Body Mind Spirit

Integrative massage is like integrative medicine. It is the bringing together of different modalities and techniques to treat the whole person, not just the areas of concern. This evidence-based, holistic approach is more effective than muscle therapy alone. So I might incorporate several massage modalities, breathwork, stretching, and tools such as hot stones within a single customized treatment.

HeartMath is a science-based system of techniques and biofeedback technologies designed to help individuals align their physical, mental, and emotional systems. By learning to control your breathing and emotional focus, you can shift your body's stress response into a state of calm, emotional balance, and mind/body "coherence"

You should not get a massage if you are ill or coming down with a virus. Why? You may be achy and think a massage would feel good, but it

will actually make you much sicker.

So please text me to cancel if you wake up with a fever or other symptoms.

If you are on muscle relaxants and/or painkillers (even OTC meds) you must let me know prior to the massage, as your sensitivity to pain and pressure will be compromised, and I don't want to hurt you.

• Fever & Infections: Any fever over 100.4° F (38° C) or acute, contagious illnesses (like the cold, flu, or viral infections).

• Blood Clots: Conditions like Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) mean massage could dislodge a clot, leading to life-threatening complications.

• Severe Inflammation: Sudden, acute, or severe inflammation in joints or tissues.

• Recent Surgery or Major Trauma: Usually prohibited within the first 3 to 6 months without direct medical consent.

• Unstable Medical Conditions: Unstable blood pressure, severe heart conditions, or advanced organ failure (e.g., liver or kidney) failure).

• If you have cancer, are less than 6 weeks out from a surgery, are pregnant, or have any doubts, please get a written note or email from your physician.

Massage therapy improves your overall well-being by reducing stress, easing muscle tension, and boosting blood circulation. It provides both physical and mental benefits, helping to alleviate chronic pain, enhance athletic recovery, and promote better sleep.

Conditions improved by massage/bodywork: migraine and tension headaches, whiplash, muscle spasms, TMJ, Bell's Palsy, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, post-surgical knee/hip/shoulder replacement, post-acute sports injury, chronic low back pain, repetitive stress injuries, and many more. I am happy to work with your health care provider to help you reach your wellness goals.

It is one of the ways we keep you safe during a massage.

It is important to be thorough and honest in filling out your intake form. Many medications are affected by massage or require treatment modifications. (For example, a massage can lower your blood sugar if you are diabetic, so you will need to monitor the levels before and after.) ALL medical conditions are important to disclose to your therapist, as your massage can easily be modified to keep you safe. (For example, if you have ever in your life had a lymph node biopsied or removed, your therapist must modify your treatment to keep you safe from lymphedema, a very serious and hard-to-treat condition.)

Please fill out your intake form before arriving. If you haven't, don't worry, we will do it together, but the time it takes may cut into your service. We will briefly discuss your treatment goals and any concerns before we begin.

Like all massage therapists, I will tell you to 'undress to your comfort level'. I will leave the room while you get yourself settled, and I will knock before I come in. I will adjust the power-assisted table to find the perfectly comfortable position for you. I will provide you with a soothing, weighted, heated wrap. The table also has a warmer. Aromatherapy of your choice will gently calm your senses. Relaxing music will allow you to drift into a peaceful state. Everything except the area I am working on will remain draped. I will check in with you to see how you are feeling and if my pressure is comfortable. After the massage, I will leave the room so you can get dressed in privacy. I will have a cup of cool water or hot tea ready for you while I wait in the hall to take your payment and escort you out.

Responsible LMT's all feel strongly about this.  I never want to hurt you. You may feel some discomfort during the session, but it is gentle and within easy tolerance. Extreme pressure causes damage to your fascia and muscles, increases stress hormones, and will leave you sore the next day(s). So why do people like it? There are several reasons. If you are enduring pain, it doesn't feel like pampering. But you are increasing inflammation all over the body. Stress hormones are released to help ease your pain, which makes you feel great, and that is unhealthy and addictive! People return to get this temporary escape/relief that is not therapeutic and may be equivalent to assisted self-harm.

Sanitation: I use a non-toxic hypochlorous acid sanitizer on all washable surfaces, including door handles and my lotion bottles, to prevent cross-contamination. It kills even harder to eradicate spores and viruses.

Linens: All linens, including blankets, are changed after each client.

Personal: During your massage, I wear a mask that NYT Wirecutter deems the best available. This protects you from any viruses I may be carrying asymptomatically and protects me from any you may be carrying. 

No, deep tissue massage involves warming up the muscles, then slowly palpating the layers of tissue, then working to release trigger points and increase circulation in hypertonic (tight) areas. To do this, the therapist works slowly with moderate to firm pressure. On the other hand, extreme pressure compresses all the tissue, causing injury and inflammation.

Compelling and abundant research has completely changed the way well-informed massage therapists work. It offers definitive proof that your body is not a bunch of parts, but a unified whole, with fascia being the connector. Fascia is that cellophane-like tissue that surrounds a muscle-you have seen it in raw chicken, for instance. It surrounds every muscle, organ, and bone in your body. You can see why it has been dismissed all these years; it seems like nothing. Fascia contains more receptors and sends more signals to the brain than muscles! Massage therapists have always known that working only on a problem spot doesn't effectively help with the issue. The problem in your neck may be coming from your toes! Your tight shoulders may be coming from your jaw! And so on. I work to keep your fascia healthy, happy, and hydrated.

I have training in oncology massage, pregnancy massage, fibromyalgia, orthopedic massage, migraine and headache relief, joint replacement aftercare, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, Post-COVID syndrome, and more. I am continually educating myself in ways to help people live more comfortably. If you are under a physicians care, I am happy to work with them. In some instances, such as cancer or pregnancy, I will require written permission from your physician to receive a massage. This is to keep you safe.