Services and Rates
Services
One-hour bodywork sessions are clothes-on, on a massage table. My touch may range from light and subtle to deep tissue repatterning, depending on your needs. Here are a couple of the many methods that I apply:
Acupressure: An approach that can be defined as acupuncture without the needles, acupressure is a subtle approach to rebalancing the body's meridians and chi flow. This massage healing technique has been practiced for over 3,000 years in China and Japan.
Body-Mind Centering: I tune into the craniosacral rhythm, that is, the ebb and flow of the fluid residing in the brain and spinal cord. I unwind the fascia, giving support to the connective tissue; if it's constricted, I help release it to a natural, effortless posture.
Chi Gung Tui Na: I match the tone of my hands with that of the body, inviting the energy to soften and melt. This allows the energy to expand outward and then dissolve. Used in hands-on bodywork, dissolving brings added awareness to areas lacking in sensation, freeing energy to flow easier through body, reducing pain and stress, and bringing greater relaxation.
Postural Realignment: I help realign the bones with gravity and remove negative muscular patterns that prohibit ease and flow in the body. I facilitate the return to one's natural balance and harmony in walking and participating in activities of daily living. Read one client's detailed experience here.
Integral Somatic Bodywork is a versatile practice.
It addresses injuries by reducing inflammation, facilitating healing, and repairing muscle tears.
It alleviates chronic pain by relaxing the nervous system, easing the movement of blood and lymph to open up congested areas, and loosening constricted tissues.
Over time, my clients experience less stress because their nervous systems shift to a more relaxed and present space. My clients learn not to react to old patterns and daily stressors, but to naturally rejuvenate, sleep better, and be more present in daily activities.
Types of clients I help
Office/computer workers
Dancers and athletes
Post-surgical or post-injured people
Pregnant and post-partum people
People with disabilities
My intention is to operate a queer-friendly practice that is a comfortable space for non-binary and transgender people.
Benefits
Relief of stress, anxiety, tension, stiffness, limited range of motion in joints and muscles and re-stores the body's internal balance to its natural state of wellbeing
Unlearning postural habits that might have occurred early in life that could result in symptoms such as vertigo or feeling off balance, difficulty standing for periods of time, and a variety of muscular tensions or blocks that could be repatterned and released
Retraining the body to release blocks and habits of holding - say from a cell phone or steering wheel or from typing on the computer - and bringing increased energy flow to heal the blocks and tensions
Relaxation, improved balance, muscle release, physical-emotional ease
Related to the field of Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, and other movement therapies, Ishmael's approach to realigning posture and reeducating the body's holding patterns is subtle and effective for chronic pain and general tensions from stress, strains on the body, and aches from activities of daily living.
Rates
One-hour private session: $150 - $90 sliding scale.
Special offer for new clients: $100 total for your first two private sessions.
Package of 10: $750.
Call (413) 320-7254 to schedule or with any questions.