Orchid Island Barefoot Massage

Basically, when you come to see me for an Ashi session you will lie down on the table just like any other massage, I will stand on the table and massage you with my feet. The wonderful thing about this style of massage is that because the foot is designed to distribute weight evenly, your body will accept a deeper massage. This style is fantastic for those of you who really love a super deep massage. Don’t like it deep? Thats fine too, I can adjust the pressure. I promise, it’s like no other massage you’ve ever had.

A lot of people confuse these two styles. Deep Tissue is basically like a deep Swedish (you might want to consider Ashiatsu) whereas NMT is certainly deep, but it incorporates many therapeutic aspects of massage like Trigger Point, Positional Release, Myofascial Release etc. It’s a therapeutic protocol used for treating your soft tissue injuries and dysfunction.

Swedish Massage is a standard in the industry designed for relaxation. If you're looking to "check out" of the hustle and bustle of daily life, without a lot of massage pressure or therapy type bodywork, this is for you. It’s a lovely modality.

Hot stone massage is best on the table, incorporated into a standard style of massage (Swedish, Deep Tissue or NMT). I use the hot stones as tools to help soften your muscles, release spasms and trigger points. Its a wonderfully comforting massage style especially if you like to be warm. *I ask that you request this when you make your appointment because it takes time to get the stones up to temperature. It isn’t something that I can add last minute.

Cupping is an method traditionally used in Chinese Medicine along Meridians to treat various disease processes as well as soft tissue issues. For my purposes, I only treat soft tissue, as I am not a Doctor of Chinese Medicine. I will put the cup(s) on your skin and use a pump to suction the cup so it sticks. It’s great for Trigger Points and muscle spasms because it’s a form of negative pressure (pushing into your muscle with my fingers or elbow would be positive pressure, this pulls the muscle) thereby working your muscles in a multidimensional fashion. Another method I use is “Slip Cupping”, this is done with massage creme and I slide the cups over an area, which releases stuck fascia and allows for your interstitial fluids (blood and stuff) to flow more freely. Be warned though, when your body is in need of some freedom, the cupping will leave marks or petechia (like perfectly round hickey’s), or it’ll look like you’ve had a run in with an Octopus. The Slip Cupping can look like a rash. Neither of these marks last long (a few days at best) and they don’t hurt. They look gnarly though!

Encorporate this invigorating treatment into your session. Using cold marble stones can help stimulate lymph, reduce sinus pressure and help to aliviate headaches.

Himalayan salt has 84 naturally occuring minerals that will penetrate the skin. They affect the skin, muscles and joints. The application is similar to hot stone massage, in that the salt stones are heated and used to massage. The heat helps to deepen the experience. Like other accompaniments, there is no additional charge but making a note during your booking will ensure they are heated before you arrive and ready to use.