Friday, December 18, 2009
Now offering Himalaya Herbal Heathcare
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Gift Certificates/Spa Finder
Winter Special Hot Stone Therapy!
Credit
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Ayurvedic Massage
Ayurveda (eye-yur-vay-da) is a Sanskrit word meaning the science of life, the knowledge of how to live in harmony with nature and without disease. It is a practice from India that treats body, mind and soul as a whole to achieve and maintain a balanced state of being. There are three constitutions, called Doshas (Doe-shas), which represent the five fundamental elements that exist in all matter. Kapha (Ka-fa) is earth and water, Pitta (Pit-ta) is fire, and Vata (Va-ta) is air and space. Each individual is born with a unique combination of all three Doshas in varying percentages, called their Prakruti (Pra-kroo-tee). The most common percentage is 60% one Dosha, 30% another, and 10% the third. An individual’s present constitution is called their Vikruti (Ve-kroo-tee). If these two constitutions are not the same, there is imbalance for the individual.
The purpose of Ayurvedic massage is to harmonize the Doshas. This is achieved by using warm oil, usually sesame, infused with a combination of herbs, plus patterns of massage movement that work together to help clear and release imbalance as well as strengthen and rejuvenate the natural flow of energy that enables the individual to return to their Prakruti, the balance of their unique constitution.
Enjoy an Ayurvedic massage today at Trinidad Massage and Day Spa!
We offer Himalayan Herbals body care products to support your self care following an Ayurvedic Massage treatment.
Cathy Garfield, Ayurvedic Massage Specialist
707-677-9225
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Implications of Bodywork
Human Touch Has Powerful Results
Cathy Ulrich
Whether in giving or receiving, touch is as essential to human survival as is food. Infants deprived of touch, even when they are getting adequate nutrition, will fail to thrive. Elders isolated by loss of partners and friends become depressed not only because of the absence of social interaction, but also because of the simple loss of physical contact.
We calm our pets by stroking them, we greet each other with a hug or a handshake, and we soothe our children by holding them. No other form of connection is as powerful and universal as touch. Taking a look at how this sensation is connected to the brain provides insight into the significance of bodywork.
Skin and the BrainThe adult human lives inside an envelope of about 18 square feet of skin. Every inch houses thousands of nerve endings and various kinds of sensory receptors, all working to tell the brain about its surroundings. The cold of an ice cube, the softness of a cat's fur, a warm breeze, the caress of a loved one--all of these feelings are possible because of our skin. Our skin tells us about our environment and ourselves. When we touch something with our fingers, we're not only sensing the object, we're also feeling our own skin, our own boundaries.
In the first few days of an embryo's life, the cells that eventually become a fully formed baby divide into three layers. The brain and skin come from the same layer, and they develop together, not only before birth, but well into the first year of life. When a baby is held, cuddled, and breast-fed, she's getting crucial stimulation to build neural connections between her skin and her brain that will ultimately last her entire lifetime.
Study after study has shown that touch is not only important for development, but is crucial to survival. James H.M. Knox of Johns Hopkins Hospital reported in 1915 that babies left in orphanages and given proper nutrition died at a rate of about 90 percent. Other studies of the same era confirmed these findings and showed that those babies who did survive were often mentally handicapped and stunted in their growth. These valuable studies helped institutions understand the importance of touch. When staff was added to provide enough time for each child to be held, handled, and touched, mortality rates dropped dramatically.
Massage for ChildrenThose early statistical studies showed how vital touch is to developing infants. Researchers are also finding that giving massage to premature infants can improve their growth and overall health. A study conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami found that when stable premature babies were given five, one-minute massages a day, they gained 47 percent more weight than their counterparts who didn't get massage.
A 2001 study conducted by TRI showed that when mothers gave their infants a 15-minute massage before bedtime, these sleep-challenged kids went to sleep more quickly and were more alert during daytime hours.
Conversely, clinical research and sociological studies link touch deprivation with aggression. A 2002 study reported that adolescents with a history of aggressive behavior showed less aggression and were less anxious after receiving a 20-minute massage twice a week for five weeks.
