BodyWorks offers a unique and varied menu of services rarely found under one roof. Each treatment or therapy is delivered by a skilled professional who is a graduate of an accredited school and certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.  Each therapist has advanced training in areas they individually chose to express their passion and deepen their skills.  All of this combines to bring you the best of the best.

Our offering of therapies and treatments are designed to enhance your health and well being, to promote a revitalized body, a calm mind and a soothed soul.  A more complete listing of offerings is available by clicking here. We invite you to try whatever treatment resonates with your inner being (See our “Try It Till You Like It” package of 3 different services for $150 only for new customers). You can’t lose because your satisfaction is guaranteed.

• Healing Power of Touch

  – is one of the greatest natural healing method as it soothes, nourishes, releases, relaxes, and comforts.

• CranioSacral Therapy

  – a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of the physiological body system called the CranioSacral system positively and powerfully affecting every aspect of your body.

• Crystal Healing Therapy

  – through the application of certain crystals, mental clarity and emotional calm is restored.

• Deep Tissue Massage

  – a massage technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue letting go of year’s of accumulated stress and tension.

• Energy Healing

  -a delicate balance of the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual states.

• Esoteric Healing
• Healing Stone Therapy (Hot Stone Massage)

  – stones of varying sizes are applied to key points on the body, giving a deep massage and creating sensations of comfort and warmth.

• Lymph Drainage

  – systematically enhances lypmph flow throughout the body improving health and immune response.

• Relaxation/Swedish Massage

  – increases oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles; very relaxing.

• Myofascial Release

  – a mild and gentle hands on form of stretching which relieves connective tissue restrictions all over the body.

• Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)

  – based on research that identifies the fundamental causes of pain, a whole-body approach to healing.

• Paraffin Treatments

  – hands and feet dipped in a specially treated parafin was that penertrates joints and muscles sening soothing energy throught the body.

  Pranic Breathwork

  – a powerful self-healing process that rapidly raises your body’s vibrational level improving well being on the physical, mental and emotional level.

• Pranic Healing®

  – a form of energy healing. It is a highly evolved and effective system of energy medicine and uses Prana to balance the body’s energy systems.

• Reflexology

  – works relevant reflex points to alleviate pain and other symptoms in corresponding areas of the body.

• Reiki

  – accesses Universal Life Energy allowing the client to absorb more Life Force energy that is used for healing, bringing you closer to a condition of oneness and connection to the Universe.

• Raindrop Therapy

  – the highest quality essential oils are applied to the body relieving stress and improving immune response.

• Somato Emotional Release (SER)

  – designed to identify, locate and diffuse blocked energy patterns within the body.

• Sports Massage

  – focuses on the muscles relevant to a particular athletic activity.

• Thai Massage

  – different from traditional massage in that Thai techniques balance energy levels and enable the practitioner to press the muscles on both sides of the body. Where yoga meets massage.  

• Trigger Point Therapy

  – a trigger point is a highly irritable point in a muscle, which contributes critically to pain. The therapist applies concentrated finger pressure to break the cycle of spasm and pain.

• Visceral Massage

  – massage is the massage of each organ individually to release somatic emotional stress.

Overview

The human body is amazing and complex. Just as the Universe strives to balance at all levels so does your body. Even at the cellular level the body moves to a balanced state called homeostasis.

Each day our experience on this planet puts us in situations that threaten this balance.  Accidents, illness, poor nutrition, and emotional stress to name a few all undermine homeostasis. This imbalance leads to aches and pains that are the body’s way of saying that something is not right. Underlying these aches and pains is stagnant and bound energy.

If left untreated, this congested energy may result in physiological dysfunction that is often manifested in the muscular skeletal system. This can later extend to all major systems of the body including the immune system, digestive system, nervous system, circulatory system and endocrine system. It can even affect your energy level, your relationships and your attitude.

In the body’s infinite wisdom, it will work to get your attention when energy is bound and something needs to bring it back to stasis. A catalyst is typically needed to jump start the healing.  This can be an intention by the patient to invite the healing to occur and a safe environment or container for the healing to occur.

