About your Therapist
My name is Mayumi Takeda and I have 1200 hours of training and practicum in somatic healing arts, with study and direct expertise in many modalities of massage. I am a graduate of the San Francisco School of Massage.
In my exploration of mind/body health, I've learned that the body has a memory and holds tension due to injuries which cause pain and discomfort. I will use various techniques and hold a healthy space to restore your body back to pain free. I work with all kinds of people to help bring their bodies back into balance.
I utilize a deep intelligent blend of deep tissue therapy, acupressure, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, qi energetic massage, sports/Swedish massage to tailor the massage to your specific needs. I have created my own blend of approaches to meet the challenges of sports injuries, chronic fatigue, life challenges, stress, and parenting.
The ultimate goal is to provide a unique blend of therapies to ease the body out of the pain cycle and into a fuller and richer lifestyle. It is my mission to help others with managing their stress and increasing their quality of life to its maximum potential.
My Philosophy
Hands-on bodywork for healing is probably older than any other healing tradition. The oldest written records of massage go back three thousand years to China, but of course it is much older than that. Touch and the laying on of hands are human tendencies that seem to be encoded deep in our genetic makeup.
My approach consists of N techniques:
The Structured Release of Stress and Tension. Stress is increasingly believed to induce illness, and perhaps 80 to 90 percent of all disease is stress induced. Massage therapy is an effective non-drug method for reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Chronic muscular tension as a result of high stress lifestyles, trauma, or injury can accumulate and impair the body's structure and function. Psychological well-being is also affected. Release of tension allows greater relaxation, which has important physiological and psychological benefits.
Improving the Circulation of Blood. Perhaps the most basic principle in this field is that improved blood circulation is beneficial for virtually all health conditions. Tension in the muscles and other soft tissues can impair circulation, resulting in a deficient supply of nutrients and inadequate removal of wastes or toxins from the tissues of the body. This in turn can lead to illness, structural and functional problems, or slower healing. Recognition of the importance of blood circulation is implicit in all forms of massage and bodywork.
Assisting the Movement of Lymphatic Fluid. The lymph system is almost as extensive as that of the blood. The circulation of lymphatic fluid plays a key role in ridding the body of wastes, toxins, and pathogens. The lymph system also benefits from massage, particularly in conditions where lymphatic flow is impaired by injury or surgery (e.g., in postmastectomy women).
Supporting the Release of Toxins. Chronic tension or trauma to the soft tissues of the body can result in the buildup of toxic by-products of normal metabolism. Hands-on techniques help move the toxins through the body's normal pathways of release and elimination.
Mind/Body Integration. Mind and body have a reciprocal relationship. Soma (body) affects psyche (mind) and vice versa. Hence there can be somatopsychic effects, in which the conditions of the body affect the mind and emotions, and there can be psychosomatic effects, in which psychological or emotional conditions affect the body. Change in one domain may cause change in the other. A habit or fixed pattern in one may also impede change in the other and require special attention. Often psychotherapy and massage or bodywork complement each other.
Life Energy. Many modalities in this tradition work with the flow of energy through the body as a means to promote healing. Energy can be directed or encouraged to move through and around the body in such ways as to have impact on the physical structure and function of the body as well as on emotional well-being. This work may involve hands-on contact or may be done with no contact with the physical body.