On the table you'll receive gentle rocking, deep connective long strokes, an array of therapeutic stretches, as well as deeper work focused on trigger points, the epicenters of pain and tension in the body. In general, I start slowly and gently, so as to allow your body to acclimatize to being touched. As I zero in on those areas of holding, of knotting, and tension, I will begin to go deeper and sustain pressure waiting for those areas to melt and release. I may ask you at times to take deep relaxing breaths in order to help you release the holding of certain muscular groups and allow those muscles to be released so that I can go to even deeper levels of tension and holding. The same is true for when I do certain stretches. Breathing during these stretches allows your joints to open much further than otherwise. I systematically visit each part of the body, integrating the parts that I just worked on, reflecting the fact that each part of you is in continuity with the rest of you.
One of the main goals of integral massage is to give you a felt sense of how each aspect of your being is integrally connected to every other aspect of you. After the massage, you are encouraged to take a few minutes on the table to be with your self before continuing on with the busy-ness of your day. It is my hope that with this knowledge, you treat every part of yourself with care and respect, leading to a sustainable and healthy way of being in the world.
After you get dressed, I may suggest self-care practices (from simple stretches to easy ergonomic adjustments to your working/living environments) to help maintain this sense of ease and integration in your body.