What may work for one person may not work for another. So whether the cause started as a physical, emotional, mental or spiritual stressor, Bodywork’s staff has expertise in numerous healing modalities to address many of these issues and to help you with your unique situation. Our trained, professional staff have the tools to help you restore balance and allow the body to heal in its own natural and innate way. You can achieve a life of fullness, a life with boundless energy and a life of health and wellness with very little effort.  May you experience life with an abundance of all that is good.

Healing Power of Touch

Touch is one of the greatest natural healing methods. Touch soothes, nourishes, releases, relaxes, and comforts. We nourish our wholeness through regular and frequent touch. It is a most powerful medicine!

Massage and bodywork stimulate blood and lymph flow, warms the tissue, improves flexibility, eases pain and engages the body’s parasympathetic nervous system resulting in a relaxation response. But the power of touch reaches far beyond just the physical and penetrates into the depth of our being. Touch can result in the production of endorphins, chemical substances released in the nervous system, which relieves pain and results in an incredible sense of well-being.

Ayurveda Treatment

A system of healing that has stood the test of time for thousands of years form India.

CranioSacral Therapy (CST)

Based upon the principals of Osteopathic Medicine, CST works on the cranium, spinal column, and the sacrum. CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the CranioSacral system – comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

This tissue is connected to all soft tissue though a continuous membrane called fascia. The therapy evaluates dysfunction and distortions in the CranioSacral system and works to harmonize the primary elements of the system. Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the CranioSacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system. Through the release of specific diaphragms located on the body, fascial membranes are affected thereby making adjustments throughout the body.

By complementing the body’s natural healing processes, CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease. It is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:

• Migraine Headaches
• Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Motor-Coordination Impairments
• Colic
• Autism
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Orthopedic Problems
• Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
• Scoliosis
• Learning Disabilities
• Chronic Fatigue
• Emotional Difficulties
• Stress and Tension-Related Problems
• Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
• Tempromandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
• Neurovascular or Immune Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Post-Surgical Dysfunction

Crystal Stone Therapy

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep Tissue Massage is a massage technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. Deep tissue massage is used to release chronic muscle tension through slower strokes and more direct deep pressure or friction applied across the grain of the muscles. The purpose is to free up constricted or frozen muscles while releasing deeply held patterns of tension. Deep tissue massage feels good and is beneficial to your health.

When muscles are stressed, they block oxygen and nutrients, leading to inflammation that builds up toxins in the muscle tissue. A deep-tissue massage helps loosen muscle tissue, release toxins from muscles and gets blood and oxygen circulating properly. It aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the fiber’s of the muscles, tendons and fascia. It also helps to break up and eliminate scar tissue. A typical session will also incorporate many of the same techniques used in a relaxation session.

This type of massage usually focuses on more specific areas and may cause some tenderness during or right after the massage. The tenderness, if any, will usually be gone within a day if you drink plenty of water to flush the metabolic waste out the tissue.

Energy Healing

Energy Medicine is a delicate balance of the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual states. Whenever one of these states is out of balance with the others, a person’s overall system becomes imbalanced. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, when the body is injured or in pain, there is a disruption of the harmonious flow of Chi (ki or qi). The concept of Chi has been around since ancient times. It has been called many names: mana, prana, ha, ether, x-force, vital force, bio-cosmic energy to name a few. Traditional peoples around the world maintained the belief that life is a unity of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional, vitalized by a certain special energy. People everywhere share this energy that comprises the Universe – all plants, animals, humans and every living thing on the planet. It is the basis of the body’s natural ability to heal itself. It is the healing power of nature. There must be a balance of Chi for the body to be vital and healthy.

Very simply stated, an imbalance of Chi can cause stagnation of the energy flow within the body, resulting in pain and dysfunction. Cranial Sacral Therapists call this stagnation of energy an energy cyst and energy healers call it an energetic blockage. This can manifest in the body as headaches, depression, mood fluctuations, addictive patterns and other physical illness ranging from cancer to less serious issues like chronic back pain or upset stomachs.

