The Healing Power of Touch

Massage makes you feel great! People get a massage for many reasons: to reduce daily stress; to ease aches and pains in the back, neck, shoulders and extremities; to help heal an injured muscle; before or after an athletic event or after working out; to ease discomforts accompanying or following pregnancy or surgery; or just to feel good all over. Massage reconnects you to your natural state of well-being!

Therapeutic massage is a wonderful way to promote good health on many fronts: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical. It uplifts your mental state, tunes you into your internal world, makes you feel happy, and eases aches and pains.

Why is massage so effective? Natural pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins are released during a massage, which create a wonderful sense of well-being. Massage also cleanses and detoxifies your tissues, increases joint range of motion, strengthens the immune system, and enhances your circulation. It’s a great aid to digestion, elimination, and respiration, and will promote a good night’s sleep. Yes indeed, massage has a healing power!

Following is a list of the massage modalities I practice and the classes I teach. I welcome you to contact me to discuss any questions you may have, or to purchase a gift certificate or make an appointment in my Santa Fe, New Mexico office or in your home. I’m available via email or telephone.

Nothing in this website is intended to be a substitute for medical care and advice. I do not diagnose any medical conditions. Please consult your health care provider if you have any medical conditions you are concerned about, and to get their input on getting a massage for any of these conditions. I’m available to speak with them as well if you so desire.

Services Offered

(Available in 60 or 90 minute versions unless otherwise specified.)

Swedish Massage

Swedish Massage is based on western principles of anatomy involving blood and lymph circulation, tissue histology, and nervous and muscular system function. Different strokes are employed, ranging from light broad stroking of the skin (effleurage), to deep tissue manipulation (petrissage and friction), to rapid surface stimulation on the skin and superficial tissues (vibration and tapotement). Benefits of Swedish massage include assisting in the body’s natural healing processes by breaking up adhesions and knots in muscle tissue, increasing circulation to eschemic (blood-deficient) tissues, assisting in lymph drainage (which strengthens the immune system), increasing joint range of motion, and stimulating the endorphin release prompted by touch response, which provides a tremendous relief from stress. Massage also has a detoxification effect on the body’s tissues. It is recommended to drink lots of water to flush out toxins after a massage, and to hydrate the tissues.

I blend many styles into my own unique Swedish massage. I use massage cream with ivy and arnica extract--arnica is known for it’s healing properties and ivy extract is excellent for nourishing the skin. This cream has superior glide, which allows for deeper work on the underlying muscle tissues, should this be your preference. My technique combines traditional Swedish strokes, Shiatsu finger pressure massage, foot and hand reflexology, Cranio-sacral therapy, Trager rocking techniques, positional release methods and energy balancing. I think you will love my ‘Swedish’ massage!

Healing Stone Therapy

This treatment, which has roots in the cultures of the Hopi Indians and Hawaian shamans, consists of rubbing heated basalt lava stones over the body, which has been lubricated with oil, then leaving the stones on the body to allow the heat to sink into the muscles. The stones help to melt fascial restrictions within the soft tissues, facilitating a soothing and deeply relaxing massage. Like the earth from which the stones come, they absorb and ground excess energy. (Great for stress relief.) The combination of long lasting heat, consistent pressure and nurturing touch creates a meditative state in the client. People often feel they enter a rarified condition during a stone massage. Oil lightly scented with lavender is used. It's a good idea to drink lots of water and plan to relax for a while after the massage. Plan to take a walk or sit in nature to integrate the experience. This treatment takes 75 minutes.

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Foot Reflexology

Reflexology is an art and science. It is based on the principle that there are reflex areas and energy zones on the feet that correspond to every muscle, bone, and organ in the body. By using finger pressure on these areas, balancing changes can occur in the corresponding parts of the body. The effects of a reflexology session are pain and stress relief and deep relaxation. Reflexology works on the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the acupuncture meridians. Its origins date back 5000 years to ancient Egypt.

Foot reflexology has been shown to be of benefit to people suffering from lung diseases like asthma or emphysema, sinus infections, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, general stress, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, fibromyalgia, spinal stenosis, and is of great benefit to support people on diets, or coming off of alcohol, drug or smoking dependencies. Further, it enhances the immune system function, digestion and elimination. Plus it feels great to have your feet massaged for an hour!

