Although there are tense muscles, this tension is an extension of who we are in every aspect of our human existence - a history of caving in our shoulders out of fear or self-doubt, a sore jaw because the only time that our frustration can be experienced is when we grind our teeth during fitful and forgotten dreams at night, battered wrists due to the cultural belief that the body is just a dull tool to get us through the day at the office, or an entire body of oxygen starved cells, from a lifetime of shallow breathing, reflecting an inability to relax, to breathe, and to simply . . . just . . . be.And similarly, a compromised body compromises our effectiveness and vitality in the rest of our lives. Most likely, if you are interested in getting a massage, you don't need examples to know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, it often takes a problem in our bodies before we can notice that there may be a problem in the rest of our lives. The word "integral" refers to parts being necessary aspects of the whole. This is one of the ideas behind Integral Massage: that each aspect of ourselves is integral to the functioning of the rest of our being.
The other idea behind Integral Massage is that all these various aspects of ourselves--our bodies, our emotions, our beliefs, and our connection to something 'Larger' or 'Deeper' than ourselves--need to be integrated in order to re-establish a wholeness of being and balance in our lives. Integral Massage endeavors to do just that.