In the therapeutic process, energy healing is a balancing of the energy field through the laying on of hands on specific energy centers with the intent to relieve the blocked pattern. It is the intention of the client and facilitator as well as the safety of the container that facilitates the reorganization of the energy pathways. Stagnation and stasis is changed by intervention and the body reorganizes the flow, which relieves pain and dysfunction. Energy healing is used as an adjunct to many of our sessions but is the main focus in Reiki, Esoteric, and Somato Emotional Release.

Paradoxically quantum physicists are now proving the claims of ancient mystics. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was at the forefront of this awakening. His theory was that energy is at the underlying essence of all matter. For more on this visit the links to related sites page.

Esoteric Healing

The energy field surrounds and permeates all living beings. Within the energy field are seven major centers, the Chakras. They are located at or near, major nerve centers or ganglia within the body. Each of these Chakras energizes its related nerve center, endocrine gland and internal organ system. It is within this energy field that the cause of disease can be located. The practitioner identifies weaknesses within the energy field and uses techniques to bring balance and harmony to the system.

During treatment a person may sit or lie down. No physical contact is required. The therapist reads the client’s energy field and seeks out imbalances with the goal being to restore balance. Some individuals may feel nothing while others may experience deep relaxation, or movement. Since our mental and emotional states affect the energy field, thoughts and feelings may arise either during the session or even days later. Esoteric healing works on the physical, emotional, mental and Soul levels of the body. As issues related to the Soul’s purpose may arise, spiritual counselors are available to help the client understand what is transpiring and why. Hypnotherapy Psychotherapy and Regression Therapy may also be helpful in bringing conscious awareness to issues

Hot Stone Massage

Healing stone therapy is an advanced, gentle, restorative massage modality. It involves the application of warm and/or hot stones, sometimes in alternation with cold stones, in conjunction with deep tissue treatment and meridian therapy. Stones of varying sizes are applied to key points on the body, giving a deep massage and creating sensations of comfort and warmth. The direct heat relaxes muscles, allowing manipulation of a greater intensity than with regular massage. The heat produces vasodilatation and increases circulation to the tissue. Application of cold produces vasoconstriction and drains the area. The combination of deep tissue and Swedish massage increases the effectiveness of the massage treatment.

Many practitioners purchase their stones from massage warehouses. They use a form of igneous and basalt rocks for the massage treatment. These stones are actually smooth, volcanic glass, igneous and basalt blends. They heat up quickly but, due to their low iron ore content, loose their heat rapidly. They are useful in some massage applications, but not appropriate for layouts or thermal compress applications because of the way they hold heat.

We use metamorphic rock (“meta” means change, “morph” means form). These rocks are ideal for hot, cold and moderate therapeutic techniques. They retain consistent temperatures and are superior for bodywork. These stones are of the highest quality on the planet, with a sea thermal radiance quality of +20. These stones were harvested in a time honored tradition by experienced practitioners, specifically for use in healing stone therapy.
We offer traditional stone therapy as well as restorative techniques including sports, facial massage and restorative yoga and stone therapy.
Stone massage makes you feel deeply relaxed, allowing you to let go of all the stress that is held within your body. Those experiencing a hot stone massage can notice healing and improvement from many symptoms:

• Muscular aches, pains, sprains, and strains
• Poor circulation
• Rheumatic and arthritic conditions
• Fibromyalgia
• MS
• Back pain
• Stress, anxiety and tension
• Insomnia
• Depression

Hot stone therapy is a unique connection that we can experience with nature. It can offer a sense off profoundness and sacredness that is often lacking in our busy hectic lives. It can bring us back to a place of deep remembering. It is the perfect treatment that is enjoyable, relaxing and healing. Healing stone massage benefits the physical, emotional and psychological bodies. If you are looking for a unique nurturing, healing experience, this is the modality for you.

Lymph Drainage

Massage Therapy Relaxation Swedish

The term “Swedish Massage” refers to a variety of techniques specifically designed to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart. The main purpose of Swedish massage is to increase the oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles.

