HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT VIA BODYWORK?

APPROACH: First and foremost, thank you for trusting us with your body! Gao’s approach is to assess your breathing patterns, along with range of motion (or lack of), coping mechanisms and personality response; from foot to head. If you are coming in with a goal in mind (eg. TMJ, restless leg), she will focus on elements that meet those goals as well as assess possible movement patterns that are causing the wear and tear. Know that in addition to your session(s), she will give you suggestive homework to proactively maintain those goals (with or without her assistance).
*****DISCLAIMER: You will get to a point in your practice and sessions that you will learn how to relax on command (for example, take a moment to bring awareness to your current state, how you’re positioned, maybe your shoulders are shrugged, you haven’t gasped for air, have you noticed while reading this website that your eyes are probably squinted from concentrating or your bum is slightly clenched!?). You will have tools that cater specifically to your needs. You will learn how to maintain your wellness and eventually Gao will be a place of resource for you. She is a big fan of teaching people how to fish for themselves! That means referring family and friends keeps Gao helping more people, as she is in the business of getting you sustainably living your best pain free life (meaning you will see her less and less, as you integrate your tools).

ATTIRE: Often clients are not sure what the protocol is for what to wear to your session. In your sessions, you are moved around (a lot), in various directions. Wearing long, comfortable clothing is ideal for most structural body work (unless we are doing a traditional oil massage or you run extremely hot). Promise, your goodies will always be modestly covered!

TOOLS: In addition to Gao’s hands, feet, elbows, some times chin (she gets creative—if only she had more limbs), she uses a hyperice hypervolt massage gun, crystals, singing bowls, tuning fork, essential oils to name a few. ***Not all tools are used in one session (and at the comfort level of the client, so please please please communicate).

SERVICES: Structural, first and foremost. Gao offers coaching in: breath work, balance, womb health, pelvic floor education, movement/mobility, nutrition, touch therapy for loved ones (esp for those coming/prepping from surgery, colic babies, stressed, building/connecting relationships, labor pains, ect), preventative care for pre/post natal seasons (through recovery, nutrition, touch, womb lifting, belly binding techniques, fetal/newborn development education, breast massage & circulation).

**Grounding techniques, guided meditations, sound and aromatherapy are some ways she assists in bringing you to “feel” your subtle self.

goals w/ THE BOdy?

“BUT MY BACK IS WHERE IT HURTS… why aren’t you working on it majority of the time” If Gao had a nickle for every time she heard a statement like this… [side bar] Have you ever noticed that after you leave that relaxation massage, you temporally feel good but then your back still hurts? Or no matter how much pressure you put on those aches and pain spots, it won’t numb the problem away, long term!? What if.. all along it wasn’t your back!? (* _____ *) “say wha!??” We know, blasphemous!
Education, education, education! Gao is a big proponent of educating her clients. Empowering them to take their wellness to a tangible understanding and action for what really is causing their discomfort. She blends body work, movement, mindfulness to meet each client where they are and where they want to go. Rest assured, you’ll look at your “aches and pains” in a VERY DIFFERENT light. Disclaimer: as long as your bones are not fused together, there’s hope to lessen your discomfort!!!

SPEAK UP- Sessions are usually started with Gao asking you how you are “overall” and what your expectations look like for the session. Part of these sessions are trusting the process, but also collaborating with Gao and learning to trust someone with your body (that takes time). Although, Gao can usually feel the subtle body languages of discomfort, she ultimately doesn’t know what is going on in your head. She is here to assist you to be “in” your body. Some clients come in knowing they need structural work, but just want to be “seen” or as a longstanding client requests, often “the care bear package”. Please communicate if you are not comfortable with a technique, pressure, not enough pressure, temperature ect.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION, SHORT/LONG TERM-the hope is to always get you moving and more range of motion without the discomfort. What has taken some folks weeks, months and even years to get to their degree of discomfort, your sessions too will take some time to heal and retrain the brain on how you engage your muscles on auto-pilot. Gao will always do her best to meet your goals, but it is a collaborative journey to healing and the common denominator is always going to be “you”-the client. Gao is simply a catalyst tool.

