Spa Therapies Of New Asia
Four – Handed Massage:
If there’s anything that doubles the pleasure of a massage, it’s having two therapists massaging you simultaneously. When they are perfectly synchronised, the effect is that of a massage by one therapist with two pairs of hands. To help achieve this effect, many spas try to partner therapists who match each other in terms of physique and disposition. The four-handed massage is believed to have originated from Hawaii’s Lomi Lomi. The first therapist is also called the lead therapist or ‘mother’ while the second therapist acts as a ‘mirror’ of the mother. The presence of the second therapist is discreet – he or she may enter the room only after the first has invited you to lie face down on the bed. Traditionally, a four-handed massage might comprise an Ayurvedic massage performed simultaneously by two therapists. Modern four-handed massages are more likely to blend Eastern and Western techniques. For instance, one of the most famous four-hand massages, the Mandara Massage, uses a blend of shiatsu, traditional Thai massage. Indonesian massage, Swedish massage and Hawaiian Lomi Lomi styles with aromatherapy oils. In a Mandara massage, the therapists stand on either side of your body and begin by placing their palms together over you – this is called ‘balancing’ and serves to synchronise their energies. Next, each therapist places one hand below the shoulder blade and the other above the hipbone, and with synchronised breathing, simultaneously stretch your upper body. They do the same with the lower body, with one hand at the heel and the other below the hipbone. After these stretching movements, the massage begins with one therapist at your feet and one at your head. Throughout the massage, their smooth movements along the length of your body create the illusion of one therapist rather than two.