Swedish massage shortens recovery time from muscular strain by flushing the tissues of lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic wastes. It increases circulation without increasing heart load. It stretches the ligaments and tendons keeping them supple and pliable. Swedish massage also stimulates the skin and nervous system and soothes the nerves at the same time. It reduces stress, both emotional and physical, and is suggested in a regular program for stress management. It also has many specific medical uses.

Swedish massage feels good, is relaxing and invigorating at the same time. It affects the nerves, muscles, glands, and circulation, while promoting health and well-being.

Myofascial Release

A mild and gentle hands on form of stretching which relieves connective tissue restrictions all over the body promoting strength, flexibility, range of motion and proper alignment. It releases chronic problems and reduces pain and emotional trauma.

Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)

NMT is based on research that identifies the fundamental causes of pain. Scientific laws that explain how the central nervous system initiates pain responses in the body support the techniques. It is a whole-body approach to healing. The accompanying pain is often a symptom of an underlying problem. Through a series of specific body measurements, structural distortions and biomechanical dysfunctions are identified. This provides a treatment plan that can point to the cause of the pain. For example, a person who comes in for back pain may find that after their treatment that their knee pain, neck pain or headaches go away as well.

Neuromuscular therapy consists of alternating levels of concentrated pressure on the areas of muscle spasm. Pressure is usually applied with the fingers, knuckles, or elbow. Once applied to a muscle spasm, pressure should not vary for ten to thirty seconds. Muscles that are in spasm will be painful to the touch. The pain is caused by ischemic muscle tissue which means that the muscle is lacking proper blood flow, usually due to the muscle spasm. This in turn creates the following undesirable pattern:
• Because the muscle is not receiving enough blood, the muscle is also not receiving enough oxygen.
• The lack of oxygen causes the muscle to produce lactic acid.
• The lactic acid makes the muscle feel sore following physical activity.
After the muscle is relaxed through therapy, the lactic acid will be released from the muscle, and the muscle should start receiving enough blood and oxygen to relax and heal.

Paraffin Treatments

Pillosage

Pranic Breathwork

Pranic Breathwork is a self-empowering healing process that creates great change in your life. Pranic Breathing is a powerful self-healing process that utilizes the power and energy from one full breath to create major differences in your electro-magnetic field. These changes are in the way you feel physically, mentally and emotionally. It reflects the way the energy flows within your system, and how the life force accesses your being. It also reflects and changes behavioral patterns, enhancing your quality of life. The three levels of Pranic Breathing allow you to breathe more fully, have more energy, feel more peaceful and loving and ultimately attain higher levels of spiritual consciousness.

How does Pranic Breathing work? The life altering motion in Pranic Breathwork is based on the universal principle of entrainment that simply states that a lower vibrational pattern can permanently be changed in to a higher frequency by coming into contact with a higher vibrational energy source. That is why you feel lighter and clearer after being bathed with the higher vibrational energy that conscious breathing from Pranic Breathwork brings. Because Pranic Breathing accesses our electromagnetic field at the cellular level and creates permanent healing and transformation.

There are three distinct levels to Pranic Breathwork. The first level deals with opening and clearing restricted breathing patterns, allowing you to breathe more effectively and easily. Most people only get a small percentage of air capacity due to closed, restricted breathing patterns. It is estimated that over 90% of the population exhibit restricted breathing patterns. Shallow breathing has been linked to a battery of physical and emotional disorders. One test in a Minnesota hospital of 153 heart patients revealed them all to be shallow breathers. Through working with hundreds of clients, we know that the amount of air we bring into the body is directly related to the amount of good we can accept in life. As you open and expand your breathing, you not only have more energy and support for the body’s natural healing abilities, but also greatly improve your capacity to receive and experience more good. To the degree that the breath is open and flowing, you are in the flow of life. Experience what Easterners have known for thousands of years: The life force’s primary means of access into the body is though the breath!

The second level of Pranic Breathwork deals with clearing some of the major reasons why we shut down our breathing to begin with. This level works on healing traumas and negativity in the subconscious mind. This includes old unexpressed emotions sometimes called repressions: negative beliefs, old tapes and past memories all of which are stored on a cellular level. One of the primary ways to keep them “stuffed” is to shut down and control your breathing. You can reverse this by breathing into the closed places and letting go where you formerly held onto the breath. With this process, you actually bring up the old emotions, thoughts and memories, and by continuing to breathe into them, integrate these repressions and suppressions into a higher energy form, thereby creating permanent resolution of these energies.

