AROMATHERAPY is massage therapy with the addition of one or more scented plant oils called essential oils to address specific needs. The massage therapist can select oils that are relaxing, energizing, stress-reducing, balancing, etc.

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY focuses on the skull and spinal column. Therapists use very gently pressure no more than the weight of a nickel to massage the bones, membranes and fluids that support and bathe your skull and spinal column. The theory is that these manipulations will reduce tension and counteract any physical trauma you may have experienced to your head over the years.

DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE targets chronic tension in muscles that lie far below the surface of your body. You have five layers of muscle in your back, for instance, and while Swedish massage may help the first couple of layers, it won't do much directly for the muscle underneath. Deep muscle techniques usually involve slow strokes, direct pressure or friction movements that go across the grain of the muscles. Massage therapists will use their fingers, thumbs or occasionally even elbows to apply the needed pressure.

REFLEXOLOGY can be sometimes called foot massage, it is more than simple foot massage. reflexology involves applying pressure to certain points on the foot that correspond to organs and systems in the body. Reflexology is very relaxing, especially for people who stand on their feet all day or just have tired, achy feet.

ROLFING seeks to re-educate your body about posture. When posture is poor, it can be reflected in a number of health problems, such as backaches, headaches and joint pain. Rolfing seeks to realign and straighten your body by working the myofascia, the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles and helps hold your body together.

SHIATSU is a form of Japanese bodywork that uses localized finger pressure in a rhythmic sequence on acupuncture meridians. Each point is held for for two to eight seconds to improve the flow of energy and help the body regain balance. It is relaxing yet the pressure is firm, and there is usually no soreness afterwards.

SPORTS MASSAGE is specifically designed for people who are involved in physical activity. But you don't have to be a professional athlete to have one-it's also used by people who are active and work out often. The focus isn't on relaxation but on preventing and treating injury and enhancing athletic performance.

HOT STONE MASSAGE has heated, smooth stones that are placed on certain points on the body to warm and loosen tight muscles and balance energy centers in the body. The massage therapist may also hold stones and apply gentle pressure with them. The warmth is comforting. Hot stone massage is good for people who have muscle tension but prefer lighter massage.

SWEDISH MASSAGE uses soothing, tapping and kneading strokes to work the entire body, relieving muscle tension and loosening sore joints. Swedish massage therapists use five basic strokes, which anyone can learn and use on themselves and others. They are effleurage (stroking); petrissage (muscles are lightly grabbed and lifted); friction (thumbs and fingertips work in deep circles into the thickest part of muscles; tapotement (chopping, beating, and tapping strokes); and vibration (fingers are pressed or flattened firmly on a muscle, then the area is shaken rapidly for a few seconds).

THAI MASSAGE aligns the energies of the body using gentle pressure on specific points. Thai massage also includes compressions and stretches. You don't just lie there--the therapist moves and stretches you into a sequence of postures. It's like yoga without doing any work. Thai massage is more energizing than other forms of massage. It is also reduces stress and improves flexibility and range of motion.

The term energy therapy can describe certain techniques that use energy as their main focus. Some types of so called energy healing techniques include:

Reiki
Polarity Therapy
Barbara Brennan's Healing Science
Shiatsu

Erotic Massage - is intended to sexually arouse the subject by using sensual stimulus. Erotic massage focuses on the genital area and other intimate parts of the body which are normally not touched in therapeutic massage therapy. Unlike other types of massages, the person’s body is usually naked and undraped. It may be used to increase an individual’s ability to respond to sensual stimulation or to heighten the sensitivity in future sexual encounters. Erotic massage may also be used to help men address issues such as premature ejaculation and relaxing the muscles around the pelvis to prolong arousal and increase pleasure.

Massage in itself is a holistic therapy. It has effect on both body and mind.

Massage increases the circulation of blood and flow of lymph. The direct mechanical effect of rhythmically applied manual pressure and movement used in massage can dramatically increase the rate of blood flow. Also, the stimulation of nerve receptors causes the blood vessels (by reflex action) to dilate, which also facilitates blood flow. This has a profound effect on one's health.

Sensual Massage may have some restrictions or boundaries that a erotic massage doesn't. It depends on the masseur or masseuse. In some cases both the client and therapist are naked and there is usually some sexual arousal. Asking your provider the rules or boundaries is best. Sensual massage although presenting an ethical dilemma for many is a helpful tool to help grow relationships and is a part of the holistic equation of treating the whole person. Consequently there has been a rise in acceptance and practice of sensual and tantric massage around the world.

Tantric massage focuses on heightening and prolonging the special awareness and rapport that exists between lovers during lovemaking. This view holds that the greatest source of energy in the universe is sexual, and places high value on ritualized intercourse. Sexual orgasm is seen as a cosmic and divine experience.

Tantric philosophy also teaches that everything is to be experienced playfully, yet with awareness and a sense of sacredness in every gesture, every sensory perception, and every action. The path of Tantra is a spiritual one, which includes and appreciates the experience of our sexuality and sensuality as a conscious meditation, as a flowing together of the physical, erotic and cosmic energies.