New Shiatsu Practice Opens in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO, VT -- Lucy Marsh, a certified practitioner of Zen Shiatsu, announces the opening of her private practice in Brattleboro. “It is exciting to be in an area where there is such a high awareness of the benefits of bodywork,” she says.
Shiatsu is a bodywork therapy that originates in Japan with a history of over 2,000 years. Literally translated, it means “finger pressure.”
“This is not your typical massage – Swedish and Deep Tissue have trained us to expect a real work out of our muscles and to leave feeling a little wrung out.” Zen Shiatsu, she explains, has a different focus.
While a Shiatsu treatment can be deeply relaxing as well as working on any physical pain that is present, its foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the body as a whole. Thus, a treatment focuses on the whole body to help relieve a discomfort or condition.
A shiatsu treatment uses palm, thumb, elbow, or finger pressure. Closely related to acupuncture, Zen Shiatsu works the meridian lines that follow muscle tissue and nerve pathways along the body. Treatments are given on a futon on the floor. No oils are used, and clients wear loose, comfortable clothing.
According to Marsh, our natural state of being is one of good health. A Zen Shiatsu treatment removes imbalances that prevent health in our lives. "The goal is to help the body return to that natural state of health," says Marsh.
"If there is stress in our lives, our muscles tighten, restricting the smooth flow of energy, nutrients, and fluids through our cells," says Marsh. Treating imbalanced meridians with Zen Shiatsu helps address the flow of energy, fluids, and nutrients while also addressing structural and mental emotional elements that may relate to the particular condition.
Marsh explains that typically with Zen Shiatsu she sees symptoms shift and lessen after three or four weekly treatments. "At this time we reassess the condition, and find the best way to most completely resolve the underlying causes of the condition," she says.
"Most physical symptoms are relieved after five or six sessions. Continued treatments after this point address the deeper imbalances beneath a presenting condition. Of course, the number of treatments is going to vary from
person to person depending on the condition and the length of time it has been present," she says.
Marsh received her certification from the 500-hour Shiatsu and Complementary Therapies program at the Boston Bodywork School, formerly known as the Boston Institute of Shiatsu, in Cambridge, MA. She studied
under Kikuko Miyazaki and Jeannine Began Love. She is a Certified Practitioner recognized by the American Organization of Bodywork Therapists of Asia (AOBTA).
She comes to Brattleboro most recently from Boston, but originally hails from the cornfields in Iowa. “I am so glad to return to a more reasonable pace of life after living in the city for a bit,” she says with a
glint in her eyes.
“I find my ability to be a relaxed and grounded practitioner is significantly easier without the added hassles of traffic, public transportation, and the general hustle, bustle and congestion of the city. Being in Southern Vermont resonates with the core of myself that grew up in a quiet valley.”
Marsh, whose practice is based at Solar Hill on Western Ave., charges $60 for a one-hour session. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (802) 272-4883.