Massage Techniques

Hawaiian Lomi Lomi is a traditional healing modality that makes you feel like you are laying in the surf on a beach and waves are rolling over your body. Unlike other common massage that works only one area of the body at a time, Lomi works the entire body in a circuit the whole time, and often working both under and over the top the body simultaneously. Many say it feels like there is more than one therapist working on them. It is THEE most relaxing massage I have ever experienced and my clients are absolutely RAVING about it. Here is a link of a good example ... please don't "search" Lomi Lomi because there is so much garbage out there.

A moderate pressure technique that uses sweeping and kneading strokes with the primary aim of relaxation. This technique often identifies problem areas as the therapist palpates the various areas of the body. These problem areas as then addressed by “Deep Tissue / Trigger Point”.

Firm, deep, and focused pressure that is used to address a problem area commonly called a “Trigger Point” or a Knot. Muscle is a collection of sliding filaments that can become “stuck” or “locked” which inhibits movement, strength, and can cause pain. These points require force to loosen and open them back up. This can be as gentle as simple heat, or as direct to Myofacial Trigger Point release. All is within your pain tolerance, however about a 6 or a 7 on a 10 point pain scale is commonly accepted as therapeutic when trying to “release” such a condition.

As our bodies are injured either traumatically or from long term over use, they adapt. If an ankle is hurt, our body automatically changes the way it moves to avoid pain ... commonly called a limp. The problem is when these negative adaptive patterns become permanent. Like the children's song the anklebone is connected to the knee bone, the knee bone is connected to the hip bone ... and all of those are supported by muscles which are doing something they weren't originally designed to do causing all manner of trigger point, knot and pain. With techniques I learned training with Eric Dalton's "Freedom From Pain Institute" we can correct these imbalances through manipulating muscles, and freeing up range of motion in joints.

The body responds to heat and cold in various ways that affect inflammation, circulation, and other processes. Heat packs and cold packs are used separately, or at times together in what is called “Contrast Therapy” to prepare muscles for more direct work.

Is an ancient Asian Modality going back thousands of years. Cups are placed on the skin with suction pressure which lifts and separates tissues, pulls toxins from tissues, increases blood flow, and activates the bodies “clean up crew” the lymphatics to swarm the area. You have probably seen the telltale little round bruises on celebrities and world class athletes like Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps all of whom use cupping for better performance and recovery.

Gua Sha is an ancient Asian healing modality that involves brisk rubbing of soft tissue with tools to break up knots, release fascia, and increase blood & lymphatic flow to help the body to heal itself naturally. It is often called "scraping therapy" but doesn't break or abrade the skin the way most people think of a "scrape". It works in much the same way as cupping.

These are smooth volcanic stones that are heated and used directly in the massage of tissues held in the hands of the therapist while they work on you. This not only provides a deep massaging pressure, but directly applies soothing and healing heat where it is needed.

This is a full body treatment that involves moderate to stiff bristle brushing done rhythmically over the skin to exfoliate, improve circulation, lymphatic drainage, mobilization of cellulite, and over all relaxation. Due to the nature of this procedure, there may be significant exfoliation of dead skin cells so this is a treatment that is best done when you can return home and bathe.

This is accomplished by moving the various joint through the available range of motion, and the goal of insuring that each has full range of motion. We will use both active and passive stretching and movement. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitated (PNF) stretching or Muscular Energy Technique (MET) both assist in helping to return a joint and it’s supporting muscles to full and normal / healthy range of motion.

Often nerves become entrapped and enflamed which causes their protective structures to dehydrate and whither. Nerve flossing uses bodily movement to create a back and forth movement of the nerve which stimulates the sheath in which it travels, rehydrating and helping to restore to protection and aid the returning the nerve to proper function.

Professional Massage Model GK-3: Is a professional level therapeutic machine with multiple attachments that uses specific vibration frequencies and percussive thumping to work on muscle and fascia. Caution: this one can be addictive and has been known to lull clients to sleep.