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The series
This is a package series of eight treatments. Each session lasts approximately 2.5 hours and must be performed 2-3 times a week for maximum efficacy. Total cost is $1600; payment may be made up front or split into two payments to be made at the start of the session and halfway through.
Body contouring sessions are not available on an a la carte basis. Please make sure that you have the time to commit to the series prior to purchase, as refunds are unavailable for this package.
This is a package series of eight treatments. Each session lasts approximately 2.5 hours and must be performed 2-3 times a week for maximum efficacy. Total cost is $1600; payment may be made up front or split into two payments to be made at the start of the session and halfway through.
Body contouring sessions are not available on an a la carte basis. Please make sure that you have the time to commit to the series prior to purchase, as refunds are unavailable for this package.
The treatment
We start off with dry brushing, using a soft, natural-fiber bristle brush over the entire body. When the series is over, your body brush is yours to keep.
Next comes massage cupping, using a gliding technique to pull stuck fluid from backed-up areas to the lymph nodes. It is also highly sedating to the nervous system, leaving the client in a state of deep relaxation.
We start off with dry brushing, using a soft, natural-fiber bristle brush over the entire body. When the series is over, your body brush is yours to keep.
Next comes massage cupping, using a gliding technique to pull stuck fluid from backed-up areas to the lymph nodes. It is also highly sedating to the nervous system, leaving the client in a state of deep relaxation.
After each part of the body is cupped, we administer a round of organic essential oils with organic coconut oil as the carrier. The client is then wrapped, warmed, and left to absorb the essential oils and their benefits.
How it works
Okay--time for a quick and easy, down and dirty introduction to your lymphatic system. Like the circulatory system, the lymphatic system runs throughout your entire body. Unlike the circulatory system, it has no central pump (aka, your heart); instead, it relies on muscular contraction to move the lymphatic fluid around. This is why your ankles and feet get swollen on long flights; you're trapped in your seat with no way to move the lymphatic fluid, so it winds up pooling in your lower limbs due to gravity.
Lymph channels are close to the surface of the skin. Lymphatic fluid can be moved by a highly trained massage therapist via a technique that uses very light pressure called manual lymphatic drainage. Effleurage, the light strokes used in Swedish massage, can also move lymph. Light pressure is crucial; a heavier touch will close down the lymph channels and restrict its movement.
Okay--time for a quick and easy, down and dirty introduction to your lymphatic system. Like the circulatory system, the lymphatic system runs throughout your entire body. Unlike the circulatory system, it has no central pump (aka, your heart); instead, it relies on muscular contraction to move the lymphatic fluid around. This is why your ankles and feet get swollen on long flights; you're trapped in your seat with no way to move the lymphatic fluid, so it winds up pooling in your lower limbs due to gravity.
Lymph channels are close to the surface of the skin. Lymphatic fluid can be moved by a highly trained massage therapist via a technique that uses very light pressure called manual lymphatic drainage. Effleurage, the light strokes used in Swedish massage, can also move lymph. Light pressure is crucial; a heavier touch will close down the lymph channels and restrict its movement.
A perfect example of this restricted movement can be seen in the "lunch lady arms" look that frustrates so many women. Due to the pressure of bra straps around our rib cages, lymphatic fluid cannot drain from the axillary (armpit) nodes to the inguinal (groin) ones. Instead, the channels back up with stagnant fluid and increase the "fluffiness" of the breasts, upper ribs, and upper arms.
When using cups, we are utilizing vacuum. Not only do channels stay open, they are often open wider than with MLD. This means we can move more fluid to lymph nodes that aren't backed up so the body can process it. By clearing out such backlog, cupping also preps the lymphatic and circulatory systems and increases the skin's absorption rate.
The results
So, what can you expect at the end of the package?
The numbers on your scale may drop, but it'll probably be slight. When I went through the series, my waist slimmed, I lost a half inch off of each upper arm, and a good inch and a half from my hips. The cellulite on the back of my hips and thighs smoothed out, and I felt a lot better about what I saw in the mirror.