Massage also reduces the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder so kids can concentrate better, and it's even been found that the right kind of touch can help kids with autism relate better to teachers and family members.
Massage for AdultsOngoing research by the Touch Research Institute continues to prove that massage is an important therapy for many conditions. After a massage, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop in saliva tests, examinations show an improvement in alertness and relaxation, depression scores decrease, and mental focus improves.
The exponential growth of the bodywork field is a testament to the value of safe, therapeutic touch. Of course bodywork can play an essential role in the healing of specific chronic or acute orthopedic conditions, but it also serves as a powerful aide in improving the quality of life for adults.
Stan, a former client, was going through a nasty divorce. He had friends to support him emotionally, but it seemed that the thing he missed most was the nurturing touch of his partner. He credits weekly massage appointments, along with seeing a counselor, to his emotional recovery. Massage can be a healthy way to get that much-needed human contact.
Massage for EldersPeople confined to nursing homes rarely get more than daily hygienic care in terms of touch. Yet elders need touch as much as infants, studies show that when they receive regular massage, the elderly have less depression and anxiety, experience better physical coordination, and show a decrease of stress hormone in their saliva.
Geriatric massage is a growing field requiring specialized training, and many massage therapists offer it in their practices. Some nursing homes now provide massage to their residents. Elders appear to respond as well to bodywork as, if not better than, their younger counterparts.
Contact for All AgesBefore babies learn about their hands and feet, they need the touch of loved ones and caregivers. We retain that need our entire lives. Remember to savor touch the next time you're lying on a massage table. Your therapist is not only working out tight muscles, she's contacting your entire nervous system, calming you through pathways that were put in place before you were born.
Six Massage Questions You're Afraid to Ask
Six Massage Questions You’re Afraid to Ask
Get the Inside Scoop
Robert Chute
Considering massage but have a few concerns? Get your answers here!
I'm a bit uncomfortable taking all my clothes off when I go for massage. Do I have to be completely naked to receive massage?
Some people go under the sheets without a stitch on, others wear underwear, and some people prefer to wear shorts, sweatpants, or even their regular street clothes. No, you don't have to take off more clothes than you are comfortable with to receive massage. Talk to your therapist and he or she will adapt to your needs. Be aware that wearing more clothes can interfere with the use of certain techniques, but there's no reason you can't enjoy receiving massage in casual clothes. Therapists won't be able to use lotion and may be unable to work as deeply, but they can adapt to your comfort level and still deliver a satisfying massage experience.
People who are self-conscious about their bodies might get massage more often, and with less apprehension, if they had the added underwear barrier. For some, it creates a psychological boundary that allows them to more fully relax during the massage, and that's okay, too. Rest assured, massage therapists work with all kinds of bodies, from the very young to the very old and all shapes and sizes in between. Massage therapists are a very caring and giving group. To be successful at what they do, they have to be. Your therapist strives to strike a balance between engaging with you as the complex individual you are, as well as seeing your body and all its unique qualities from a clinical perspective. Bodywork is about the careful application of techniques to muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue as a means to enhance your whole being, it's not about judgment.
I'd like get massages more often, but I can't afford it. Do I talk to my massage therapist about this?
Yes, talk to your massage therapist. Your practitioner may have a client loyalty or frequent-buyer program in place to bring down the total cost of massage, or a time-pay option to spread out the cost.
Many therapists take credit cards, and some will take postdated checks or a series of postdated checks to work out a payment plan. Some therapists have a sliding scale of fees depending on annual income and financial hardship, or they may accept coupons from bartering networks.
If you have some flexibility with your schedule, ask your therapist if she/he does a standby list. Your therapist might consider a discount fee if you can pop in for a last-minute appointment and fill a late cancellation.
You may also want to check with your employer or insurance carrier to see if you might be covered for massage therapy.
If you love massage and communicate to your therapist how much you value it, you might be able to work out an arrangement that's fair to all parties.
I'm never sure about gratuities for massage services. What should I tip?