Through the conscious breathing process or Pranic Breathwork, major areas of dysfunction are dealt with and healed such as traumas from birth and early childhood, unconscious death urges, parental and authority issues, patterns of self-sabotage plus all other negativity in the subconscious from this and other lifetimes. Pranic Breathwork could be the most effective and joyful means of clearing the subconscious mind available on the planet today!

Once the lower subconscious begins to open and clear, it then creates an opening to the Higher subconscious, which is the level of soul or our spiritual awareness. The third level allows us to consciously connect with our Higher aspects of conscious reality. It is possible to actually have mystical experiences as you becoming aware of other dimensions and higher aspects of self.

All three levels of awareness and transformation happen in every session. The time you spend at each level varies depending on your individual circumstance at the time of the session. But every time you do a Pranic Breathing session, you become lighter and clearer and permanently raise your vibrational frequency.

Pranic Healing

Pranic Healing® is a form of energy healing. Pranic Healing® is a highly evolved and effective system of energy medicine and uses Prana to balance the body’s energy systems. Prana is a Sanskrit word that means Life Force. The Chinese refer to this energy as Chi. This is the same energy that is accessed through Pranic Breathwork and is what makes these forms of healing so powerful. Prana is the energy that animates life. When blocked it does not flow freely, imbalance is created and illness manifests in the physical body. When you can change a person’s underlying energy, you can transform illness into well-being.

Pranic Healing® is based on the principle that the body has an innate ability to heal itself and is a perfect complement to the services offered at BodyWorks. In fact, BodyWorks is one of the few places that you can receive Pranic Healing® treatments in Michigan.

Pranic Healing® works on the bio-electromagnetic field known as the aura. Even though most of us cannot see the aura, science has proved its existence. Since Pranic Healing® works on the aura and not the physical body; it is a “no touch” healing modality. Because illnesses first appear in the energetic body, Pranic Healing® excels at helping a person heal illness before it manifests in the body as a symptom. The key is to identify blockages in the flow of Prana before it manifests as dis-ease in the physical body. The therapist first removes negative energy by cleansing the aura and affected organs and the related energy centers or chakras. He/she then energizes them with sufficient Life Force or Prana so that healing can commence. The innate wisdom of the body then takes over. It requires no drugs or special instruments.

Pranic Healing® has helped countless patients onto the road of recovery from serious injuries and major illness, to aches and pains, lack of energy and drive, and depression. It can help heal stress, headaches, PMS and backaches or provide a quick mid-afternoon energy boost. It can quickly relax the body and provide relief from stomach aches or help improve sexual energy and drive. It is also excellent at clearing negative energy from your life and, hence, improves your outlook on life.

Pranic Healing has been featured on TV’s Hard Copy and is recommended by Marianne Williamson, Carolyn Myss, Melanie Griffith, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and many others. Health World says, “Pranic Healing is beneficial to all interested in the field of alternative and holistic healing.” It is used by physicians and Dr. Eric Robins, a Los Angeles, California Board Certified Urologist, has successfully used it to treat migraine headaches, chronic bladder pain, menstrual cramps, anxiety, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and musculoskeletal problems. It has worked well on postoperative patients to help feel “normal again”. He says that “it has proven to be an excellent complement to my standard practice of allopathic medicine.”

Raindrop Therapy

Raindrop Technique uses Young Living Essential Oils that are lightly applied to the back and feet.  Helps destroy bacteria and viruses that live in the spine promoting better health and well being.

Reflexology

The Chinese have used pressure point therapy and reflexology for the last 5,000 years. In fact, examples of reflexology as a healing tool was found in Egypt as early as 2330 B.C. and even in more recent years in Native American Medicine. Various organs, nerves and glands are connected to a reflex point in the hands, feet or ears. Working relevant reflex points in a particular way alleviate pain and other symptoms in corresponding areas of the body.

