For those of you who want to know my crediential, here they are: Attended two massage schools Potomac Massage Training Institue for 6 months (when I used to live in Maryland) and Baltimore School of Massage in York PA (completed the program with 4.0 GPA, 100% attendance in Academic and Bodywork class and 100% attendence in 70-hour Student Clinic). I also scored 810 out of 900 (90%) on Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam.
For those of you who care more about what I can do for you.
Longer Massage Session at Affordable Rate ($75 for 75 Minutes): I believe in a longer massage session because your body needs time to enter in a very deep "rest and digest" state (parasympathetic state). Much of healing is achieved during this state because this is when most of digestion occurs and when your body switches from "fight and flight" (sympathetic state) stress mode to a general "slowdown" to conserve energy and absorb nutrients. Relaxation is so important because the most optimal health is when our body shares an equal amount of time between "stress mode" and "rest mode" to achieve homeostasis.
Smooth Transition and Flow: Human beings are rhythmic animals. Just about everything we do has a rhythm. When we are in a rhythm, we feel "right". Massage is no different (both giving and receiving). An experience massage therapist knows a good therapuetic massage that can truly calms the nervous system requires a smooth, slow and firm rhythmic pressure. My massage is exactly like this: Smooth, Slow and Rhythmic.
Hot Towel Service: Nothing beats a nice hot towel on your back when the work is done! I offer free hot towel service for all of my clients. The heat not only relaxes the body and eases the pain but also cleans off the excessive massage cream/lotion.
In school we learned the basics of popular modalities like Trigger Point therapy, Sports Massage, Russian Sports Massage, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Structrual Intergration, Hydrotherapy and energy work like Acupressure and Cranial Sacral. I like them all but I do not think one modality is superior than the other. I truly believe in an Integrative Approach where I use the essence of each modality and customize a massage session for my clients.
Massage is an intimate thing. People experience massage differently. What most people feel is the best massage may not be suitable for you. Our skin carries history and our breathing and body language show our personalties. I take my massage work in a more serious way. I dress professionally and I drap my clients properly and I pay attention to client's feedback. I love to share my knowledge of human anatomy and body systems.
What I do not believe in is pain. Massage is NOT a contest. It is not about how much pressure you can take. Unlike many therapists, I do not believe in "No Pain, No Gain". Pain is your body telling you to "stop"! There is a difference between Therapuetic Pain and overly painful. Some clients want the deepest pressure even at the risk of being bruised. They are more addicted to the pain than the actual benefit of massage. That is not me. I know I give enough pressure to get into your muscles and break adhesions, move your blood and lymph towards your heart and bring blood flow to the specific area. I believe the client needs to be in a more relaxed state during the session.
My main modality is Swedish but it is not one of those "light feathering" Swedish. Many call my massage work as "Deep Swedish" because I massage into the muscles and not just gliding over them. Swedish is the "core" because it is the easiest way to introduce touch to a client, move fluids and toxins out from congested area and it has the best "flow" and "transition" which calms the nervous system and creates the best smoothing relaxation. I see massage as an Art, a Dance and a great way to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and blood pressure. Scientists can argue the benefits of massage all they want but one thing they cannot deny is the fact that we human beings are social-bonding animals and we crave to be touched and cared about. The clients often feel super relaxed and tired during the session because the body enters a parasympathetic state which is the "rest and digest" state in about 15 minutes. Then we see an increase in "feel good" hormones like dopamine and serotonin and "social bonding" hormone like oxytocin and a decrease in stress-related hormones like adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and norepinephrine and epinephrine. If you see massage as an experience and not some kind of medical procedure that tries to "fix" something, your Mind will be more relaxed and the Body is more able to receive the work. Massage Therapists provide the external stimulus to your body and it is your body that ultimiately decides what to do with that stimulus. Sometimes they respond well and sometimes they don't. But one thing I know for sure is that you are being proactive and doing something about your well-being. I would love to be part of that journey to your self discovery. Remember stress and tension cannot be let go if your Mind is not ready to do so. Positive out look on life is the first step to your happiness.