Massage therapists working in spas don't usually receive the full fee charged for their services. They work on a percentage split with the spa owner or receive a salary. If you are visiting a spa, tipping is common (15-20 percent) and therapists may depend on tips for their income, just as restaurant servers do.
Your solo practitioner will likely appreciate tips as well, although not all massage settings accept tips (a doctor's office with a practitioner who offers massage, for example). Bottom line is, if you feel like tipping, offer. If you don't feel tipping is appropriate, don't.
What should I do when I feel ticklish on the massage table?
Some people are sensitive to particular techniques, which make them feel uncomfortable and want to giggle. If that happens, your therapist may use a broader stroke or deeper pressure so it doesn't tickle. In the unlikely event you're still way too ticklish with those variations, the therapist can skip that part of the body and concentrate on less sensitive areas. It's your massage, so you can dictate what works and what doesn't. Be sure to tell your therapist beforehand about any sensitive or particularly ticklish areas of your body so he or she can accommodate you more effectively.
Isn't it true that massage has to hurt to do any good?
Massage does not have to hurt to help. You can gain therapeutic benefits from a relaxing massage, which doesn't hurt a bit, or you can seek out more aggressive treatment options, which can cause some discomfort. Trigger point therapy and friction are examples of techniques, which are briefly uncomfortable, but very helpful for many conditions. If you don't want heavy pressure, say so. Massage therapists want to help you. If you're wincing under the pressure and tightening up, that will work against the goals of massage, which is to invite your body to relax, reduce pain, increase well-being, and have long, supple muscles. Massage therapists aren't in the torture business. Let your therapist know what feels good and what doesn't. Recognize that your needs and pain threshold might change with each visit.
From the male client: What if I get an erection during a massage?
It rarely occurs, but if it does, don't panic. Sometimes as a result of your nervous system going into relaxation mode (or because of certain medications) erections happen. Therapists know that this is a physiological reaction and will treat the situation accordingly. Usually your therapist will try to redirect your attention with a shift in the focus of his or her work, maybe by altering pressure or moving to a different area of your body. Your unintended erection, and any embarrassment, will soon pass.
Any more unspoken questions for your therapist? Ask. Your honesty will strengthen your therapeutic bond with your caregiver and let you deepen your relaxation time and feeling of healing. And that's what it's all about: You.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Your Massage Session
Your Massage Session
Dialing in the Details for a Great Experience
These basic bodywork etiquette guidelines will help you get the most out of your massage, create a healthy client-therapist relationship, and address some of those unknowns.
It's All About Timing
Be good to yourself, and show up a few minutes early for your session. This allows you to transition into calm, healing space and focus on the massage. It also ensures you'll receive your full time allotment for the massage.
When scheduling at a spa, most guests are asked to arrive early to prepare for their session, stow belongings, and even enjoy the facility's amenities, such as a steam room, before the scheduled service begins. New massage clients will also need to fill out health history intake forms.
If you do get held up in traffic and arrive late to your appointment, the therapist will probably not be able to give you a full session. Respect your therapist's time, call if you're going to be late, and understand that your session must end on time, regardless of when you arrived.
When it comes to cancellations, most spas and private practitioners require a 24-hour notice to avoid fees. Every situation is different, so check with your therapist about his or her specific cancellation policy, and then honor it.
Honor Your Body
Some people have a hard time even considering massage because they are so unhappy with their body. Primarily a female issue, poor body image can be extremely damaging. While it's hard to imagine that taking your clothes off and lying on a massage table will make the situation any better, massage therapy can do wonders to bring an individual back into body awareness. Bodywork can help mend the body-mind chasm that is created through self-hate, bringing the two pieces back together in a peaceful, healthy union.
Massage therapists and bodyworkers not only have advanced knowledge of tissues and structure, they also have a great appreciation for the human body as a whole, no matter its shape or size.
Communicate
One thing that will make your massage both more enjoyable and more beneficial is communicating with your therapist. If the room is too warm, if the bolster under your legs isn't in the right spot, if the music is driving you batty--whatever the issue--let your therapist know right away so you can get back to the business of enjoying your massage.
