FOR BODY AND SOUL

Talk of getting your wardrobe in shape may leave you feeling less than exhilarated if you don’t feel like your body is in shape. Massage, one of the most enjoyable stress-reducing techniques, can make you feel as good as your new clothes look.

But the average consumer would rather forget about massage altogether than make the mistake of appearing at a mobile home parked just off Harry Hines Boulevard for what he had hoped would be a legitimate massage. Most people recognize the difference between therapeutic massage and what is commonly performed in parlors of ill-repute, but confusion persists, and that bothers Dallas members of the American Massage and Therapy Association (AMTA). They perform something completely different from the rat-a-tat-tat type of massage demonstrated in boxing movies like Rocky and Raging Bull. Now that Neiman-Marcus beauty salons and spas like the Greenhouse in Arlington have brought European body-care methods home to Dallas, more and more women are beginning to perceive massage as affordable, delightfully pleasant, and necessary to relieve the tensions they’ve assumed from greater responsibility at the office.

The AMTA’s greatest goal is to “go public” and bring respectability back to the massage trade which, they feel, has gotten a bum rap. “Misunderstandings have been reinforced by common assumptions that massage is only for athletes or the idle rich,” says a Dallas therapist. “Massage is for everyone in all walks of life.”

Massage therapists also resent the Dallas ordinance that prohibits the giving of a massage to a member of the opposite sex in a place of business. “Too many people think massage is a sexual thing and of course, it isn’t,” says therapist Marcy Novak. “Massage is a humanistic way of touching. The human touch cannot be replaced.” Some local therapists get around the ordinance by doing “outcalls” -massaging clients in their own homes. This may be an uncomfortable arrangement for some people, but several therapists in town say they usher themselves out of a client’s home and lock the front door behind them while the client showers or sleeps peacefully upstairs.

If you wanted to find a massage therapist 10 years ago, the options would have been fairly limited. Today, Dallas boasts a fine collection of therapists with diverse credentials and specializations. Before choosing a therapist (don’t ever look for a masseur or masseuse because good therapists have rejected these terms), it’s best to know what massage can and cannot do. Also, massages are so frequently qualified with different names from Swedish to shiatsu and krashada, that it’s important to understand these styles before spreading your naked self out flat on just anybody’s massage table.

The Chinese are said to be the first to record a systematic and scientific massage technique some 3000 years ago. Later, the Greek physician Hippocrates experimented with massage to treat sprained muscles and dislocated joints. The 19th-century Swedish doctor Per Hendrick Ling documented his progress with massage therapy in relieving the pains brought on by arthritis.

The Swedish massage is, in many peoples’ minds, a “classic” technique. Actually, the term is so broadly used that it really doesn’t mean very much. Some therapists describe Swedish massage as “strenuous,” others think of it as “light.” But the basic Swedish movements are an important part of any therapist’s training.

Effleurage is a long, stroking, and rolling pattern primarily applied with a light touch. Petrissage consists of kneading, knuckling, and compressing frictions used for vascular stimulation. Tapotement creates a response within the nervous system with sharp, percussive gestures. Combine all these exertions and you have something vaguely Swedish, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Dallas therapist who claims to render a massage only in the Swedish tradition. Most massage therapists use a variety of techniques that, in conjunction with their own distinctive and frequently self-taught style, can create a variety of responses.

Another widely practiced massage technique comes from the ancient Orient. Shiatsu, or acupressure, is based upon the same body charts detailed with the 14 vertical lines (or meridians) used in acupuncture. A therapist schooled in shiatsu applies finger pressure instead of needles on an intricate series of 360 energy-blocked points. A person receiving good shiatsu massage can become somewhat disoriented, which is why many therapists choose to “release energy” with shiatsu and then “distribute energy” with soothing Swedish movements.

Reflexology is hand and foot work largely derived from shiatsu principles and techniques. Some therapists are so sold on the benefits of reflexology that they practice it almost exclusively. According to ancient practice, specific parts of the hands and feet correspond to different organs and bones of the human body. A good reflexologist can perceive and accurately predict neck tension by feeling a crystalline deposit near the base of the big toe. One Dallas therapist says she sent a client directly to a heart specialist when she found a curious lump beneath the left foot’s little toe. The specialist, in turn, rolled this individual immediately into heart surgery for an emergency bypass. It sounds all too remarkable, but reflex-ologists swear up and down that hands and feet are keys to the rest of the body. Hands and feet, they say, bear important secrets about the physical body and, depending upon how deeply the therapist is into metaphysical massage, the hands and feet can indicate certain things about a person’s spirit.

