Multimedia Massage

The way I came to develop “Multimedia Massage” - also called Multidimensional Massage:  It struck me that every time I worked on a body, I could not just apply the same technique to every part of the body, because body talks and I listen.
When I receive body work myself, I find it totally “ineffective” for me to get one area worked on over and over again, with the same technique and same amount of pressure.  I get more benefit when the session aims to affect the three-dimensional meridian system covering the physical, emotional and energetic dimensions –

 As in Chinese traditional medicine approach (TCM), of eight branches used to bring holistic relief and balance to humans; those eight branches are meditation (which I remind my clients to take a moment at the end of each session), exercise, dietary, considerations, geomancy (placement of objects, or feng shui) astrology, bodywork, herbal medicine and acupuncture.  The client’s chi (ki, or prana – the life force that defines us as human beings) becomes aware of the imbalance as my hands trace them and helps the body respond by breathing and letting go.  When this happens, not only does the tension in the body melt away, but so does its associated frustration which was the underlying cause of the tension. In order for the body to reach this “state,” I incorporate acupressure or shiatsu (finger pressure) into the session, combined with “Zen shiatsu” after the simple and direct approach to spirituality of the Zen Buddhist in Japan.

I often incorporate techniques such as deep stretching with  guided breathing to promote deep relaxation, kneading of muscles, deep tissue and reflexology ( reflexology is the practice of applying pressure to specific points on the feet and hands to influence the health of corresponding parts of the body.  Reflexology stimulates “pressure sensors” to cause waves of relaxation to be sent throughout the body) when stretches and rotations are done carefully and without force, they release tension and blockages and help the client to relax. They also inform me about the client’s condition. For example lack of movement indicates a local blockage and informs me that I need to open the channels and loosen the joints - which improve the flow of ki (life force). It’s a technique that I use in my own practice and I hope you enjoy it, I love giving and receiving the work.

When I moved to London, and began studying Ayurveda with a Yoga-herbalist teacher I realize that I needed to make some changes to my lifestyle. It was no longer about working hard for everything - but for the most important thing “a healthy body.”  In today’s society we tend to want to fix and be fixed fast - American culture especially has little understanding of the importance of rest.  Americans have a day off, and they go to the Mall, hiking, paint the house - in general, do things.  I was born and raised in Spain, where we have our “siesta” meaning we take a 3 hour lunch break, and imagine what we will do on our day off!  Do nothing attitude”

We are a restless over stimulated society.  Humans aren’t wired for such a high-voltage pace of life.  The nervous system, the organs, the mind all need rest - the “state of nothingness.”  Some companies are discovering this and understanding and believing in the value of rest and recuperation. (Such as Google, whose employees’ get Friday massages and free membership to health clubs) others give more vacation time because they have found workers are more productive when refreshed. As massage therapists we need to remind people, through touch, what a relaxed pain free body and stillness feels like. And what it means to be effortless and light in our bodies. That’s the message I send to my clients, and work with them in ways to open the body, and make it pliable enough to work on.  Clients need to remember what is right about their bodies instead of always being reminded of what is wrong. I believe that there is always something for the therapist to work on. But healing is an inside job that only the client can perform with the help of the therapist or healer.