Technical Details
Setup: I practice on a memory foam queen size mattress, and also have a table. (let me know in advance your personal preference)
Product: Biotone Massage Lotion
Pressure: Wide range
Massage Techniques Used
At this time we are aware of over 200 massage techniques. In order for you to find a technique easily, I have listed the techniques in alphabetical order along with a classification of light, medium or deep if applicable.
Acupressure
Dating back 5000 years, acupressure is part of traditional Chinese medicine and is often described as "acupuncture without the needles." As a non-intrusive precursor of acupuncture, acupressure uses deep finger pressure applied at certain points located along an invisible system of energy channels within the body called meridians. Because these points directly relate to organs and glands of the body, constrictions in the flow of energy at these points causes disease and discomfort. Acupressure stimulates these points to remove blockages, to increase the energy flow, to reduce stress, and to promote health and harmony in the body. Rated Medium
Amma Therapy
In Chinese, amma means "push-pull." Amma therapy is concerned with removing blockages and balancing the body's flow of energy along its meridians with a combination of many therapeutic massage techniques including shiatsu, reflexology, deep fascial and connective tissue massage, Swedish massage, and skeletal manipulations. Originated in China, interest in Amma Therapy has been regenerated by Korean-born Tina Sohn.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for curative and rejuvenating effects. Dating back to ancient Egypt, India, and the Far East, this simple therapy has been used for centuries to reduce stress and tension, refresh and invigorate the body, soothe emotions, and clear the mind. After an initial discussion with the client, specific essential oils are used in conjunction with other appropriate techniques, such as massage, acupressure, or reflexology. Used in oils, the essential oil is absorbed through the skin and into the body to affect physiological change. When inhaled the aroma directly affects the limbic area of the brain that is related to emotions and memories.
Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics is a combination of physical and psychological techniques used to release constrictions in the energy flow of the body. Because psychological defenses are anchored in the body, special attention is given to the muscular patterns inhibiting self-expression. Developed from the work of Wilheim Reich and refined by his pupil Alexander Lowen, this technique uses physical exercises, deep breathing, and massage to permit the body to give up its need to armor itself.
Body Electric
Body Electric recognizes the holistic connections between mind, body, and spirit and offers opportunities to explore those connections in safe and supportive environments. Body Electric is committed to exploring the healing potential of erotic energy and recognizes the body's wisdom as ancient, sacred, playful and profound.
Craniosacral Therapy
Within the craniosacral system is the cerebrospinal fluid that moves in a slight but perceptible tide-like manner. Craniosacral therapists assist in facilitating change in areas of restriction where this tide-like motion is limited, confined, and immobilized. By using a gentle light touch, this fluid becomes more rhythmic and balanced, and the central nervous system is restored. Craniosacral therapy is helpful to those with nervous disorders, motor-coordination impairments, attention deficit disorders, insomnia, and other problems. Craniosacral therapy was originally developed in the early 1900's by an osteopath named William G. Sutherland and later refined and promoted by Dr. John Upledger.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep Tissue Massage is designed to reach the deep portions of thick muscles, specifically the individual muscle fibers. Using deep muscle compression and friction along the grain of the muscle, its purpose is to unstick the fibers of the muscles and release both toxins and deeply held patterns of tension. Rated Deep.
Esalen Massage
Developed at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. A very relaxing full body technique that is taught on a popular video published by the Esalen Institute. Rated Light
Hellerwork
Hellerwork was developed by Joseph Heller, the first president of the Rolf Institute. Hellerwork follows up on the principles of Rolfing, with more emphasis on client/practitioner dialogue. He believed that in order to maintain alignment and mobility, clients need not only bodywork to release patterns of stress, but movement exercises designed to eliminate their bad habits and to learn how to stand, walk, sit and move with greater flexibility and ease. The goal is not only to produce physical results but also to empower clients to grow and experience more freedom and energy in their lives. Rated Deep
Hoshino Therapy
Developed by Tomezo Hoshino in 1952, Hoshino Therapy is an official medical therapy in Argentina. It is a particular form of acupressure recognizing 250 acupuncture pressure points corresponding to the bio-mechanical functioning of the body. In this system, full hand contact is applied as well as the traditional pressure of the first joint of the thumb.
