HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY
It is very exciting to be part of the massage and exercise professions at this particular time in history because the volume of science around the field of soft tissue is expanding so prodigiously. The gap which has for so long existed between Eastern and Western medicine is finally narrowing,. Massage and exercise professions provide a vital link between the two different approaches, as our work is integrated into the patient's daily life. In particular, our understanding of the role of the nervous system, the breath, and the fascial (“connective tissue”) network is revolutionizing the field of pain management. At Mason Street Massage and Wellness we are proud to be on the cutting edge of this field, providing a variety of services aiming holistic, or "whole being" solutions for pain. We work as a team with doctors, nutritionists, physical therapists and others to restore your body to optimal health and are here to help you learn to maintain it.
Eastern systems of Medicine, including the Indian (Yoga and Ayurveda) as well as Chinese and Southeast Asian systems, have developed over thousands of years with a focus on enhancing human health. The questions they have asked are “what is happening when the system is running optimally?”. In addition to agreeing with our big 3: Diet, Sleep and Exercise, as the key to health, all of these systems have independently observed and described a network of key “energy” points, or “meridians” which are linked to various aspects of physiological efficiency and the experience of well-being. These points and meridians are stimulated through touch, needles or movement, to improve human vitality.
Whole-body movement and massage techniques, such as Yoga, Acupuncture, Massage and Shiatsu, etc. simultaneously address neurological and nutritional aspects of health as well. The techniques are designed to cultivate deep stillness in the nervous system, which can be tremendously restorative to circulatory system and endocrine system. The points are also observed to stimulate organ function, improving digestion and assimilation of nutrition.
Western medicine, while making revolutionary advances in “emergency medicine”, or saving lives at the brink, remained skeptical of these “energy points” for many years. Scientists were unable to locate the mechanism in a dissection or with a microscope. However, scientists have finally located the mysterious meridian system in the “fascial network”. Fascia is most simply described as “connective tissue” and exists like a web of collagen fibers at different levels throughout the body. While it appears inert and neurologically uncommunicative in a cadaver dissection, through living explorations with cameras directly under the skin we are able to see its amazing, active role in communicating along a clear network throughout the body. Finally we have a “scientific” way of understandingwhy a needle or pressure point in the foot or ear can travel up through the body to cure a headache!
At Mason Street Massage & Wellness we aspire toward providing integrated healthcare solutions which thoroughly treat the whole body and whole person, reducing the need for expensive, risky surgeries and toxic pharmaceuticals