Esalen • Swedish • Deep Tissue
Esalen® - Swedish - Deep Tissue
Esalen is a variant of Swedish massage pioneered at Esalen Institute
in Big Sur, California (www.esalen.org),
where many original and alternative therapies (such as Gestalt Therapy)
were launched since it opened in 1962. The unique brand of Esalen massage
typically involves nudity (with towel draping) and long flowing strokes
that tend to be trance-like and meditative, allowing the greatest possible
unfolding to take place in the recipient.
Swedish massage works to shorten recovery time from muscular strain by flushing the tissues of metabolic wastes. It increases circulation without increasing heart load. It stretches ligaments and tendons, stimulates the skin and nervous system, and soothes the nerves themselves. Swedish massage feels good, is relaxing and invigorating, while promoting health and well being.
Deep Tissue Massage is used to release chronic patterns of muscular tension using slow strokes, direct pressure, or friction usually on a focused problem area. Often the movements are directed across the grain of the muscles (cross-fiber) using the fingers, thumbs, or elbows. This is applied with greater pressure and at deeper layers of the muscle than Swedish massage.