Welcome to Cat Paws Massage! Please note that due to the COVID pandemic, masks are required in all healthcare offices; I can provide one if you forget yours. I use a hospital-grade hydrogen peroxide-based sanitizer after every session on all surfaces touched, I schedule appointments so strangers do not overlap, and I follow all state mandates and recommendations for infectious disease control.
Thank you for helping that way! I offer many styles of massage, but the most unique is Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy. Other benefits include enhanced sleeping ability and pain reduction, and because the lymphatic system is part of the immune system, it strengthens this vital system too. It is safe for most people to receive, and we can discuss the few contraindications when you call for an appointment. I am also a Third Degree Reiki practitioner. What sets me apart is not what I do, but how I do it: learning from multiple cadaver labs and college courses in anatomy and physiology, I target layers of tissues carefully, and move with the patterns of your breath, so I can notice subtle changes in tissues, both relaxation and tension.
Most sessions use a blend of techniques, to maximize benefits for your personal needs. I tend to focus more on injury treatment and prevention, and relaxation is an important part of that. I invested in a very special table: it is a hydraulic table with a traction option, which reduces pressure on discs and nerves, like a little vacation from gravity. It works by putting a slight degree of tilt, or inversion, at the waist, and the weight of your head gives a gentle pull at the other end.
When you add massage strokes in addition to more open joints, there is better access to all the tissues, making for a deeper and more efficient stroke. With adjustable height β which is also ADA approved because it goes lower than most tables β I am not straining to reach the middle of your body, so I can use my body weight instead of just brute arm strength. I have a background in dance and martial arts, and these disciplines have offered me opportunities to both experience and to work with injuries, and to discover healing techniques that work for most people.
I practice breath meditation, which shapes the mindfulness I bring to my sessions and flavors my dialog during sessions β your breath is a free form of stress reduction and can be accessed any time, so why not use it?
