Descriptions

Here is a readers' digest version of my interpretation of the three forms of bodywork I borrow from most heavily as I create a massage session for a client:

-Shiatsu massage is a Japanese form of bodywork using pressure with the therapist's hands.  It is practiced on a mat on the floor or on a massage table.  Shiatsu can be done over clothes, over a sheet, or directly on the skin and can range from comforting and soothing to deep and athletic.

-Craniosacral therapy is a still, holding form of bodywork that allows for deep release from the inside out.  The client lies clothed, face up on a table and the therapist places their hands gently along the spine and at different points on the head.  From these positions the bones and structural parts of the clients body begin to unwind and find proper alignment and core-level relaxation.

-Deep Swedish blends the best of Deep Tissue and Swedish massage.  Swedish, also known as Esalen massage, is the most well known Western form of massage and is practiced with lotion on the skin to calm and sooth the body and central nervous system.  Deep Tissue focuses on the many anatomical layers of the body and uses specific pressure to break up adhesions and allow for recovery from tension.

In the end, it's all about receiving exactly what you need at the moment, and just as in life what we need or how we feel varies from moment to moment, a client's needs are going to change from session to session and even from moment to moment in a session.  It is a wonder-full journey to have and to learn so many technical tools to pull from to improvise a wonderful massage.