Welcome Alexander, Our New Massage Practitioner!

“A Tui Na practitioner is interested in restoring balance; Balance for the person on the table and balance in themselves.”

– Teacher Jason Frye

Tui Na has a recorded history of more than 2 thousand years and is still applied today all over China and many places all over the world. Tui Na’s whole name is Tui Na An Mo named by the basic hand movements. Translated into English: Push(Brush) Squeeze, Press, Rub. Tui Na An Mo is one of five branches of Chinese Medicine. The 5 branches are tai qi/qi gong, nutrition, Tui Na, Herbal Medicine, and Acupuncture. Using a wide array of pressures, from light brush strokes, to a forearm, knuckle or elbow deep in the tissue, the various dynamic hand techniques are utilized in an endless array of combinations customized to each patient’s unique needs in each session. The hand techniques each yield a different effect due to their unique approach and application to the body. Some are applied in rhythmic succession, gradually lulling the patient into a relaxed, hypnotic trance-like state (Na, An). Some applied in rapid succession like a drum for a more stringent effect (Da, Pok). Others are applied in a more slow and gentle way (Tui, Tsa). There are more hand techniques and variations on each, and each practitioner utilizes these techniques each in their own way.

Osteopath Dr. William Sutherland developed the modality we call Cranial Sacral Therapy (CST) in the 1930s when he realized that there is a small degree of motion allowed by the beveled cranial sutures, allowing them to move or “breathe,” pulsing with the body. This motion occurs in relationship to the tissues and cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system, the membranes surrounding the central nervous system and the sacrum. CranioSacral Therapy (CST) was pioneered and developed by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger following extensive scientific studies from 1975 to 1983 at Michigan State University, where he served as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics. The craniosacral system includes the structures of the central nervous system including the skull, the cranial sutures, the cerebrospinal fluid, membranes of the brain and the vertebrae, spinal cord and the sacrum. The craniosacral system is connected with the musculoskeletal system through the vascular system as well as the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Trauma anywhere in the body may impact the craniosacral system, restricting normal movement and inhibiting the pulse of the fluids. It is believed that the normal rhythm can be interrupted by all kinds of trauma, including:

* during birth

* childhood injuries

* repetitive motion injuries

* car accidents

* falling accidents

* injuries

* and even from stressful events.

CST uses a series of gentle techniques to remove blocks and restore this subtle movement, or pulse, in the central nervous system. CST uses gentle digital pressure and does not involve the manipulation or chiropractic “adjustment” of the skeletal system. The pressure used in CST is very light, about 5 grams of pressure or less – about the weight of a nickel. Upledger-trained practitioners use the CranioSacral rhythm in conjunction with other subtle evaluative techniques to locate and identify spinal cord dysfunctions and restrictions of the important membranes that subdivide and support the brain. It can also be used to pinpoint and frequently help areas of active tissue change anywhere in the body.

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “Universal” or “Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. So Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.” A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results. Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.