| What to Expect |
| Whether you are new to the art of massage
or are an experienced massage client, you will find our staff to be
extremely sensitive to your needs. A professional environment and
courteous staff allow you to feel comfortable and relax. |
| A Touchy Subject |
Most adults rarely experience touch
from other adults where the intention of that touch is neither sexual
nor abusive. Consequently, the concept of touch,
as in the form of massage, initiates some hesitancy and
reservation. Sometimes people prefer to book a chair massage,
which is administered on the specifically designed chair shown here.
This allows a person to experience an abbreviated massage of the
neck, shoulder and back, fully clothed, while sitting up. Once you've
experienced a chair massage, you may find yourself wondering what
all the fuss was about.
If you prefer, we also offer a fully clothed massage
that may be administered on a massage table. This may be in the
form of a full-body massage for relaxation or for a more specific
massage designed to address a particular pain or injury.
So whether you choose fully clothed massage or a more traditional
treatment, massage therapists understand our cultures conditioning
to resist touch and respect these boundaries with a heightened awareness.
Each massage therapist is required to go through extensive
professional ethics training and must adhere to this code of ethics.
Your session will begin by your therapist asking you about your
reasons for getting a massage, your current physical condition,
brief medical history, lifestyle and stress level, and any areas
of pain.
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You'll be asked to undress in private
to whatever amount of clothing you feel comfortable wearing. You may
also choose to stay fully clothed. Then, lying down on a comfortably
padded and heated massage table, you'll drape yourself with a sheet
and blanket. Only the part of the body being worked on will be uncovered,
and your modesty respected. |
You can expect a peaceful and comfortable environment for the massage.
For the period of time agreed upon you'll have the unique experience
of having all your muscles kneaded in a full-body massage, or only
in specific areas in the case of a session oriented to localized injury,
pain or tightness, or sports readiness.
In conclusion, a well-trained Massage Therapist should not only apply
a variety of techniques to address your particular needs, but, exude
a calm, respectful, non judgmental demeanor to allow a sense of trust
to develop between client and therapist.
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| Whether you are new to the art of massage
or are an experienced massage client, you will find our staff to be
extremely sensitive to your needs. A professional environment and
courteous staff allow you to feel comfortable and relax. |
| Stress and the Body |
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We experience all
of life through the physical reality of our bodies. Our pleasures
and pains, the ups and downs of daily life affect the body profoundly,
often in ways we're not aware of. Stress is more than a household
word these days - it's something everyone feels to one degree or
another. Let's take a look at the mechanics of stress and the role
therapeutic massage can play in stress management.
Understanding The Stress Response
Stress is an unconscious and automatic reaction to anything we believe
may be threatening to us. In the stress response, the body is primed
for fight or flight by messages carried by the sympathetic branch
of the nervous system. Whether we are confronted by a mugger in
the street or find ourselves in a long line at the bank or a short
lunch hour, the effects are the same, impacting all levels - physical,
mental and emotional.
We are at full readiness as our body tenses and our breathing gets
shallower and more rapid. There is an increase in heart rate, blood
pressure and adrenaline production, with a corresponding decrease
in blood flow to the extremities, digestive function, and immune
system activity.
Ideally, this defensive reaction will subside once the situation
has resolved, allowing our body to return to its normal state of
affairs. We often help this process with some rest, the right exercise
or massage therapy.
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| However, a person who is frequently
under stressful influences will tend to remain locked into a pattern
of stress response, unable to relax or let go. This type
of pattern is damaging to the body; as it escalates, it ultimately
leads to discomfort or pain, and is a contributing factor in most
disease processes. |
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The longer one is in pain, the more likely one will try to block it
out. It is at this point that alcohol and drugs often enter the picture.
Unfortunately, as one uses substances which deaden the nervous system
to reduce the perception of the pain, awareness of oneself and others
are reduced in the process.
In Our Everyday Experience
Like driving a car with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake,
we experience stress whenever we initiate an action and hold it back
at the same time. Our ever-obedient muscles try to obey both messages
and work against each other.
In the same way, we have our own unique muscular responses to the
expression of emotions such as anger, sadness, fear and exhilaration.
We use our muscles to block, control and restrain these strong feeling
and our reaction to them. Even though we may be unaware of the amount
of tension we store within, it puts extra wear and tear on both mind
and body over time.
Maintaining these patterns of chronic tension is like leaving the
lights on all night - it takes energy; but once it's a habit, we no
longer recognize it as such. What we do notice are the aches, pains,
fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, PMS, or a host of other stress-related
symptoms. These symptoms are important signals to be heeded, rather
than ignored or bypassed. Accumulated stress and tension always diminish
the amount of energy and vitality we have to enjoy life, be creative
and productive and strive for better things.
The
Relaxation Response
The antidote to stress is known as the relaxation response, which
is triggered by the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system.
This action sends messages to the body to relax, slow down and take
a deep breath: saying in effect, it's time for rest and healing.
There are a number of ways to promote this response, such as exercise,
meditation, listening to calming music, guided visualization, biofeedback,
and of course, therapeutic massage.
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Massage takes place in a comfortable
and safe environment, which is generally away from the source of most
stressors. As massage stimulates the relaxation response,
muscular tension is released, circulation is increased and sensory
receptors are activated. |
Areas that have been "cut off" by accumulated stress can
begin to feel once again. Massage teaches us to tune in to body signals
and soothes us at the same time.
All of this results in greater body awareness which can help you to
more carefully monitor your own body's responses and needs. Then you
can release tension before it becomes chronic and damaging. Living
in a more relaxed and balanced body will enable you to better handle
the stresses in you life, and nothing can take you back to that state
of well-being more quickly than massage.
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What can I expect from my massage?