Massage & Reflexology, Alternative Medicine - General & Miscellaneous

Bodywork

Name: Bodywork
Author: Thomas Claire
ISBN: 9780688149529

by Thomas Claire

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Overview

The complete guide to the experience and benefits of receiving every different kind of massage and bodywork therapy, including Swedish Massage, Shiatsu, Feldenkrais, Myofascial Release, Trager, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Alexander, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and more

Swedish massage, aromatherapy, shiatsu, Rolfing, Alexander Technique, reflexology, CranioSacral Therapy - these are all different kinds of what is referred to as bodywork. One of the most widespread and powerful of the "complementary therapies," bodywork is helping millions just plain feel better and/or achieve a greater integration of body, mind, and spirit.

Whether you're a longtime bodywork enthusiast or someone who has had little or no experience with massage, Bodywork is the essential guide, answering all the key questions about every different kind of major bodywork therapy. And unlike the other books on massage and bodywork, this is not a how-to; it is a guide to getting bodywork.

There is a dizzying array of massage and bodywork available to all of us - yet few people have the time, energy, or money to explore each one in depth and discover which is best for them. Bodywork gives a vivid, first-person narrative account of what each type of bodywork actually feels like. It also includes:

* a definition of each type of bodywork

* the origins of each type and the theory behind it

* healing properties and/or spiritual and relaxation benefits

* contraindications

* how much a session will cost and how many sessions you will need

* resources for further information

* and much, much more - all at the reader's fingertips.

With a section on getting started featuring tips on how to get the most out of a massage and how to select a practitioner, a comprehensive glossary, an "At-a-Glance" introduction to each chapter, and even information on spas, Bodywork is truly the bible for this field - the authoritative state-of-the-art text on these widely acclaimed relaxation and healing therapies. It is also great fun to read.

Bodywork draws upon the resources of dozens of talented practitioners, the author's own extensive training, and all the latest literature. It presents enough information to be of interest and value to the professional, while at the same time being totally accessible to the general reader.

"...takes readers through the typical session of more than fifteen therapies and outlines the health and relaxation benefits of each approach; including Rolfing, Swedish Massage, the Alexander Technique, Shiatsu, and more."

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

``Bodywork,'' a holistic therapy that involves touch, ``has only recently come to mean something other than auto repair,'' notes Claire, a New York massage therapist at the start of his exhaustive guide to the myriad massage therapies available today. Following a user-friendly design, the book is divided into six parts, the first five of which group profiles of related bodywork practices. Swedish massage and its variants make up the first section, for example, while shiatsu gets a chapter in ``Asian Bodywork'' and craniosacral therapy is taken up in ``Energetic Bodywork.'' After detailing the background, theory and practice of each modality, Claire presents firsthand impressions of a therapy session. Though unquestionably informative, these sections are marked by Claire's heavy-moving, earnest prose and extensive self-awareness: ``I must be developing inner structural clarity,'' he observes while opening a jar after being rolfed. The last section, ``Supplemental Information: Simple Tools,'' which features extensive lists of resources for further information, a glossary, bibliography, notes and index, rounds out this useful guide. (Aug.)

Library Journal

Claire, a licensed massage therapist, has written a complete guide to assessing a wide range of therapeutic practices, from deep muscle to gentle touch. He demystifies massage by explaining how to evaluate practitioners and where to check their credentials. He then presents the theory, benefits, contraindications, and practitioner training for numerous techniques. He describes how a typical session feels for each type, including Swedish massage, Rolfing, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Myofascial Release, Trager Approach, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Reiki, Cranio Sacral Therapy, Holotropic Breathwork, Polarity Therapy, and Therapeutic Touch. Claire includes a comparative summary of bodywork practices, glossary, extensive bibliography, and directory of professional associations, licensing boards, spas, and health centers. His unique and user-friendly reference deserves a place on the shelves next to guides on how to choose a lawyer or a physician.-Valerie Vaughan, Hatfield P.L., Mass.