Massage therapy loosens tense muscles and softens the surrounding tissue for increased flexibility and range of motion. It increases circulation, which helps nutrients get where they need to go, and helps the body release built-up toxins. Massage is a great tool for managing pain and chronic stress. It releases endorphins and promotes relaxation, which can help relieve anxiety and depression.

Depending on what type of bodywork you will receive, you may wish to be fully clothed, fully undressed, or somewhere in-between. Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Energy Work are often performed on fully clothed clients, while other forms of massage such as Swedish can be more productive when direct contact with the skin is possible. The most important thing to consider is your own comfort. Many elements of traditional massage can be performed over or around clothing. If you plan to remain clothed, comfortable clothing with soft, stretchy fabric and few-to-no pockets, buttons or other embellishments is generally best.

Cranio-Sacral Therapy is a paradigm for releasing points of restriction between the bones of the skull, spine and sacrum, which can manifest as imbalances within the body and energy field. It can also treat imbalances in the natural rhythm of the cerebro-spinal fluid, which circulates and pulses just like our blood. This work focuses primarily on light contact with the fascia and supportive holds on the skull, spine, and sacrum. Ultimately the goal is to connect with and bring focus to the client’s own self-regulating system so the client’s body can better heal itself by settling into its own natural rhythm. As a practitioner, I regularly ask myself during this work, “how can I do less and allow more” and I often find that my client’s systems respond more fully when I stop trying to “fix” them.

Energy Work is based on the principle that each person's energy has an optimal "flow" and when that flow is disrupted or blocked, the body can become ill. By bringing contact and attention to the energy field, the body's overall energy pattern can be renewed, rebalanced and invigorated. Energy Work is especially helpful for treating anxiety and depression, and to encourage healing in areas that cannot receive deep work, such as areas recovering from surgery or injury. It can also help the body shift into a more receptive state so that other types of massage can have deeper, more lasting effects.

We often think we know exactly where our bodies need attention, where experiences of discomfort originate, and what needs “work” to achieve relief. By incorporating assisted range of motion exercises, and other movement such has gentle shaking, rocking, and rotation, both client and practitioner can develop a deeper awareness of how the body is moving as an interrelated whole. It may become apparent that pain on one side of the body, for example, is stemming from or resulting in tightness on the other side, or that tension in the neck is related to tension in the legs or feet. This technique can be utilized both to assist the client in getting in touch with their own system and to assist the practitioner in determining where to focus and which other techniques may be best suited to achieve integration of the whole body system.

Swedish massage increases overall circulation and stretches tight muscles. It is a great way to help the body recover from day-to-day use. It helps flush toxins, such as lactic acid, from sore muscles and decreases swelling and inflammation. Swedish massage techniques soothe the nervous system, as well, for a deep, lasting sense of relaxation.

Deep tissue massage goes beyond the basics to relieve pain and discomfort and to loosen areas of the body that feel "stuck." There are many layers of muscle in the body - in fact, there are 9 layers of muscle in your upper back alone! Deep tissue massage can get to all of them by softening the tissue one layer at a time. This type of massage will start out gently, warming up the muscles so that the body can respond to more and more pressure and allow the deep "core" muscles to experience much-needed relief.

Neuro-Muscular Therapy treats specific spots within a muscle called Trigger Points. Trigger Points are small groups of muscle fibers that are in a constant state of spasm or contraction. Over a long period of time, trigger points can cause a wide range of sensations, from mild discomfort, to pain, to numbness. Even if a trigger point becomes numb, it can still refer pain to other areas of the body. During a session that includes Neuro-Muscular Therapy, direct pressure is applied to trigger points, forcing the muscle fibers to relax and ending the cycle of contraction and pain.

Connective tissue therapy focuses on softening the fascia that surrounds muscles and joints, to address chronic tension in the body and encourage new postural patterns. Using slow movement and deep pressure, connective tissue therapy can relieve adhesions between muscles and muscle fibers, and increase range of motion.