When life starts snowballing and you feel like death, it’s time to get your body and mind ship-shape with a therapeutic modality.
ROLFING
Created by biochemist Dr Ida Rolf, Rolfing reorganises the connective tissues (called fascia) that permeate the entire body, penetrating the muscles, bones, nerves and organs. Rolfing Structural Integration works on this web-like complex of connective tissues to release, realign and balance the whole body. Thus it potentially resolves discomfort, reduces compensations and alleviates pain, while restoring flexibility and revitalising energy stocks.
In short, this whole-body practice undoes the effects of gravity and repetitive motions. Fascia is what makes your body glide. After treatments you’ll move more fluidly during breathing, walking, bending, lifting and other daily movements.
Contact: Beryl Blaeser, Bloubergstrand, ph 083 2263373.
REIKI
Mikao Usui developed reiki in the early 1900s as an energy healing technique to stimulate relaxation and reduce stress. Energy medicine – transferred from the practitioner’s palms to the client – aims to help the flow of energy and remove blocks in a similar way to acupuncture or acupressure. Used world-wide to complement other health treatments, it’s said that reiki (which means ‘mysterious atmosphere/miraculous sign’) promotes healing physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It’s even used with positive results on animals.
Contact: Nicole at Althea Healing, Flamingo Square, Blaauwberg Rd, Table View, ph 083 6576017.
SHIATSU
Performed through loose clothing, shiatsu practitioners use their hands, thumb or other body parts to apply direct pressure on various points or channels in the body.
Although this age-old practice originated in Japan, it has its roots in the traditional Chinese medicine concept of qi – the vital life force that drives all life activity. It’s used on people seeking relaxation, healing and relief. Viewed in the west as a modified form of acupressure to reduce tension and fatigue, treatments improve blood and lymphatic circulation.
Carl van Vuuren does house visits, ph 076 4559916; carlshiatsumassage.co.za.
MEDITATION
Rest your body and mind with conscious meditation. It’s all about focus, emptying that busy, busy brain from the clutter of daily life. You’ll be rewarded with a sense of calmness, peace and happiness. This mind-body complementary medicine is believed to lead to better physical and emotional wellbeing by staying centred.
Every Sunday 10-11.30 @ Cape Town Meditation Centre, 107 Blaauwberg Rd; ph 072 0132149.
THAI MASSAGE
This ancient treatment is similar to Chinese medicine, working with the body’s energy pathways. Indian doctor Shivago Komarpaj – who happened to be a colleague of the Buddha – developed it about 2 500 years ago.
Today, Thai massage includes aspects of yoga, Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. While you remain fully clothed, the practitioner uses his/her hands and sometimes other objects to relax and manipulate muscles according to traditional Thai medicinal theory. It’s a combination of compression, acupressure and passive stretching to increase the range of motion in your joints and muscles.
There are many Thai massage spas from Milnerton to Melkbos.
