| Esalen Massage and Bodywork was first | | | | massage, oriental medicine, meditation, gestalt |
| developed over 40 years ago, in Big Sur,California | | | | practice. |
| at the Esalen Institute. | | | | The influence of, deeper work borrowed for Ida |
| The sound of the waves provides a soothing | | | | Rolf's teachings, Moshe Feldenkrais' sense of |
| background for any massage session at Esalen | | | | neural co-ordinates, Milton Trager's passive |
| Institute, Big Sur, California. This sound, coupled | | | | movement to awaken the mind, yoga stretches, |
| with the cliffside natural hot springs and the | | | | somatic mind-body psychology, and more |
| educational community dedicated to explore the | | | | energetically based polarity massage and |
| "far reaches of human potentiality", inspires a | | | | cranial-sacral work continue to "grow" the work. |
| unique approach to bodywork known worldwide | | | | Each practitioner translates this into his/her |
| as Esalen® Massage. | | | | personal art form. |
| The Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 as an | | | | At the heart of the session is a sense of |
| alternative educational center devoted to the | | | | empowering each individual to regain a sense of |
| exploration of what Aldous Huxley called the | | | | harmony, reverence, and balance, and to awaken |
| "human potential," the world of unrealized human | | | | inner resources for healing. It is not unusual to |
| capacities that lies beyond the imagination. Esalen | | | | hear, "That was the most amazing massage I've |
| soon became known for its blend of East/ West | | | | ever received." Brita Ostrom, Esalen Massage |
| philosophies, its experiential/ didactic workshops, | | | | Crew, Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA According to |
| the steady influx of philosophers, psychologists, | | | | practitioners, the Esalen Massage "experience" |
| artists, and religious thinkers, and its breathtaking | | | | consists of Traditional massage, which works on |
| grounds blessed with natural hot springs. Once | | | | the muscle and circulation systems. |
| home to a Native American tribe known as the | | | | The bodywork approach developed by Charlotte |
| Essalen, Esalen is situated on 27 acres of | | | | Selver, which emphasizes the deeply relaxing and |
| spectacular Big Sur coastline with the Santa Lucia | | | | emotional responses of the body when a |
| Mountains rising sharply behind. | | | | conscious, structured and pleasant touch is applied. |
| Esalen Massage Defined The receiver rests on the | | | | Gentle rocking of the body Passive joint exercises |
| massage table, draped, and the practitioner's | | | | Deep structural work on the muscles and joints |
| hands begin quietly, with presence, attending to | | | | Energetic balancing of the body Over the years, |
| breath, allowing the receiver to drop inward. The | | | | Esalen massage has incorporated elements of |
| long, slow, t'ai chi-like strokes awaken awareness, | | | | other therapies: Classical Massage Cranio Sacral |
| and as the tissues open to the warm of touch, | | | | Therapy Polarity Chakra und Qi Energy Balancing |
| the contact deepens, nudging bound-up muscles, | | | | Trager Movement and Stretching Therapy |
| drawing forth expanded movement. | | | | Trigger Point Release Rolfing Deep Tissue |
| A relaxing sigh resounds through the body, and | | | | Acupressure Feldenkrais All Esalen Massage |
| the practitioner responds with integration strokes | | | | practitioners develop their own unique Esalen |
| into related areas. | | | | Massage style in accordance with their |
| The massage continues, seamlessly, wrapping the | | | | background, experience, feelings and special |
| torso arms, legs, hands, feet, neck, and spirit into | | | | capabilities. The Esalen philosophy encourages |
| a united whole. | | | | practitioners to combine a wide range of methods |
| The practitioner brings a knowledge of strokes | | | | to suit the clients’ needs, as well as the |
| (many have roots in Swedish Massage), of | | | | massager's “intuitional feelings†|
| muscles and bones, of movement, of listening to | | | | in that moment of time. |
| the body as well as the words. Prior to the | | | | Benefits Esalen massagers claim benefits similar to |
| session, he/she pays attention to his own physical | | | | other forms of massage: Stimulating the skin and |
| comfort, and quiets down internal chatter to | | | | blood circulation Relaxing the muscles and nervous |
| welcome inner guidance, or intuition. As he | | | | system Stimulating the metabolism and lymphatic |
| massages, the practitioner responds to the signs | | | | system Stretching tendons and ligaments Esalen |
| of relaxation: deepened breath, enhanced | | | | massage also claims "conscious touch" has |
| circulation, a sigh, perhaps flutters of the eyelids. | | | | additional benefits: Increasing the perception of |
| Each session is unique, tailored by personal | | | | each person’s body, both the clients' or |
| requests, comfort level, physical tension and | | | | the practitioners' Allowing both the client and |
| release, the felt sense of intuition. | | | | practitioner to more fully experience themselves |
| The effects of this intentional touch, loosely | | | | with a heightened sense of awareness Curative |
| categorized as "wellness/stress management | | | | Measures Esalen Massage also claims to help |
| massage", range widely. For some, it brings a | | | | various ailments: Chronic neck and back pain |
| renewed sense of health and vigor, others may | | | | Tension in the muscles and joints Headaches or |
| regain a sense of safety with regard to touch. | | | | migraines Poor circulation High blood pressure |
| Often old tension patterns break free and old | | | | Sleeping difficulties In 1982, Currie Prescott, senior |
| emotions are released. It signals a return to one's | | | | massage teacher and director of THE CENTER/ |
| nature, a switch from everyday consciousness | | | | European Institute of Esalen Massage, introduced |
| into a calmer, more colorful space less inhabited | | | | the massage style to Europe, where it has |
| by the constraints of time and place. An | | | | developed further in its scope and depth. Since |
| out-of-ordinary reality. | | | | Esalen Massage encourages practitioners to use |
| The sources of this rich work are endless: it was | | | | their intuition to guide them in the massage, Esalen |
| informed by sensory awareness, Swedish | | | | is known as the art of "conscious touch." |