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Bodywork and Massage Therapy
Holistic Healing Therapies

By , About.com Guide

Bodywork is a classification for healing therapies that involve manipulation of tissue, muscle, or skeleton. Bodywork techniques relieve stress, ease pain, improve circulation, stimulate vitality, and generally promote well-being.

1. Hot Stone Massage

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Hot Stone Massage is a style of massage therapy in which water-treated stones are placed at specific sites on the client's body to promote relaxation and to help open up the merdians (energy pathways). Muscles are pretreated with the heated stones to allow the therapist to more easily perform deep tissue manipulations.

2. Reflexology

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The principal behind the science of reflexology is that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to the glands, organs and parts of the body. Reflexology possesses the capacity to cancel out the effects of stress while it helps the body to reach a place of deep relaxation where it can balance the body systems.

3. Hilot

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Originating in the Philippines, Hilot is a hands-on healing art that involves intuition and massage. The practitioner intuitively scans the body with touch to diagnose areas which are energetically imbalanced.

4. Abhyanga Massage

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Abhyanga - the Ayurvedic oil massage - is an integral part of the daily routine recommended by this healing system for overall health and well-being. It is nourishing, pacifies Vata and Kapha, relieves fatigue, provides stamina, pleasure and perfect sleep, enhances the complexion and the luster of the skin, promotes longevity and nourishes all parts of the body.

5. Shiatsu

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Shiatsu, also known as acupressure, is a finger pressure massage technique. Massage techniques like tapping, squeezing, rubbing, and applied pressure are applied along the meridians to unblock energy blockages and reintroduce the optimal flow of ki.

6. Yogassage

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Yogassage is a form of bodywork that incorporates assisted yoga asanas (poses) and therapeutive massage techniques. The Yogassage therapist combines stretching and tissue manipulation. Degrees of client participation varies from passive to full involvement.

7. Feldenkrais

The Feldenkrais Method involves deliberate small gentle movements that retrains the body to move in different ways. The Feldenkrais Method combines the techniques of massage, healing touch, breathwork, and body alignment with psychological awareness and movement training sessions.

8. Gua Sha

Gua Sha (pronounced "gwa shaw") is an healing technique originating in Eastern Asia which involves scrapping and rubbing of the skin. Downward strokes are used with a round-edged scraping tool. Areas of the body Gua Sha is generally applied to is the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, arms and legs.
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