Skip Alcohol for Water
In resort settings, it can be hard to step away from icy margaritas on the beach to make that afternoon spa appointment. But the last thing you want is to be "tipsy" on the massage table. There are several downsides to being under the influence during a massage, the most important being how alcohol wreaks havoc with the body and can have a negative interaction when combined with bodywork. The result can be dizziness and nausea. That's no fun and a waste of good massage time and money. Leave the alcohol for another time. Water, before and after a therapeutic massage, is what the body really wants.
Won't Find That Here
It's unfortunate that massage therapists even have to address this subject, but they do. So the answer to late-night callers is, "No, we don't give happy endings. No, you may not pleasure yourself. Therapeutic massage has nothing to do with sex." If a misinformed client somehow ends up in the massage room of a professional therapist and asks for something other than therapeutic massage, they will be asked to leave. Flirting, inappropriate touching, and sexual innuendos will not be tolerated. Keep the relationship professional and above board and your therapist will be a valuable member of your healthcare team.
You're Human
The body can have a lot of responses to therapeutic massage. While avoiding food at least one hour before your massage will help, there's still the chance that you'll have tummy gurgles or even pass gas. It's okay. As the body relaxes and systems get moving, the body can play all kinds of tricks. Your therapist has seen it all, yet sees well beyond those kinds of issues.
For men, there's even a possibility that massage will cause an erection--a normal response to nervous system activation. It rarely occurs, but if it does, your therapist will likely shift the focus of the work.
Time To Wake Up
While a nap after your massage may sound lovely, other massage clients will be arriving soon and the room must be readied for them. When your massage concludes, your therapist will say something along the lines of, "Our session is over. Take your time getting up." That's your cue to take a moment as you come back to the here and now. Carefully sit up, allowing your body enough time to readjust. Go slow or else your body will knock you for a dizzying loop. Also, be careful not to slip getting off the massage table, especially if your therapist used oil on your feet.
Insights on Tipping
While it's customary to tip 15-20 percent, most experts say it's ultimately the client's decision. Like in other service industries, providing a tip is usually done in response to excellent service. A couple of notes: Many therapists who work in spas earn only a small percentage of what you've paid for their services. For these therapists, tips are an important part of their income. On the other hand, tips are usually not accepted for massage performed in a medical environment. Unsure what to do? Ask if tipping is customary and what is the policy.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Benefits of Massage
The Benefits of Massage
Bodywork Goes Beyond Relaxation
As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands. Once the session gets underway, the daily stressors and aching muscles fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief, and all you can comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.
But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away? What if that gentle, Swedish massage helped you combat cancer? What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion, and mood all improved with massage and bodywork? What if these weren't just "what if's"?
Evidence is showing that the more massage you can allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why:
Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. When you bump your head or have a sore calf, the natural response is to rub it to feel better. The same was true of our earliest ancestors.
Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage -- benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind -- there are specific physiological and psychological changes that occur, and even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.
The Fallout of StressExperts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers blood pressure, increases circulation, improves injury recovery, encourages deep sleep, and increases concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.
Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.
The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Researchers from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, found that recipients of massage can benefit even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session). They also note that receiving bodywork two to three times a week is even more beneficial. While this may not be feasible, it's nice to know that this "medicine" only gets better with frequency.
What It DoesIn an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive, and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. Following is a brief list of the many known, research-based benefits of massage and bodywork:
- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs,
- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer. Furthermore, increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ -- the skin,
- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles,
- Reduces spasms and cramping,
- Increases joint flexibility,
- Reduces recovery time and helps prepare the body for strenuous workouts, reducing subsequent muscle pain of athletes at any level,
- Releases endorphins -- the body's natural painkiller -- and is proving very beneficial in patients with chronic illness, injury, and post-op pain,
- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred,
- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain,
- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication,
- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion,
- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as reduces the need for medication, eases postpartum depression and anxiety, and contributes to a shorter hospital stay.
The benefits of massage are diverse. No matter how great it feels, massage isn't just a luxury, it's a health necessity.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Now accepting credit cards
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Day Spa Services in Trinidad
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Summer Rates for Therapeutic Massage