Massage Therapy

Experience the healing power of touch!

Touch is the oldest form of healing known to man. It can bring internal balance and harmony back to the body, mind and soul.

No machine or electrical device could ever take its place.

With our very busy and hectic lifestyles, human touch is often at a minimum. We rush around frantically all day and fall wearily into bed at night only to get up and repeat the pattern over and over again. In time, we become depleted, physically...emotionally... spiritually. It is much easier to fall prey to illness, pain, and disease when those unleashed stress hormones are raging wildly throughout our body.

Massage is the sharing of touch. The sense of touch is a very powerful and versatile tool when it comes to releasing stress and healing. Touch is the basic core of massage.

Healthy positive touch can calm, excite, comfort and soothe not only the physical but the emotional aspects of bodies as well. Touch can "speak" to others without uttering a sound.

Massage, when performed to treat the individual as a whole is referred to as "holistic massage." Each massage session is developed for each individual based on information, desired results and input from that individual. The focus of the session is to normalize the body systems through external manual stimulation of the nervous system, connective tissue, muscle, circulatory, lymphatic, and respiratory systems. Through touch receptors in the skin, massage also works on a person's limbic system. The limbic system is a group of structures within the brain that are associated with powerful emotions, memories, and feelings. Holistic massage not only relieves stress and anxiety, it helps you to become more aware of your body in depth.

If desired, plant extracted essential oils which are virtually the "blood of the plant" are used in conjunction with high quality massage oils, lotions and cremes. Essential oils are known to contain the highest concentrations of naturally occurring ozone, oxygen and have many beneficial properties to increase vitality and health. For example, lavender oil has been shown to help reduce anxiety, depression, or be useful in treating athlete's foot or eczema. Peppermint is often used for headaches, colds and flu or nausea. Birch and eucalyptus oils are useful for muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, and arthritis.

What types of techniques are used during a massage?

• Pressure or kneading of the tissues.

• Friction or gliding over the skin with varying amounts of pressure.

• Vibration or rhythmic shaking of a limb, muscle, or area of the body.

• Joint movements to increase range of motion.

• Percussive movements are performed with the hands in a rapid, rhythmic fashion.

• Cranio-Sacral Therapy uses gentle holding techniques applied to the cranial bones and spine to encourage the body's flow of cerebral spinal fluid.

• Accupressure or Shiatsu, where points on the body are pressed to stimulate the flow of energy.

• Positional Release to shorten the length of a spasmed muscle thus increasing blood flow and oxygen to the area therefore releasing muscle tension.

• Muscle Energy Technique uses the contraction of one muscle to inhibit the spasm of a hypertonic muscle thus allowing bones to glide back into place without manipulation.

• Myofascial Release uses extremely gentle traction on the skin to slowly and gently lengthen the tight tissues.

• Reiki (an ancient Japanese form of healing) uses the universal life force energy, directing the energy into the body by using various hand placements. Reiki balances and restores the body's energy.

• Reflexology is done by pressing on specific spots of the body, usually on the hands and feet, to stimulate corresponding areas in other parts of the body.

• Trigger point therapy uses compression techniques, deep friction, or stretching to relieve hyperirritable spots in a muscle or related connective tissue.

Pregnancy is a wonderful time to experience massage. Mom can get in touch with the baby and both will benefit from the massage. This type of massage is geared to the different stages of pregnancy. Gentle bodywork during the first trimester will give way to using deeper pressure along the shoulders, neck, spine, back sacrum, and legs as the pregnancy continues. Partners are encouraged to attend the massage sessions to help the mom at home and during labor. Post-natal massage is important for the mom to speed up recovery time.