Instant gratification-Lets be honest, in one session we can get you out of as much discomfort as you have but 90mins-120hrs just isn’t going to suffice (realistically) for what has been months/years to get you here (reaching out).
Short Term-These series can range from 3-4 sessions, to get you moving and understanding an idea of where the root of limitation is stemming from.
Long Term-Are for folks who want to stay ahead of their wellness, they have physical goals (whether it is: training for a competition, losing weight, anxiety, practicing presence, learning how to let go, assist in the inflammation recovery response ect). Depending on your goals, this can range from 1x/week to 1x/every 4 weeks. Anything longer in between and the brain has to learn how to “integrate” all over again.

modalities USED?

SWEDISH-modality in which you pay a professional (that’s is if they’re licensed) to rub lubricant (usually coconut oil, gel, oil, creme ect) on you. Depending on the therapist, the pressure and technique will vary. This modality mainly helps in relaxation (where you can mentally check out). Client chooses how much to disrobe, but is draped at ALL times.
DEEP TISSUE-Like Swedish, the only difference is more pressure.
PRE/POST-NATAL-Catering to the mom to be’s needs and goals. For liability purposes, massages on first time moms are not suggested during their FIRST trimester.
THERAPEUTIC & SPORTS-more detailed work (eg if you’re dealing with chronic pain, inflammation, compressed nerves, range of motion). The client can be clothed or draped, depending on the practitioner or client and the goals.
THAI MASSAGE-traditional Thai Massage is performed on a mat. Fully clothed client, the practitioner assists the client through passive stretches with every part of their body (think lazy man’s yoga or a ninja contorting you in ways you never knew you could move), while pressing energy lines. Just like Swedish, Deep Tissue and Therapeutic, the pressure and technique varies by goals. Sabai sabai (pronouced “sa-by” and known as extreme comfort or relaxation) is the most commonly equivalent to Swedish massage in regards to relaxation. In Thailand, Sabai Sabai Thai Massage is easily found performed along night market streets (yes, while shops are opened), parks, in the middle of living rooms (with family bustling about, spas ect). The therapeutic version marries accupressure points (or what western world refer to as ‘trigger points') on a detailed level to release the tension as a whole (instead of just one focus area, since our body is intact.. or is it?). Influenced by yoga (for stretches) and Shiastu (for pressure points).
SHIASTU-Very similar to Thai Massage the technique is heavily focused on pressure points then the assisted stretches. Japanese influenced. The most commonly known technique is Ashiastu (where the practitioner uses their feet)—Also Gao’s FAVORITE technique to receive (because she’s too busy breathing through the pressure to make small talk).
REFLEXOLOGY-a Therapeutic approach to assessing the body’s health through the tension in the feet. Depending on the philosophy, Eastern tend to be very heavy handed, where as Western tend to be more lighter on pressure. The belief is that weakness in the organs manifests in how our body’s distribute pressure in our feet with gravity.
CRANIAL SACRAL THERAPY-VERY subtle assistance to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system. Give the client relief with a light touch. This gentle giant can teach the client to feel the subtleties of their body and even begin to access their “spiritual being”. Weird sh*t can happen over time (also known as spiritual awakenings)! Pardon my French, but speaking from experience. It is wise to communicate with PIES in mind to practitioner.
LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE SYSTEM-Pumping the lymphatic system in a subtle sliding touch to help assist with any draining/inflammation.
MUSCLE TESTING-Understanding how the body communicates with ourselves and each other. This technique is not used, unless the client feels comfortable with the approach. The muscle testing is taught to the client to use as a means of wellness for themselves and others (with client consent).
ENERGY-we (all living things) are many mini universes, equipped to support one another. One seed (stored many hundred years ago), still has the capacity to be a forest and yet all we need to learn is to sustain ourselves, while supporting our ecosystem. If clients are open to taking their meditation, prayer journey to another level, Gao helps by connecting dots and lines between the tangible and non-tangible (regardless of your belief system and with client consent).
SOUND THERAPY-whether it is singing, tuning forks, singing bowls, the body is introduced to revelations that the body may have forgotten and re-tuned back to a factory reset. All I can say (from my experience and others’), is you immediately feel like you’re floating out of your session and the next day, you feel a lighter brighter version of yourself (with client consent).
WONDER METHOD-such a subtle mindful practice that feels the expansiveness of everything shifting.
STONE/AROMATHERAPY/SACRED GEOMETRY-tools that are used for their ancient wisdom and unique energy alchemy to help assist your session (with client consent).
GUIDED MEDITATION-a technique of all your senses, used to help clients be more settled in their bodies and surroundings.

THE “WHOLE”?