By exerting pressure in an area, the practitioner can alter the energy in another area, stimulating the body’s self-healing ability, which, in turn, can alleviate pain and illness.

Reflexology stimulates thousands of nerve endings, encouraging the clearing and opening of neural pathways. It reduces tension and aids nervous system functioning. Reflexology is used for:

• General maintenance
• Benefits any condition
• Circulatory disorders
• Gout
• Headaches
• Colds
• Earache
• General aches and pains
• Allergies
• Nervous disorders
• PMS

If the organ is in a weakened state, the pressure point will be very tender when pressed. Therefore, reflexology can be painful, rather than soothing and comforting. This is believed to be due to the breaking up of uric acid crystal deposits that settled in the feet or to the stimulation of sensory receptors. It may take several sessions for the tenderness to dissipate.
Contraindications for reflexology include:

• Heart conditions
• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• Phlebitis
• Lymphatic cancer
• Conditions requiring surgery
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Early pregnancy

Reiki

Reiki is an ancient hands-on healing technique that promotes healing on all levels by integrating and balancing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of your being. It works quickly and directly by easing pain and accelerating healing. Reiki means Universal Life Energy, and allows the client to absorb more Life Force energy which can be used for healing, bringing you closer to a condition of oneness and connection to the Universe. Reiki practice helps clients reach a higher level of consciousness, allowing the body’s molecules to vibrate at a higher level, which dissolve energy blockages that can cause illness.

Reiki treats the whole person, body, mind, emotions, and spirit. This results in a deep sense of peace, relaxation, security, and well-being. Reiki is a safe, non – intrusive healing energy, which channels itself wherever it is needed in the body. It stimulates the body’s natural healing ability at the deepest level, removes physical and emotional blockages that cause illness or dis-ease. Reiki helps by:

• Cleansing the body.
• Balancing the Chakra.
• Bringing harmony to the body, mind and spirit through a detoxifying process.
• Promoting a positive attitude.

Reiki differs from other energy modalities in that 1). the practitioner needs to be attuned to Reiki, and 2). the fact that the energy originates from a “Universal Source” rather than the healer.

Reiki is administered with the client fully clothed. The client lies comfortably on a table or sits in a chair while the therapist’s uses a series of hand positions either on or off the body. The therapist also treats the Chakras as well. The therapist does not direct the flow of energy; this is done by the client’s own innate wisdom. The session can last for up to an hour depending on individual needs.

You will experience a sense of peace, calm and relaxation. You may see colors, feel hear or coolness in the tissue, and/or sense the vibration or movement of energy through the body. You may feel sleepy and even drift off into a sleep state as the body enters into a profound stat of relaxation. While the therapist may lay hands on the body; there is no manipulation of the body tissues. When the session ends you will fee balanced, more energized and peaceful.

Reiki is used for conditions such as:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Migraines
• Pain relief
• Acute and chronic ailments
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Immune system support
• Cuts, bruises, injuries, and swelling
• Tumors
• Burns
• Heart disorders
• Bladder problems
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Whiplash
• Insomnia
• Digestive disorders
• Arthritis
• Encourage spiritual growth

Since energy blocks can be released on all levels you can come into contact with feelings and issues that you may have suppressed in the past, allowing for release and healing.

Somato Emotional Release (SER)

SER is a therapeutic process that uses and expands on the principles of CranioSacral Therapy to help rid the mind and body of the residual effects of trauma. Memories of past traumas (pain, emotional insults, accidents, illnesses, injuries, sexual, verbal or physical abuse, war, traumatic birth process etc.) may reside in the body tissue, not purely in the brain. This is called body memory, somatic memory, and cellular or tissue memory. SER is designed to identify, locate and diffuse blocked energy patterns within the body. As part of this process suppressed emotional issues that may be inhibiting complete structural release are often identified. This therapy is often used in conjunction with CranioSacral Therapy.

Sports Massage

Sports massage focuses on the muscles relevant to a particular athletic activity. Pre event massage is more compression and percussion to invigorate the muscle and prepare it for activity. Post event massage is more relaxing. It uses sweeping strokes to assist the body in removing waste products. Gentle stretching would also be employed to maintain flexibility.

