June 2026
Hello, and welcome to this month's article! Ready For Summer? Will you be hitting the road this year? According to an online search, 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation involving paid lodging this year. This marks the lowest rate of travel in six years, with many citing rising costs and general affordability as the primary reasons for staying home.
Keep in mind that a relaxing massage is a great way to de-stress and to recharge without having to leave town.
With the cost of living climbing, it’s important to keep your priorities in mind. Putting your health and well-being at the top of the list makes the most sense, and regular massage is the ideal choice to keep you feeling your best.
This month’s lead article is a fascinating look into the potential health benefits that gratitude can provide. Just like massage, gratitude’s benefits can reach far deeper than you could ever imagine.
Have an enjoyable and healthy summer; see you soon!
There Are Two Kinds of Gratitude. Only One Shows Up In Your Biology
by Heather Hurlock
There are two kinds of gratitude, and we tend to conflate them.
The first is the one we were handed as children. Say thank you. Write the note. Be grateful you have it better than some kid somewhere who doesn’t. It is gratitude as obligation, as comparison, as proof of good character. Most of us learned it this way, and most of us carry a little resistance to it as adults. ...
The second kind is not something you do. It is something you notice. It shows up in our body before it registers in language. A soft settling when you see your kid laughing with a friend. A feeling of warmth when your body meets a challenge you thought you couldn’t do. A moment of grace when you feel that you are held by something larger than your words can articulate. This kind of gratitude doesn’t require you to act in a certain way. It doesn’t require comparison for what you have and others don’t. It is an act of attention, of noticing, and the research suggests it is the kind the body can actually hear.
In 2024, researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital published the first study linking gratitude directly to longevity. Tracking 49,275 older women over four years, they found that those with the highest levels of gratitude had measurably better odds of living longer than those with the lowest, even after adjusting for physical health, lifestyle, social connection, religious involvement, cognitive function, and mental health. The strongest effect showed up in cardiovascular deaths. ...
What Is Gratitude? Researchers have been trying to pin this down for decades. Clinically, gratitude is the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful in your life. But the leading gratitude researcher, Robert Emmons, describes it as having two parts: first, recognizing the goodness in your life, and second, acknowledging that much of that goodness comes from sources outside yourself. ...
How Gratitude Impacts Your Health ...
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 64 randomized controlled trials found that gratitude interventions consistently produced better mental health, fewer anxiety and depression symptoms, and more positive mood compared to controls. Alongside that psychological signal, a growing body of research shows gratitude also produces physical shifts, ... including:
- Nervous System Balance
- Decreased Chronic Inflammation
- Improved Blood Pressure
- Improved Cardiovascular Health
- Lowered Stress Hormone Levels
- Strengthened Relationships and Emotional Resilience
- Better Sleep Through Calmer Pre-Sleep Thoughts
Research also links gratitude to higher overall well-being and a stronger sense of purpose and personal growth, outcomes that ripple into nearly every aspect of longevity. In other words, gratitude works on the mind, body, and emotional landscape in ways that compound over a lifetime.
Source: superage.com
Massage — The Magic Touch
Massages can feel great. But are they actually good for you?
In one study, researchers observed that 8.5% of Americans reported using massage for “overall health” in the 2022 National Health Interview Survey. ...
Research typically seeks to establish precise causal relationships. But the impact of massage seems to be holistic in nature, integrating physical, emotional and neurological effects, explains Niki Munk, licensed massage therapist, associate professor at Indiana University Indianapolis, and research director of the Massage Therapy Foundation.
While some perceive massage as a luxury, it has historically been part of healthcare, notes Munk. It is increasingly embedded as a feature of hospital care because research and patient experiences corroborate its potential advantages.
Experts say massage may benefit anyone regardless of their health status. ...
Are there emotional benefits to massage? It’s difficult to untangle the emotional and physical reactions people experience due to massage, says Dr. Carla Kuon, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and a faculty member at the Osher Center for Integrative Health.
Massage therapy can increase the release of endorphins, natural pain-relievers made by the body, she explains. A wealth of research shows that positive, consensual touch can increase mental well-being and reduce anxiety and depression.
Working as a massage therapist, Anne Weisman observed benefits for people living with HIV/Aids. In subsequent research, Weisman, who is an associate professor and director of Well-Being & Integrative Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, quantified these observations: participants self-reported a newfound awareness of their body that influenced motivation and resilience. ...
Source: theguardian.com
The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness.
— Arthur Schopenhauer
The content of this article is not designed to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, consult a physician.
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