A session begins with a warm foot soak in a sage foot bath, a stimulating rosemary lotion application on the calves to promote blood flow, and an application of rosemary foot balm to remove dead skin from the bottoms of the feet. A full reflexology session follows, covering all the reflex areas and zones on the foot, and incorporating many massage techniques to help you to relax. After the reflexology an application of quince body milk (moisturizer) is applied to the feet and calves, and finally, a silk dusting powder is brushed on your feet to keep them dry. You arise from a session feeling rejuvenated and deeply relaxed. (Products used in this treatment are made by Dr. Hauschka, a biodynamic company of superior quality.)

Aromatherapy Massage

Aromatherapy Massage combines the power of pure essential oils with a specialized massage drawn from the traditions of both east and west, concentrating on the back, scalp, face, neck, shoulders, abdomen and feet. Lymphatic drainage, muscular release, spinal pressures and foot reflexology techniques work to target the nervous system, affecting every organ and structure of the body. Organic Aromatherapy Associates essential oils are absorbed through the skin, working at a physical level, while the aromatic effects of each blend balance the mind and emotions.

Essential oils improve all skin types, and encourage healthy circulation and cellular renewal. They also nourish, calm and balance the nervous system, and strengthen the immune system through their anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

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Ayurvedic Body Treatment

Ayurveda is the oldest form of medicine known to man. It has roots in India over 5000 years ago. It utilizes principles of nutrition, exercise, massage, psychotherapy, stress management, and even surgery if needed to treat the whole person, not just a presenting symptom, which is too often the case in allopathic medicine in the West. Ayurvedic medicine is about balance.

Ayurveda Medicine categorizes symptoms, body characteristics and personal traits into three types called ' doshas ': ‘Pitta', ‘Kapha' and ‘Vata'. Everyone usually has qualities from each of these doshas, but will identify particularly with one dosha more than the others. When our body is experiencing stress, our dosha type is imbalanced. An Ayurvedic Body Treatment seeks to balance your dosha.

At the beginning of this treatment you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire to help determine your dosha type (see ‘learn more’ below). Then the treatment will begin.

The Ayurvedic Body Treatment uses a soothing herbal mask application over the body (consisting of herbs, spices and milk proteins) that is applied by the therapist and rubbed off with a towel, creating an exfoliating effect on the skin. Following the mud application and removal, the client takes a warm shower and then returns to the table for a thorough application of Ayurvedic aromatherapy grade oils on the body and face, selected to balance the individual dosha of the client. The effect is exhilarating, balancing and soothing; the skin is renewed and refreshed. This treatment takes 90 minutes. (Bindi Ayurvedic herb mask and oils are used in this treatment).

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Infant Massage Classes

Infant Massage combines principles of Indian and Swedish massage with Oriental Foot Reflexology to create a relaxing and healthful massage for the baby. Gentle strokes, performed daily, have been shown to greatly enhance growth and development of the baby's nervous system, immune system, and physical body, while improving circulation, respiration,digestion and elimination. Infant massage can help the baby learn to release tensions and gas and can ease colic. She will sleep more soundly. When a parent performs the massage, it is a tremendous aid to parent-infant bonding and can build up the baby’s trust and the parent's confidence and competence in caring for the infant. Daniel is certified as an infant massage instructor by the International Association of Infant Massage Instructors, in addition to being a licensed massage therapist. Please read on if you are interested in receiving more information about these classes.

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Pregnancy Massage

You can have a massage at all stages of your pregnancy. You can massage the abdomen and the whole body during the first trimester. When administered by a licensed and pregnancy-certified massage therapist, full body massage is completely safe for the pregnant mom-to-be. The massage is similar to a Swedish massage above but modified to alleviate the specific discomforts of pregnancy or post partum. Certain pressure points are used to support hormonal balancing and relieve symptoms of nausea. Myofascial stretches alleviate back pain that accompanies pregnancy due to the pressures of the growing fetus on the sacroiliac joints. Lymphatic drainage enhances the release of excess water from the legs and arms, and encourages an enhanced immune system function. Massage can alleviate some of the effects of depression associated with the post partum period, as well as support scar healing. Please notify me that you are pregnant when calling to schedule a massage, and check with your doctor or midwife if the pregnancy has had complications. A nurturing massage can be just the thing you need during this exhilarating and often stressful time.

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Massage and Reflexology Instruction

Private or semiprivate classes in foot reflexology and couples massage are available. Contact me for more details about these classes.