The Best Massage Styles For You
Kris Shaw offers 20 different styles of bodywork learned over her many years of teaching and offering massage with a large spectrum of clientele in her practice. She offers all of the listed styles of bodywork below for various effects on her clients’ body/mind conditions. Having worked with thousands of clients with the multitude of stress and medical conditions, she is a master bodyworker in these specialty areas.
Here is a description of many of the styles she commonly uses. If you are new to alternative health & massage this may give you some introduction to this world.
There is a wide assortment of massage and bodywork therapies available today. There are several popular styles of therapeutic massage. Each one has its own unique character, techniques and theoretical base. Some are more effective for certain goals than others. So where do you begin choosing? How do you know which one is best for you?
There are literally dozens of schools of bodywork, from light energetic type bodywork to the deep tissue bodywork therapies like Rolfing which aims toward a literally restructuring of the body. Energetic systems of bodywork, such as polarity, acupressure, Reiki and craniosacral bodywork help balance energy in the body and bring about enhanced health and well being. Sessions are designed for the needs of the client, a combination of several techniques or just one may be used depending upon your needs.
Most Styles of Bodywork can fit into these 3 functions and purposes:
Nurturing Massage: Examples: Spa, pampering massage treatments and generic style Swedish massage. Other forms of gentler, nurturing bodywork are: Trager, aquatic massage and many forms of energetic bodywork like craniosacral, polarity and Jin shin jytsu. Kris offers many of the above styles of bodywork for those that enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling work without any deeper tissue discomfort.
Therapeutic Massage Styles: These types of bodywork focus on clearing stress and dealing with chronic tension patterns. This body work tends to be deeper, delving into body armor & resilient tension patterns in the body. Examples: Deep tissue bodywork, reflexology, Shiatsu, deeper Swedish, Trager, chair massage and connective tissue massage. Kristina offers all of the above therapeutic styles of deeper clearing of tension.
Medical or Rehabilitation Massage: This type of massage is used for recurring persistent injuries. Muscles and joints that are overused or misused and may compromise one’s posture and daily activities. Example: Myofascia Bodywork, acupressure and the newest Acuscope micro-current technologies are individually tailored for treating old weakened injuries.
Massage Modalities
Swedish Massage ( Nurturing Massage)
The most well known form of Western massage today is the Swedish style. It’s what most people are familiar with as a generic nurturing massage offered in spa and beauty salons. People experiencing the work feel more relaxed and pliable. Swedish offers a lot of soothing , rhythmical gliding movements with lotion or oil. The friction movements break up fibrous tissue & provide greater range of motion. For a full body Swedish massage, you lie partially disrobed and covered on a massage table so that oils or aromatherapies can be applied with its long smooth strokes.
Shiatsu / Acupressure (Therapeutic & Medical Massage)
An ancient system of bodywork aimed at encouraging Chi life force to circulate through the body. Combining Oriental healing philosophy & techniques with traditional Chinese acupuncture points, this Japanese bodywork uses thumb and palm pressure to transmit healing energy to chronic tension patterns, reinforcing joint and muscle mobility. The philosophy behind Oriental massage differs considerably from Swedish. By unblocking the Chi in the meridians, this energetic bodywork allows the body to heal itself and helps to prevent illness. Shiatsu is one of the most popular styles of bodywork, leaving a person invigorated after a session.
Craniosacral Bodywork ( Nurturing & Therapeutic Massage)
Craniosacral bodywork is a form of osteopathic bodywork developed by British osteopath, Dr. John Upledger. It is a light hands on approach that assists the hydraulic forces inherent within the Central Nervous System to induce deep levels of relaxation. Utilizing a gentle, noninvasive manipulation technique, this osteopathic healing modality improves the function of the brain and spinal cord to dissipate the negative effects of stress, promotes good health and enhances resistance to disease. Clients feel calm and refreshed afterwards.
Myofascial Release (Medical Massage & Physical Therapy)
Myofascia Release was developed by physical therapist John Barnes in the1970’s. It requires more advanced training and posture, and increases body awareness. Myofascia is an advanced form of bodywork with some similarities to deep tissue Rolfing in that it rearranges the fascia in the muscular layers. Myofascial Release uses prolonged stretching & deep tissue connective stretches to small regions of the muscular-skeletal frame. It is particularly effective for clearing out trigger points & chronic pain patterns in muscular groups and joints after car accidents.