Guest Author: Thai, Holistic and Hot Stones Therapist Melissa:
Hi my name is Melissa and I have been a therapist for 12 years. I started my career as a beauty therapist providing a range of beauty treatments including massage, facials, waxing and nail treatments, but have always been most interested in massage and pampering treatments.
After gaining some industry experience I decided I wanted to provide first class upmarket or Luxury Therapies and travel the world, so decided to start working on a cruise ship. This gave me invaluable experience and knowledge in how important it is to look after your guest and give them the best possible experience.
After my globe trotting I knew spa and massage therapies were the treatments I wanted to give all the time, so I started working in hotels and spas and trained in many new techniques and therapies. For the last seven years I worked in a large Thai inspired spa and was lucky enough to be sent toThailandto train in Traditional Thai massage as well as other Thai inspired treatments.
Thai massage is an incredible massage style which is completely different to the traditional western style of massage, known as Swedish. Thai Massage uses no oil and is performed over clothes or towels when incorporated into oil massages. Thai techniques include using palms, arms, feet and knees to press and knead muscles to help them loosen and relax as well as Yoga style stretches to help release tension and deep pressure points working along energy or Sen lines to increase energy flow and remove blockages.
I incorporate Thai Massage techniques into the majority of my massage treatments because it is an excellent way to loosen up large muscle groups and joints ready to work deeper into specific muscles with oil based western techniques. I often start treatments with some palm pressures over the towels to get the muscles moving and to give me an idea of how tight the area as a whole is. This helps me pin point areas that I need to focus on during the treatment.
I also like to incorporate gentle stretching into my treatments as this helps to release muscle tension so that the muscles relax more quickly during the treatment allowing me to work deeper into them. I nearly always finish my treatments with some Thai pressure points and palm presses over the towels because this gives a lovely finish to the treatment and just gives that little bit more massage at the end of the treatment.
Having a regular massage is a fantastic way to keep yourself healthy. It keeps your body relaxed and improves your posture as well as distressing the mind. Try having a Traditional Thai Massage with me and you’ll feel refreshed and energised as well as looser or if you’d rather stick to a style of massage you know, go for a holistic massage and I’ll probably incorporate those Thai techniques in for you as well.
We look forward to welcoming you to our Southampton based Massage Studio soon, thank you for reading.
All the best,
Melissa