Integrative Massage
Originally based on the work of Wilhelm Reich, this style of bodywork was developed at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy over 20 years ago. To assist in the release of emotional issues trapped in the body, long fluid strokes are used to move energy from the head down and out through the hands and feet. This is combined with the use of deep breathwork to aid the process.
Jin Shin Jitsu
Designed to heal the body by harmonizing its flow of energy, Jin Shin Jitsu a non-massage form of shiatsu developed by Jiro Murai in Japan. It uses 26 pressure points termed energy locks where fatigue, tension, or illness can trap energy. By applying prolonged, gentle, manual pressing of these points or movements of the practitioner's hands over such areas without contact, the body and mind are brought into harmony.
Lomilomi Massage
Hawaiian for "rub rub," Lomilomi is a massage technique that's been handed down from ancient Hawaiian healers. Spiritual in nature, the technique was formalized by Hawaiian-born nurse, Margaret Machado. The strokes used are similar to the shiatsu technique of Japan but are gentler and shorter. Pressure with the fingers at certain points is also part of the technique, but it is of shorter duration than most acupressure. Two identifying techniques of authentic Lomilomi are the emphasis on spirit/body connection and the use of forearm and elbow as a massage tool.
Lymph System Massage
In the 1930s, a Danish doctor, Hans Vodder, noticed the connection between swollen and blocked lymph glands and colds, infections and other ailments. Since the lymph system is designed to remove bacteria and toxins from the body, he reasoned that massaging the lymph system would improve the flow of lymph and benefit the patient. Together with his wife, a massage practitioner, they developed a specific technique that massages the lymph nodes and lymph system using light rhythmic strokes. A characteristic of lymph system massage is that the strokes are always with the muscle fiber, rather than cross-fiber, because the lymph system runs in the direction of the muscle fiber. Rated Light
Myofascial
Release Therapy All muscles, arteries, bones, organs, etc. are held together by a Saran wrap kind of tissue called fascia. Developed in the late 1960's by John Barnes, Myofascial Release works by the manipulation of the fascia that connects and surrounds muscles. Because the fascia is body-wide, a tension or trauma in one part of the body can affect another part. The fascia responds to the trained touch to release the adverse effects of inflammation, tensions and trauma.
Myotherapy
Developed by Bonnie Prudden in 1976, Myotherapy is a method of relaxing muscle spasm, improving circulation and alleviating pain. It works by defusing "trigger points", which are intense knots of muscle tension that often refer pain to other areas of the body. When a trigger point is under excess emotional or physical stress it often responds by throwing a muscle into spasm. Spasm, in turn, causes pain. The myotherapist erases the spasm by pressing on the appropriate trigger points for several seconds by means of fingers, knuckles, and elbows and then re-educates the affected muscle to its normal resting relaxed condition with special exercises designed for each individual problem.
Neuromuscular Therapy
Neuromuscular Therapy is a program of recovery from acute and chronic pain syndromes by utilizing specific massage therapy, including the pressure of trigger points, to eliminate the causes of pain patterns. This approach brings about balance between the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. It enhances the function of joints, muscles, and movement, and it releases endorphins, the body's own natural pain killers.
Pfrimmer Deep Muscle
Therapy One of the early forms of deep muscle massage, it was developed in the 1940s by Therese Pfrimmer who had studied at the Swedish Institute in New York. Her discovery, which led to the reversal of her own paralysis, uses strong strokes across the muscle fiber rather than along the length of the fibers. This technique frees adhesions, improves circulation, both lymphatic and vascular, and causes corrective changes in the muscle on a cellular level. Working to correct and prevent serious muscular conditions, it also alleviates sports injuries, trauma, tension, and stress.