Another massage technique available to the tense or ailing bodies of Dallas-area residents was, interestingly enough, created here by therapist Terri Hoffman. Her krashada method emerged from the study of accepted techniques and her experiences with something she calls “energy balancing.” The krashada method is closely tied to shiatsu, but Hoffman concentrates upon specific colors and “tones” while she massages various parts of the body. This is an intense, fairly spiritual massage that is reported to have had incredible healing effects upon some people. Hoffman has taught krashada massage to several local therapists and, when she’s not massaging her own clients, she’s traveling around the country teaching her technique.

What can a massage from a reputable therapist actually do? That depends, most therapists say, upon the client’s state of mind. “The attitude of the person receiving the massage makes all the difference,” says therapist Walter Budd. “Technique becomes relatively unimportant. I think stress is the killer of modern man. We accept stress through our heads and bury our fears and angers in our muscles. If a client refuses to forsake that stress, the therapist won’t be able to get anywhere.”

Weekly massages can increase circulation, develop respiratory muscles, aid digestion, and tone the body, but they cannot remove, rub off, or displace fat as many people would like to believe. Combined with a good diet and a sound exercise program, massage can sometimes assist weight loss and distribution.

Medical doctors are gradually becoming more receptive to massage therapy and the “holistic” theories they associate with it, but massage is still considered to be outside the peripheries of the medical realm. Massage benefits are subtle and relatively unscientific, and therapists admit that doctors referrals are still few and far between. Massage is worth serious consideration if your doctor has placed you on muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, or similar medications, however. As a rule, massage therapists are stridently against prescribed drugs for stress-related ailments. “I’ve seen drugs do damage,” says one therapist, “and massage can produce real results.” Indeed, once you’ve experienced a first-rate massage and come to understand that it isn’t an immediately miraculous cure, it’s tough to come up with anything against it.

Don’t worry too much about massage etiquette. If you are timid about appearing before a stranger without a fig leaf, therapists say you can wear underwear or a swimsuit even though it’s .more difficult for them to work hip muscles through such garments. Therapists place towels over the unworked areas of the body anyway, so there is really no need to be worried or embarrassed. And don’t feel obligated to talk to your therapist. Massages can be a form of meditation best carried out in silence. If the therapist does something that is particularly painful or pleasant, communicate just that. Remember that the emphasis is upon deep relaxation. Relax. You also needn’t tip the therapist.

If you’ve tried one therapist and rolled off the massage table feeling ambivalent or entirely unmoved, shop around for another. In the following list of local therapists, surely there is one whose touch will fulfill your specific needs and whose therapeutic massage will send you back home or to the office propelled by your own energy feeling light as air.



Christine Gates is sometimes called the “mother” of massage in Dallas because she has trained many therapists who are practicing professionally today. She is most known and admired for her approach to reflexology, particularly her foot work, which she combines with a light Swedish massage. Gates shares a studio with two other therapists, Selma Brown and Amanda Eaton. All three women do not concern themselves much with atmosphere; they give logical and straightforward massages in a pure and simple style. Rates ($20 an hour) are a little lower than the going rate because Gates wants to keep “her career girls. They need massage and can’t afford expensive sessions.” For an appointment, call 239-4507. Women only.



Joe Dias is president of the Texas Chapter of the American Massage and Therapy Association and a certified re-flexologist. He combines Swedish, vibro, and connective-tissue techniques and says his clients leave the studio “like limp, wet rags.” Dias doesn’t like to quote prices. Steam room available. 741-3066 for an appointment. Men only.



Terri Hoffman has had a profound impact upon massage therapy in Dallas. She is the originator of the krashada method, which includes the use of color, sound, and vibration with shiatsu and therapeutic massage. $35 a session. 352-9694 for an appointment.



Rosalynne Meyer studied krashada with Terri Hoffman and has worked with shiatsu, reflexology, and therapeutic massage since 1971. $25 a session. 352-8319 for an appointment.



Page Asten used to be a time-and-motion analyst for Texas Instruments. She became interested in massage after she witnessed dramatic improvement in her daughter’s health when massage therapy was used to aid healing after a serious car accident. Asten massages to soft music and chooses different colored lights to match or enhance a client’s aura. Asten begins by massaging the feet and uses them as a barometer to read the rest of the body. $30 a session. 669-3245 for an appointment. Women only.



Mildred Jackson has worked as a beautician for almost 20 years and began giving massages professionally in 1977. Her massage style, she says, is self-taught and natural, with an emphasis on beauty and relaxation therapy. Body massage is $25. There is an additional $5 fee for a dip in the hot tub. 351-1060 for an appointment. Women only.



