Our First Session: Never having enjoyed the idea of walking into a stranger's office, sitting down, and filling out paperwork to describe the current and past state of my body/mind, I choose to make this a dialog. I ask you meaningful questions that will help inform the work we do and we get a chance to learn a little about one another. I believe health is achieved when there is attention to the whole. I am, in fact, interested in how your day was and what you had for breakfast!
Because I offer many different healing modalities, we'll talk first about what your primary concerns are and what you would like to get out of our work together. From there, we can talk about how our sessions will look. Often times a session unfolds organically, incorporating different modalities as they seem appropriate.
Why I use organic herbal oils: Bodywork is not just about manual manipulation of tissues it's also about what you are putting on the body. The skin is the largest organ in the body absorbing everything you put on it. I use very high quality organic oils infused with organic, medicinal herbs. I keep a large selection of different oils for different needs including unmedicated, unscented, non-nut oils although most of my oils are ancient Ayurvedic formulas.
Why oil and not lotion? Lotions are made by emulsifying water and oil requiring pretty heavy duty, harmful chemicals to preserve and discourage bacterial growth. Many lotions are made from oils that have been processed in a way to take only specific amino acid strings while leaving behind the rest of the beneficial properties all in the name of a longer shelf life. The naturally occurring lipids in oil have been shown to reduce stress and nourish the nervous system. Those same lipids are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, enabling the medicated oil to penetrate deeper into the body.
The high quality of the oils I use ensures rapid absorption into the skin. You will leave with your skin warm and glowing and never feeling greasy.
Will bodywork ever hurt? In general massage should be a relaxing experience that feels good. In some cases, treatment of a tight muscle or painful injury may at first cause some discomfort. A trained therapist knows that to have the most profound effect, deeper is not always better. Working with the nervous system is preferred as muscle guarding (tightening up in response to pain) counters any progress. Pressure is suited to your comfort level and does not go beyond.
Do I take my clothes off? Because I work intuitively, I never know where a session might go. That chakra balancing session may lead to the discovery of emotions stored deeply within the tissue and therapeutic massage becomes the focus. I usually ask clients to disrobe fully before getting on the massage table. This is of course at your discretion and to your comfort level. Your privacy is respected at all times as you are warmly covered with a clean sheet and blanket; only an area being massaged is exposed. Most types of bodywork require the use of oils to lubricate the skin and allow for easier application of certain techniques. This is best done without clothes.