A
Fluid Experience of Energy Dynamics Grounded in Body Awareness
Integrative Massage Therapy® (IMT) can be described a technique which
employs sculpting, fluid massage strokes to open spaces for release of tissue
restrictions thru natural avenues of flow. The use of spiraling techniques are
an attempt to follow the many weaving patterns found in nature and to view the
body as a unit where the health of a single cell can impact the entire organism.
The use of soothing lifting, stretching, tractioning or rotating strategies
invites the client to relax at levels beyond previous experience and to become a
more active participant in the massage process. There are also techniques which
encourage increased potential for ‘energy in/energy out’ patterns.
IMT is done with
renewed appreciation of self care strategies, and of modeling pro-active
personal wellness techniques during massage. There is focus on a more mobile
posture that engages dynamic joints with energy flow initiated by active feet
and legs and associated with increased freedom in the hips and shoulders. A
model is offered for consciously maintaining maximal personal energy during a
session, recognizing that this ‘delivery style’ serves to enhance the experience
and to ground both participants into the moment.
The use of IMT often compels the clinician to review anatomy and physiology of the human body, and its complex interweaving nature. It seems that the journey into a new way of softening tender areas compels one to better understand the many layers which can be addressed. To take the long view is to see the body not as segments, but rather as a work of art exemplifying oneness in action. This perspective encourages the clinician to connect with the unlimited potentials of the body’s desire for change and to expand his or her window into the many and varied challenges one may encounter as a provider of therapeutic massage.