Ben Johnson received his krashada training locally from Terri Hoffman. He also practices shiatsu, reflexology, and teaches a massage correspondence course. $20 for the first session; $35 an hour after that. 739-2538 for an appointment.



Bobbie Shelton has her own studio inside the National Health Studio on Lovers Lane. She uses reflexology and Swedish techniques. Half-hour massage is $10, 45 minutes is $12, a full hour $15. 368-1755 for an appointment. Women only.



Lucy Flach has studied with Page Asten and will be opening a studio of her own soon. She uses reflexology, Swedish massage, and deep-tissue techniques. 821-1699 for an appointment.



Loews Anatole Hotel Health Club has one big advantage: payment for a massage entitles non-club members to the use of club facilities that include a pool, saunas, exercise equipment, and showers. Patrick O’Connor massages men in the Swedish tradition. “Ranjana,” a yoga teacher, massages women with excellent shiatsu and fairly rigorous deep-tissue massage with an Indian influence. 748-1200, ex 1728, for an appointment.



Rebecca’s hired massage therapist Anna Owen last summer after she completed a full year’s training at the Ray Cochrane Beauty Clinic in London. Owen adapts her Swedish-style massage to the needs of each client and applies French lavender oil with varying pressure. Owner Rebecca Jeffers gives shiatsu facials. Full body massage is $30. 369-3418 for an appointment Tuesday through Saturday. Women only.



Victoria’s Pamper Salon is a full-service body-care boutique offering “holistic” massage by Sarah Franks who received most of her training in California. Her massage is said to be less vigorous than a typical Swedish. Franks uses some shiatsu and was trained in reflexology by Christine Gates. $25 a session. 363-9130 for an appointment. Women only.



Botanique is a seven-year-old beauty salon owned by therapist Jack Blair who uses deep-muscle therapy, reflexology, and connective-tissue massage techniques. $20 an hour. 620-2838 for an appointment.



Neiman-Marcus’s Downtown, North-Park, and Prestonwood beauty salons offer full body massages for $25 an hour. Showers and steam room available downtown only. Women only.



House of the Turtle has employed many therapists over the years because manager Ed Firth is a true believer in massage beauty benefits. $25 a session. 522-1400 for an appointment. Women only.



Dermacare on Cole Avenue has offered massage therapy to its clients for over a year. $25 a session. 521-7030 for an appointment. Women only.



Dermaculture in Richardson and Piano have therapists on hand for $20 a session. For an appointment in Richardson, call 231-3476; in Piano, call 867-8000. Women only.



The Greenhouse is probably responsible for educating more women about the benefits and pleasures of massage therapy than any other Texas institution. Six glorious days at the spa cost $2000, but the price covers room and board, gourmet meals that will make you forget you’re consuming only 800 calories a day, exercise and grooming classes, and best of all – daily massages. Massage department head Fern Sager says all her therapists are strictly schooled in the classic massage traditions. Week-long Greenhouse visits are frequently scheduled months in advance. 640-4000 for more information and appointments. Women only.



OUTCALLS

Walter Budd travels with a massage table under his arm. He varies his techniques from light Swedish to deep muscle and acupressure. He will elaborate, if asked, upon his theory that massage works well with hypnosis. He says his prices “are on a sliding scale based upon the price of gasoline and ground meat,” but they usually run around $30 a session. 373-1892 for an appointment.



Gloria Graham was a licensed vocational nurse before she got into massage therapy on a full-time basis. She uses Swedish, shiatsu, and reflexology techniques and will bring her equipment to your home for $25-$35 a session. 252-5093 for an appointment.



Cynthia Wolf gives a very sensitive massage influenced by Terri Hoffman’s techniques. She studied shiatsu with Wataru Ohashi in San Francisco for two summers and begins her sessions with about 45 minutes of shiatsu, followed by a light, “energy distributing” Swedish. $35 a session. 327-1964 for an appointment.



Barbara Nehman does outcalls but she is also available at the Aerobic Center. She learned massage from a Canadian teacher in Paraguay and attended the Potomac Massage and Therapy Institute near Washington D.C. Nehman stresses that she works “with people, not on them.” Prices vary, but are usually around $30 a session. 361-8886 for outcalls, 233-4832, ex 312 for the studio.



Curtis Gates is therapist Christine Gates’ son. He begins by massaging the feet and then proceeds to heavy contact-work on the back. He charges $22.50 a session and sells blocks of 10 massages for $200. 268-5597 for an appointment.