Swedish / Therapeutic Massage

With Swedish / Therapeutic massage you have the option to choose from a 1/2-hour, 1-hour, or a 1-1/2 hour session. This session is dedicated and tailored to your aches, pains, and trouble areas. With open honest communication throughout yuour massage please feel free to ask for mor or less pressure, or tell me if you are too hot or too cold. Remember, this is your massage, your time and it is important to me that you are comfortable.

In case you are new to massage and you are not really sure what to expect during your session here is a brief description for you. . .

When you enter the massage room, it will be like entering into a whole new place an leaving reality behind. After receiving your intake form with you, I will step out of the room while you disrobe to your comfort level and climb under the warm sheets and blanket on the massage table waiting for you. The massage will then begin with your scalp and face, then moving to the neck and tops of your shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, and legs. After about a half hour (depending on the length of your session) you will then flip over on to your stomach continuing the masssage with the feet, toes, legs, and back.

During you massage you will remain covered and secure. Only the area being worked on will be uncovered.
(If you have a favorite CD you enjoy listening to, you are more than welcome to bring it in.)

Ahh...Shiatsu Bar Therapy

Ashiatsu is an ancient art of massage from Asia. The therapist uses her feet to apply deep relaxing strokes to the entire body. Ashiatsu is deep compression and muscles are elongated and broadened at the same time. With this massage relatively no residual soreness or bruising is experienced after the treatment.

To receive your Ahh...Shiatsu will be the same as the Swedish / Therapeutic massage, except for being performed with the feet instead of the hands. One foot is always on the table while the other foot gives the massage. Bars are above the table so the therapist can keep her balance and the therapist sanitizes her feet before beginning the massage.

Chair Massage

With chair massage you can do 5-30 minutes. Chair massage is great if you are limited on time, but need to get that kink out of your neck, relax your shoulders, and or loosen up your back. You can then return to your day feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

To receive your chair massage, you will remain fully clothed and kneel down in the massage chair. Depending on the length of time you have reserved the "problem" area will be focused on the most to help eliminate the discomfort caused by it. The more time allowed, the more area covered. No oils are used.

The Benefits of Massage

Beyond Relaxation

As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The air is fragrant and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands. Once your massage begins, the daily stressors and aching muscles fade into oblivion and you experience 60 minutes of wonderful relief. You are in the moment, relaxed and right now all you want is for it not to end.

But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away? What if that Swedish massage helped you combat cancer? What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion, and mood all improved with massage and bodywork? What if these weren't just "what if's"?

Evidence is showing that the more massage you can allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why:

Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. When you bump your head or have a sore calf, the natural response is to rub it to feel better. The same was true of our earliest ancestors.

Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage -- benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind -- there are specific physiological and psychological changes that occur, and even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it may cure what ails you.

Effects of Stress

Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage may;

• lowers blood pressure,
• increase circulation,
• improve injury recovery,
• encourages deep sleep,
• increases concentration
• reduce fatigue
• give you more energy to handle stressful situations.

Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.

The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Researchers from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, found that recipients of massage can benefit even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session). They also note that receiving bodywork two to three times a week is even more beneficial. While this may not be feasible, it's nice to know that this "medicine" only gets better with frequency.

What Massage Does

In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. Following is a brief list of the many known, research-based benefits of massage and bodywork:

• Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs
  
• Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer. Furthermore, increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ -- the skin
• Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
• Reduces spasms and cramping
• Increases joint flexibility
• Reduces recovery time and helps prepare the body for strenuous workouts, reducing subsequent muscle pain of athletes at any level
• Releases endorphins -- the body's natural painkiller -- and is proving very beneficial in patients with chronic illness, injury, and post-op pain
• Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred
• Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain
• Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and can decrease the need for medication
• Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion

Making the Most of Your Massage and Prolonging its Benefits

A massage works in wonderful ways, easing stress and pain, calming the nervous system, increasing circulation, loosening tight muscles, stimulating internal organs, and enhancing skin. The multiplicity of physiological responses sends a simple, clear message to the mind: Massage feels good. Of course, you want to hold on to that just-had-a-massage feeling -- total body relaxation, muscles relaxed and at ease, and fluid movement restored -- for as long as possible.

But how long that bliss lasts depends on the state of your body. If you're suffering from chronic pain or recovering from injury, then it may take more sessions and perhaps different modalities before optimal health is restored.

If massage is part of your regular health regimen, then it's more likely the effects will endure. In other words, the effects of massage are cumulative, like any healthy habit. The more often you get a massage, the greater and longer-lasting the benefits.

Massage Frequency

How often you receive massage depends on why you're seeking massage. In dealing with the general tension of everyday commutes, computer work, and time demands, a monthly massage may be enough to sustain you. On the other hand, if you're seeking massage for chronic pain, you may need regular treatments every week or two. Or if you're addressing an acute injury or dealing with high levels of stress, you may need more frequent sessions. Your situation will dictate the optimum time between treatments, and your practitioner will work with you to determine the best course of action.

"You need to consider how you felt before the session and how you felt after, and then look at how long you maintain that," says Pieter Sommen, the chair of the eastern department in the Swedish Institute School of Massage Therapy in New York.

In general, experts say "regular" is preferable, but how regular depends on your situation. While daily massage would be delightful, practical considerations such as cost, time, and physical need likely determine the frequency of treatments. On average most people receive a professional massage once per month. The important thing to remember is, regardless of how often you come, to stay on a regular schedule.

Maintenance

Whether you get a massage weekly, monthly, or just every once in a while, the following habits can maximize and extend the afterglow of treatment.

Water, one bit of advice you'll hear over and over again is to drink plenty of water after a massage. Bodywork -- no matter the particular modality -- releases toxins, such as lactic acid and carbonic acid, toxins that need to be flushed from the body. Massage also promotes circulation, increasing blood flow and oxygen and stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps rid the body of pathogens. After-massage hydration supports these functions, helping to eliminate released impurities, sooner rather than later.

Stretching, another helpful habit is stretching between massages to maintain joint mobility, prevent muscles from tightening up again, and keeping the life energy flowing. This may mean doing yoga or whatever specific or full-body stretches suggested by your practitioner.

Exercise, working out can also help maintain the benefits of massage, and this habit should be continually cultivated. However, if you're receiving massage therapy to help speed muscle strain recovery, you may need to ease up on the exercise for a while and give the body time to heal -- particularly if you're recovering from a strenuous body-pummeling training regimen.

Body Awareness, after a massage, respect how your body feels. If your body seems to ask for rest, give in to that demand. This may mean backing off the to-do list, taking it easy, moving slower, and perhaps doing less for a while. And don't allow yourself to get fatigued because it will undermine the effects of massage. Get sufficient sleep to allow the body to absorb the effects and regain vitality.

Diet, finally, since you've just rid the body of toxins, support the body's renewed state by adhering to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which will continue the detoxification process. Lay off the espresso and all adrenaline-challenges for a time and enjoy the calm.

The benefits of massage are many, including: increasing circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, stimulating lymph flow and boosting immunity, relaxing overused or tight muscles, increasing joint mobility and range of motion, reducing recovery time after strenuous workouts or surgery, and relieving back pain and migraines, just to name a few.