefit?
This type of massage can be especially effective for:
• Athletes balancing training stress and recovery
• People with high-pressure jobs or busy lifestyles
• Students struggling with homework, tests, studying or friendships
• Anyone dealing with anxiety, burnout, or chronic fatigue
• Individuals recovering from injury or illness or loss
• Clients who simply want a deep sense of rest
Final Thoughts
Your nervous system controls how you feel, move, and recover every day. When it’s out of balance, everything from your mood to your muscle function can be affected.
Our Nervous System Reset Massage is a natural way to restore that balance—helping you feel calm, grounded, and ready to take on life again.
Ready to Relax & Reset your Nervous System?
Book your session today, and experience the difference.
Boulder location only.
About the Authors:
Rachael Heisel, LMT is a compassionate and skilled massage therapist and is one of our team providers offering this service. With a background in Reiki, Rachael has gained a profound understanding of how our bodies carry life’s weight within holding patterns, injuries, and chronic pain. Her approach to healing emphasizes working with the body rather than against it, aiming to restore balance and ease. She is able to balance a deep therapeutic session while connecting deeply with her clients.
David Abookire, LMT is the founder of Boulder Therapeutics, Inc, and has been treating professional and competitive athletes and injured clients since 1999. He is passionate about educating people on massage therapy, injury rehab, Acupuncture, injury prevention, sports performance and stretching. He is committed to bringing the highest quality healthcare services to this community.