Polarity Therapy
Developed by chiropractor and osteopath Randolph Stone, polarity therapy is a holistic method of treatment. He combined his knowledge of Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, yoga, acupuncture and shiatsu techniques to outline his system. Stone saw the body as an electromagnetic energy system with each part of the body carrying electrical-like charges. By placing hands on various parts of the body, the practitioner connects the positive and negative poles to improve the flow of energy through the body and assist healing and relaxation. To maintain well-being, diet, yoga, and self-awareness are encouraged.
Postural Integration
Dr. Jack Painter developed postural integration after studying various forms of bodywork. His ten-session system consists of deep tissue techniques, movement, and breathwork. Recognizing that the body traps negative emotions, Painter's technique pays special attention to the fascia and the release of emotional blocks in a psychotherapeutic manner with the aid of intentional deep breathing.
Rebalancing
Rebalancing was developed in the 1970's by a group of long-time bodywork practitioners working under the guidance of a spiritual teacher named Osho. The idea was to create a new form of bodywork that would take the best of the presently existing modalities and imbue them with a deeper perspective. Done in ten sessions, rebalancing utilizes a combination of deep tissue massage, joint tension release, verbal dialogue, and energy balancing to relieve physical pain, release emotional holding patterns, and enhance relaxation.
Reflexology
Popularized in the United States by physiotherapist Eunice Inghram in the 1930s, this is an acupressure type technique performed on the hands and feet and is based on the ancient Oriental theory that meridian lines or pathways carry energy throughout the body. Because each zone or part of the body has a corresponding reflex point on the feet, stimulating that reflex point causes stimulation in the natural energy of the related organ. Crystalline-type deposits and/or tenderness indicate a dysfunction, and pressure is applied to clear out congestion and restore normal functioning and health.
Reiki
Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) in Japanese means "universal life energy." It is a healing technique of transmitting life energy by placing the hands gently in specific positions either on or above the body. This laying-on of hands is designed to relieve pain, restore vitality, heal illnesses, and aid spiritual growth. It was developed by Dr. Mikao Usua, a Christian monk in Japan, who came upon ancient manuscripts revealing the healing system in the 19th century. It was introduced to the United States in the 1930's by Hawayo Takata.
Rolfing
Also called structural integration, Rolfing was pioneered by American biochemist Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1930s. She maintained that when one part of the body is out of balance or misaligned , the rest of the body attempts to compensate until the entire structure is weakened. Even from birth, the general pressures of life and gravity push our bodies out of alignment. By manipulating the myofascial tissue in a ten session series, each building on the previous one, Rolfers assist the body to reorganize, lengthen, and integrate itself into wholeness. Rated Deep
Rosen Method
This therapy, using gentle touch, breathing, and verbal interaction was developed by Marion Rosen, a physiotherapist, who noticed that clients who verbalized their sensations and emotions during treatment sessions improved more quickly than those who did not. The method applies gentle touch using hands that "listen" rather than manipulate. As practitioners touch the body where tension is held in and thus where the breath cannot move freely, it reminds the muscle and the unconscious feelings, attitudes, and memories that they can freely release. Rosen Method is used for both physical ailments and personal growth.
Shiatsu
Shiatsu, the most widely known form of acupressure, literally meaning "finger pressure" in Japanese, and has been practiced for more than a thousand years in Japan. Shiatsu uses rhythmic pressure from 3 to 10 seconds on specific points along the body's meridians by using the fingers, hands, elbows, knees, and sometimes feet to unblock and stimulate the flow of energy. A session my also include gentle stretching and range-of-motions manipulations. Shiatsu is used to treat pain and illness, to relax the body, and to maintain general health.
Soma Neuromuscular Integration
Developed in 1978 by Bill Williams, Ph.D, one of the first students of Ida Rolf, this therapy refined Rolf's work by creating easier, less intrusive ways of working with the fascia and muscles. This ten-session process, which incorporates movement training and awareness tools as well as massage and manipulation, also seeks to promote greater access to the functioning of each hemisphere of the brain.
