The Wonderful Bamboo Massage & Its Benefits
The Technique:
Bamboo massage technique incorporates bamboo sticks of varying lengths and diameters to provide a more effective deep-tissue work. Some therapists combine elements of shiatsu, Thai massage, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda and sometimes bamboo sticks are heated or essential oils are applied during the massage. An additional benefit for the therapist is that using bamboo stalks reduce stress on hands and fingers while helping with deep penetrating maneuvers. It becomes basically an extension of the hands for the practitioner who then can easily find tension and dissolve knots and trigger points. They are used to knead and stretch muscles in all directions. The massage can go as soft or as deep as necessary.
The Benefits
Bamboo massage promotes circulation, sensory nerve perception, lymphatic drainage and provides a deep sense of well-being and relaxation. Reduces stress and fatigue, eases muscle aches and pain; treats a variety of chronic pain conditions including headache and back pain.
Story Time: Bamboo Fusion
One of the first people known for developing bamboo massage technique was Nathalie Cecilia, a certified Thai massage therapist. She discovered this new approach when a large male client of hers kept asking for deeper pressure on his upper trapezius muscles. “I was using a long bamboo pole to keep my balance when walking on my clients’ backs sometimes [during a Thai massage session].”, she remembers.
“As I was working on this gentleman in a sitting position, my eyes caught the two bamboo poles that I used for the back walking. I had the idea to use one of the poles for tapotement on his upper trapezius. So I stood about six feet from him, tapping on his shoulders with this long stick, and he told me it felt really great.”
From that moment on, Cecilia began developing new techniques to integrate bamboo sticks into her practice, eventually creating what the world now calls Bamboo Fusion Massage.
