EFTA00008020

73
Chapter 5: A Massage Road Map
Remodeling your body for fun and profit
Several types of massage have developed over the years that focus on
realigning your body, straightening you out, helping you form a healthier rela-
tionship with gravity and a more graceful, efficient way of moving. People
often refer to this type of massage as structural bodywork. You only want to
sign up for one of these if you have specific goals in mind (such as improved
posture, better athletic performance, and soon.) and, of course, you want a
highly trained pro to do the work. The movements involved are quite deep,
and the experience is not "relaxing" in the normal sense of the word, but your
massage therapist will always keep your comfort foremost in mind.
If you're interested in structural massage, ask for the following:
3 Rolling: The most well-known form or structural bodywork, this type of
massage was invented by Ida Rolf.
3 Hellerwork: A unique development of Rolfing, this type of massage was
created by Joseph Heller.
3 Aston patterning: This type of massage is a combination of touch tech-
niques and movement repatteming that helps people move with ease
and improve their posture.
3 Myofascial release: This type of massage is a combination of techniques
that combine to "unwind" and release chronic tension patterns in deep
tissues, which can cause many painful conditions.
Touch Terminology
Massage has its own lingo, much of which can be somewhat confusing at
first. Massage lingo can also be intimidating, for two main reasons:
3 Some massage terminology has origins in the medical field and can
sound academically dense.
3 Some of the words used are Just plain weird (and the only people you've
heard speak them before are sophisticated, semi-naked celebrities on
Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous).
Truthfully, though, no insider's massage clique is sitting around in cashmere
robes at some exclusive, country-club spa, ready to snicker at you for not
knowing what the word "acupressure" means. Most of the massage words
you encounter are the result of cultural influences from around the world,
with a medical/scientific reference thrown in now and then.
EFTA00008119