Sport Massage (FEATURED)
This special form of massage is typically used before, during, and after athletic events to prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries. Depending on the needs of the athlete, a variety of techniques are used including classic Swedish strokes, cross-fiber friction, pressure-point work, and joint mobilization.
Structural Integration
This term was created by American biochemist Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1930s. She maintained that when one part of the body is out of balance or misaligned, the rest of the body attempts to compensate until the entire structure is weakened. Even from birth, the general pressures of life and gravity push our bodies out of alignment. By manipulating the myofascial tissue in a ten session series, each building on the previous one, practitioners assist the body to reorganize, lengthen, and integrate itself into wholeness. Rated Deep
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is now known as "traditional" massage. In the 1820s a Swedish doctor, Dr. Per Henrik Ling, developed the first modern method of massage through his study of physiology, gymnastics, and the massage techniques borrowed from China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Swedish massage includes long gliding strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, and shaking motions. It is effective for most ailments, because massaging the skin, the body's largest organ, sets up a chain reaction that produces a positive effect on all layers and systems of the body. It affects the nerves, muscles, glands, and circulation, and promotes health and wellbeing. Rated Medium
Tantra Massage
Tantramassage (Tantric Massage) is a massage modality practiced by many tantrikas (practitioners of tantra) to maintain awareness of the beauty in each moment and to celebrate the senses of the body. The word "Tantra" emphasizes the connection with the old Indian cultural background where the body is experienced as a temple of Spirit. Some would consider the client to be in a passive role. Indeed, clients are actively supported. However, unlike other massage modalities, the client is gently encouraged to participate in breathing techniques and intentional communication between the massage practitioner and the client. Some experience a deep and intense journey through their body.
Thai Massage
Thai massage is an interactive manipulation of the body using passive stretching and gentle pressure along energy lines. This ancient form of massage dates back to the time of Buddha and looks like a cross between shiastu, acupressure, and yoga. Practitioners apply pressure along meridian lines with their thumbs, hands, and feet to stimulate the movement of energy in the body, and in addition, move and stretch their clients in Yoga-like poses to free muscular and joint tension. Designed to be both relaxing and stimulating, Thai massage improves flexibility, reduces tension, stimulates internal organs, and balances the body's energy system.
Therapeutic Touch
Therapeutic Touch Therapeutic Touch is a laying-on-of-hands technique that doesn't actually touch the body but touches the energy field around it. It was developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger, a nurse and professor at New York University. Is based on the theory that the human energy field extends beyond the skin and is abundant and flows in balanced patterns in health but is depleted and/or unbalanced in illness or injury. Practitioners restore health by sensing and adjusting such fields to restore health and promote well-being.
Touch For Health
Touch for Health is a system of energy balancing using muscle testing, touch and acupressure massage to correct various physical and emotional imbalances, stresses, and tension. Based on the applied kinesiology principles of chiropractor George Goodheart, Touch for Health was popularized by John Thie, D.C. in his book by the same name written in 1973. He showed how muscle testing can reveal weaknesses even before symptoms manifest and how by pressing reflex points, it is possible to rebalance the body and the affected organs.
Trager
Trager was developed over the past 55years by Milton Trager, M.D It is a combination of hands-on work, relaxation, and movement education. Theorizing that the body learns to be light and effortless by experiencing light and easy sensations, Trager practitioners gently cradle, jiggle, rock, and stretch the body. This is turn helps release deep-seated physical and mental patterns and facilitates deep relaxation, increased physical mobility, and mental clarity.
Zero Balancing
Zero Balancing is a non-invasive hands-on treatment developed by osteopath and acupuncturist Dr. Fritz Smith in 1973. It evaluates and balances the relationship between the energy fields of the body and its physical structure. By applying gentle pressure with particular attention paid to foundation joints, zero balancing creates clearer, stronger energy fields in the bodymind and a balanced energy in the bone and skeletal system, enabling the client to function with a deeper personal strength and harmony.
