Indian Head Massage
History
Indian Head Massage springs from a rich tradition. Massage has always played an important part in Indian life, featuring in the earliet Ayurverdic texts from nearly 4000 years ago. Babies in India receive a daily massage, infants receive massage once or twice a week and from the age of six, children are encouraged to share a massage with other family members.
Technique
Indian Head Massage works on the upper back, shoulders, arms, neck, scalp, face and ears with a variety of massage movements – effleurage, petrissage and tapotement-usually found in Swedish massage. It also incorporates some balancing of the upper chakras to align the energy of the whole body.
Indian Head massage works with a firm but gentle rhythm to release blockages and unknot tense muscles.The beauty of head massage is it can be done clothed or unclothed with oils or without. It can also be done anywhere from a treatment room, to your office or home.
Swedish Massage
History
Also known as Classic Massage this technique is also considered as a full body treatment, as it works on all the major muscle groups. Usually development is credited to Henri Peter Ling working in the University of Stockholm in 1812, however the strokes were popularly used all over the world before their French names of effleurage, petrissage and tapotement were being given.
Technique
Swedish Massage works all of the major muscle groups from the feet to the neck. Using a system of long strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, percussion, vibration and shaking motions that apply pressure between muscles and bones, rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart.
This massage is carried out on a massage bed unclothed,using oils, cream or talc and can be modified to suit each persons needs. This is mainly used for a relaxing massage and stress relief.
Thai Traditional Massage
History
Thai Massage is a system of massage and assisted stretching, heavily influenced by traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. Its roots can be traced back 2000 years to Jivaka Kumara
bhacca, a physician to the Buddha. He is credited with spreading the teachings of Thai Massage to the monastic community to help with the aches and pains experienced from long meditations. This then spread from the monks to the people as a way of treating sick and injured people in the community.
Technique
Thai Massage uses thumbs, palms, elbows, knees and feet to apply a combination of acupressure, gentle rocking and twisting, joint and spine mobilizations and assisted yoga stretches. The massage typically lasts 1 1/2 hours and is performed with the client in loose comfortable clothing, on a firm mat on the floor.
