Tara R. Thrasher | Licensed Massage Therapist | MA#0030014 | MM#9764
The Right Massage for You
You want to find someone that will meet all of your specific needs. So it is
important to be clear about what you need. Many people choose a massage
therapist based on their level of skill and expertise in specialized areas.
What type of massage do you like to receive?
Therapeutic Deep Tissue Massage can be intense and sometimes painful. This style of massage is often slow and
very deep with the intention of breaking up adhesions and crystallizations in
the muscles. At times you will need to breathe and focus through the massage to
help control the pain. The intention of this massage is to treat an injury or
postural misalignment and to rehabilitate the muscles to function properly. I
generally describe this as the “hurt me massage” because it is the least relaxing type of massage, but has many helpful
benefits. I usually keep the mood of the session more engaged and active
because it helps the receiver cope with the intensity of the work. Many people
need this type of bodywork to help restore balance and function in the body and
to prevent long term injury or chronic pain. I often take the time to educate
you about what is happening in the body and what type of activities or
repetitive stress created the problem. You often feel a deeper range of motion
and movement in the body after this type of massage. You may experience
soreness afterwards, but you will also feel relief from the chronic pain.
Medical Massage/Rehabilitation Massage is in the same category as the deep tissue massage, except it is usually
performed for a short to moderate period of time. Meaning that you have a
prescription from your doctor for a specific purpose, a specific number of
treatments, with a specific goal in mind. The intention is to bring restoration
and rehabilitation for an injury or a chronic problem. The goal is to see
progress toward healing with the end goal of no longer needing to continue
medical massage therapy. So in essence, you would be seen regularly for a
period of time, i.e. 1 month—6 months after which your physician would determine if further treatment is
needed and would re-evaluate you. Some patients need continued treatment, while
others would be released from care. You could still continue to receive massage
therapy, it would just be under a different umbrella and your insurance would
not pay for it.
Relaxation Massage is usually a more Swedish style of bodywork where warm oils are applied and long
flowing effleurage strokes are performed. This type of massage is very soothing
and nurturing. This type of massage is gentle and usually does not hurt.
Adhesions and crystallizations are gently and smoothly worked out of the
muscles. Heat can be incorporated into this type of massage in the form of a
Hot River Stone Massage in which smooth hot river stones are used to massage
the muscles. This type of massage can be gentle or deep pressure depending on
your preferences. Most of my clients like the deep firm pressure, with special
attention paid to working out the tension knots in the neck, shoulders and
lower back. The benefits of the oils help me to glide over the knots ensuring
the release is more of a melting sensation rather than a breaking sensation. I often use Essential Oils, hot towels and deeply relaxing music to create pure
bliss and tranquility. You feel very pampered and de-stressed after a
relaxation massage.
Thai Yoga Massage is an ancient healing martial art that utilized graceful movement and rhythmic
compression to bring balance to all aspects of your being. Rhythmic compression
is
applied to the Sen Lines of the body- Energy Meridian lines that govern
different organ systems of the body. Graceful movement and passive yoga
postures decompress the joints releasing gasses, elongate the muscle tissue and
retrain your muscle memory to become flexible and free flowing. Chakra
balancing is incorporated to bring balance to the emotional aspects of your
being. The deep release of locked emotions helps your internal body’s organ systems to function properly. Deep breathing is encouraged to help
engage the Prana or Breathe of Life aspect of your being. By integrating the
Physical, Emotional, Energetic, and Prana aspects of your being, your Spiritual
being is more deeply connected and balanced. The total alignment of the 5
aspects of your being creates balance and harmony the physical body, which
promotes longevity and good health. This is a wonderful massage to stretch your
muscles in a passive and relaxing way. You are fully clothed and lying on a
thick Thai mat on the floor. Thai Yoga Massage brings illumination to the Mind,
power to the Body and Peace to the Soul.
Pregnancy Massage is safe and effective at preparing your body for the birthing experience. It is
important to choose a therapist who has specialized training and knowledge of
the dynamics of birth. Many massage therapists are skilled at performing a
basic prenatal massage, however if you wish to have a deeper experience with
prenatal massage, I suggest that you find a therapist who has adequate training
and experience working directly with women throughout the pregnancy and birth
process. Prenatal massage is my passion and my highest level of knowledge and
training. I’ve spent my first 6 years working as a Doula Childbirth Companion and assisted
in the births of more than 30 babies. I have also attained levels of training
that qualifies me to educate parents about all aspects of childbirth. I worked
as a Lamaze instructor for two+ years at Baptist Hospital Pensacola, FL, and I
have attended various workshops training me to teach childbirth on a deeper
psycho-spiritual level. I have also given birth and personally experienced all
facets of birth from normal home birth to emergency cesarean in the hospital.
Tara’s Touch Pregnancy Massage is a very special and unique massage experience. I use a specialized body
cushion specific for pregnancy, which allows you to enjoy this session while
lying on your stomach with no risk of harm to the baby. This allows Mom to
fully relax her entire body, release tension in her neck, lower back and
pelvis. Massage focuses on proper alignment of the spine and pelvis, increasing
circulation to strained muscles, flushing toxins and excess fluids from the
body and releasing pain and tension collection points in the neck, lower back,
hips and legs in preparation for birth. My deepest desire is to empower
pregnant women to feel confident and beautiful in their ever-changing body. My
intention is to share the joy and wonder of their pregnancy and act as a
nurturing guide throughout their journey. Expectant mothers need nurturing and
a much deeper level of compassion and understanding. Many of my expectant
clients came to me for more than just my knowledge and experience, they came to
me because I made them feel special, understood and listened too. I helped calm
their fears and empowered them to be proactive and positive about becoming a
mother. But most of all they came to me because I gave them a fantastic massage
and I nurtured and cared for them at a time in their life when change and
uncertainty was ever present in their journey. I helped their body feel
comfortable, free of pain and gently eased them into the miracle of birth.
