Whenever my birthday, Christmas, my own made up self-love day, or any other great excuse for a “give-me-a-gift moment” comes around, I know what I want: a massage!

For me every massage is not only an act of self-care, but a celebration of my own embodiment. And, as a massage therapist in Berkeley, it’s the best way for me to learn about the body. Lately, I have immersed myself in Esalen Massage. I was lucky enough to attend a training at the Esalen Institute last year. It is basically the most magical place on earth, to study, eat marvelous food, soak in the hot springs and take in the utter beauty of Earth; and my healing bodywork has not been the same since. It’s not that I now do Esalen Massage but the beauty of the approach has subtly seeped more and more into my work. It’s like slowly learning a love poem you are deeply moved by.

The signature long and lyrical strokes of Esalen Massage create a soothing sense of whole- body connection. This fluid nature of Esalen bodywork blends well with other massage modalities, so for me, incorporating aspects of it into my own work has me intentionally becoming a more graceful, artful and present therapist. Embodying presence and awareness as we touch, is an elemental premise of Esalen Massage and holistic healing. Thus the quality of the practitioner’s touch becomes an invitation to a deeper connection with our own somatic awareness and a call to deliciously abide in our bodies. I am thankful for this method and the ability to incorporate its principals into my therapeutic massage treatments in Oakland.