Thai Massage

A native teacher of Thai Massage, Chongkol Setthakorn, speaks of Thai Massage as a combination of the best of yoga and acupressure. Thai Massage is an ancient Thai bodywork system designed to unblock trapped energy and improve vitality by applying pressure along the body’s energy pathways. It uses slow rhythmic pressing with fingers, thumbs, hands, forearms, elbows and feet, and stretches with gentle rocking motions. Pressure and compression is applied to stimulate the movement of energy through conduits called sen . There are 72,000 sen and emphasis is placed on following the lines not on pressure points. The practitioner also manipulates the client’s body by positioning and stretching the body in gentle, yoga-like poses. The pressure and manipulation clear energy pathways, relax tense muscles, improve blood and lymph circulation, calm the nervous system, and stimulate internal organs. The stretching rocks the client and allows the joints to open more deeply. Thai massage is also effective in relieving fatigue and pain, treating swollen limbs and painful joints and headaches.

The client lies fully clothed on a mat on the floor. This permits the practitioner maximum leverage, balance and weight in manipulating the body. The client wears loose fitting, exercise type clothing to allow for free movement of the body during the session. The session can last from one to three hours, depending on the client needs.

Thai massage is different from traditional massage in that Thai techniques balance energy levels and enable the practitioner to press the muscles on both sides of the body. This affects flexibility. The difference between the length of a muscle when it is fully contracted and when it is relaxed determines the amount of movement the muscle can produce at the joint. Tense muscles shorten, even when you are not contracting them consciously. This results in restricted range of motion, stiffness, aches and pains and aging. Tense muscles create uneven force on the spine and spinal cord, which affects the back, neck and results in headaches. Thai work enables you to stretch the muscles systematically to achieve wonderful results not always possible with other forms of bodywork.

In Thai massage, there is also a powerful interplay of intrinsic energies between the giver and receiver in the dance of mutually balancing energies, life force, and harmony. Receiving Thai bodywork regularly helps you experience a deep sense of relaxation, well-being, flexibility, happiness, and youthfulness.

Contraindications for Thai Massage

Persons who have the following health conditions should not receive Thai Massage:

• Skin conditions such as eczema, shingles or psoriasis (massage would not be performed on the affected areas).
• Serious varicose veins.
• Artificial joint i.e. knee, hip replacement.
• Osteoporosis.
• Serious heart condition or high blood pressure.
• Pregnant.

Trigger Point Therapy

A trigger point is a highly irritable point in a muscle, which contributes critically to pain. A fall, blow, trauma, strain, sprain, injury, illness or emotional wounding can insult a muscle and provide the opportunity for a trigger point to form. A trigger point lays quiet in a muscle until certain conditions are present. Then it fires, throwing the muscle into spasm. This results in the sensation of pain. The nervous system responds and sends more spasm to “protect” the site. This results in more pain and the Spasm – Pain – Spasm Cycle continues. The therapist applies concentrated finger pressure to tender areas in the muscle in order to break the cycle of spasm and pain. This is typically performed in sessions of neuromuscular therapy or deep tissue massage.

Visceral Massage

For thousands of years, massage of the internal organs or viscera, has been part of a holistic approach to healing. Four hundred years ago, Paracelsus of Switzerland, taught his medical students to massage the viscera to treat various pain conditions and diseases. Manual manipulation of organs is widely used in Japan and China. In the U.S., visceral massage was documented as far back as 1895.

NMT pioneer, Paul St. John observed, “…How normal movement patterns of the body also produced pathological conditions within the internal organs,” thus noting the interplay between form, movement and function. It is important to understand that visceral structures influence somatic, glandular, and vascular function through communication with the nervous system.

Visceral massage is the massage of each organ individually. It is not a free flowing session. There can be tenderness, but there is a sense of more energy flowing through the tissue after the massage. Most people report that they fell less restricted and contracted and more relaxed after a visceral session.  When all else fails to correct a problem, Visceral Massage can often make a difference.