When using cups, we are utilizing vacuum. Not only do channels stay open, they are often open wider than with MLD. This means we can move more fluid to lymph nodes that aren't backed up so the body can process it. By clearing out such backlog, cupping also preps the lymphatic and circulatory systems and increases the skin's absorption rate.
The results
So, what can you expect at the end of the package?
The numbers on your scale may drop, but it'll probably be slight. When I went through the series, my waist slimmed, I lost a half inch off of each upper arm, and a good inch and a half from my hips. The cellulite on the back of my hips and thighs smoothed out, and I felt a lot better about what I saw in the mirror.
Speaking of cellulite, this treatment will temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite but not the cellulite itself. Cellulite is nothing more than fat; the textured "orange peel" look is a result of adipose tissue pressing up against a webbing of connective tissue. Cellulite shows up on a lot of people, no matter how skinny they are otherwise. There's really no "cure" for it, and any improvements made on how it looks are always temporary.
However! Sometimes, temporary is Just. Fine. Got a special event coming up and want to look your red-carpet best? A wedding? Reunion? A beach-based vacation?
Due to its detoxifying effects, this series can also be a great way to transition from winter to spring, or a way to reward yourself for keeping to a healthy diet and exercise regimen. I know that when I went through the treatment, I was inspired to eat healthier. Well, at least until I went on vacation--but such are the choices we make in life, right?
Due to its detoxifying effects, this series can also be a great way to transition from winter to spring, or a way to reward yourself for keeping to a healthy diet and exercise regimen. I know that when I went through the treatment, I was inspired to eat healthier. Well, at least until I went on vacation--but such are the choices we make in life, right?
One final note
I learned how to do this series a couple of years ago, but have resisted adding it to my menu until recently. The main reason behind my reticence is the amount of pressure women in particular are under to look fabulous and perfect and nineteen forever.
Okay, maybe twenty-nine, but you get the point.
I am a firm believer in loving your body unconditionally. As a massage therapist, I hear a lot of people expressing fears and insecurities about how they look. As a human being, I share those fears and insecurities from time to time. But no matter what we look like, we are all deserving of love--especially from ourselves.
Sometimes, though, it can be a little difficult. I know how looking like a million bucks on occasion can make you feel like a million bucks, especially at a fancy shindig. I debated long and hard about adding this service, but I know the difference it made in how I looked at myself. I know what a difference it made for the mother of a two young children, struggling with stress weight and water retention.
I know what a difference it can make, but I don't want anyone to rely upon it for their self-esteem. As a result, I have decided to limit this series to three times a year per person. There's no medical reason for it, but I don't want to exacerbate the idea that people must be slim and firm at all times and feeling bad about themselves when they're not.
We're only human, after all, in all our glorious shapes and colors and sizes. Love yourself for who you are, but if you need a little help, we'll do what we can.
I learned how to do this series a couple of years ago, but have resisted adding it to my menu until recently. The main reason behind my reticence is the amount of pressure women in particular are under to look fabulous and perfect and nineteen forever.
Okay, maybe twenty-nine, but you get the point.
I am a firm believer in loving your body unconditionally. As a massage therapist, I hear a lot of people expressing fears and insecurities about how they look. As a human being, I share those fears and insecurities from time to time. But no matter what we look like, we are all deserving of love--especially from ourselves.
Sometimes, though, it can be a little difficult. I know how looking like a million bucks on occasion can make you feel like a million bucks, especially at a fancy shindig. I debated long and hard about adding this service, but I know the difference it made in how I looked at myself. I know what a difference it made for the mother of a two young children, struggling with stress weight and water retention.
I know what a difference it can make, but I don't want anyone to rely upon it for their self-esteem. As a result, I have decided to limit this series to three times a year per person. There's no medical reason for it, but I don't want to exacerbate the idea that people must be slim and firm at all times and feeling bad about themselves when they're not.
We're only human, after all, in all our glorious shapes and colors and sizes. Love yourself for who you are, but if you need a little help, we'll do what we can.
