Licensed Massage and Bodywork
Therapist 20 Years - NC #496
SC# 1285 Member: AMTA
Sessions
John uses a combination of techniques that are relaxing and integrated with techniques that are therapeutic. He uses Swedish massage, connective tissue massage, trigger point work, energy work, cranial sacral techniques, his
Towel Stretch, and coconut oil and essential oils to do the best he can for each client.
Because he is through, John spends an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half of actual work with each client after the introduction and discussion of the client’s desires.
Services Offered
Select to learn more about each.
- Trigger Point
- Deep Tissue
- Connective Tissue
- Towel Stretch
- Coconut Oil
- Essential Oils
- Swedish
- Energy Work -Reiki and more
- Cranial Sacral
Call John to Order Gift Certificates
Check or Cash Preferred
AcceptedSpecial Occasions
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Sharing a vacation home with friends or family?
John finds house calls for group vacationers particularly enjoyable. He observes that people are usually in a happy laid back mood and it’s fun to contribute to the joy of their vacation experience.
- Plan ahead and book John for 1 to 6 massages over the course of a day, or divide it into two or 3 massages each day of your stay.
- Also, contact John about concierge services for weddings, reunions, business conferences and more.
- John brings a massage table and all the equipment necessary to give an excellent professional massage.
- Serving Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.
Recovery from an Illness or Surgery?
John can come to your hospital room or home and do energy work on the whole body, and do some massage/ acupressure on places a safe distance from the injury site. On successive days he can do more as the patient can tolerate contact closer to the injury site. The energy work and massage specific to the situation speeds the recovery process and improves the flexibility of the tissue around the surgery site.
Trigger Point Work:
The term trigger point refers to knots in the muscles, ligaments, and sometimes the skin and fascia that cause pain and limit range of motion. Trigger points can be active, creating pain referral patterns continuously, or Latent, causing pain when you are having a bad day, or when someone like me presses on them. These knots are a clump of muscle cells that have gotten stuck in a shortened position to the point of cutting off their own supply of nourishment so they cannot create energy in the cells, which is needed to release the muscle as well as to tighten the muscle. John's trigger point work beginning in 1992 from his massage instructor Burt Gornto using the “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction included in The Trigger Point Manuals by Janet G. Travell, MD and David G. Simons MD extensively. John's area of study during this time was the use of techniques for releasing the trigger points that were not yet published. He also attended several Neuro muscular workshops and is particularly good at finding and relieving trigger points.
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Deep Tissue Massage:
Deep Tissue does not imply a painful experience. It should really be called Specific Tissue. In Deep Tissue, more detail work is required. During the discussion before beginning this type of massage John will determine where you have pain, discomfort, and limited range of motion, the type and intensity of massage that best suits your needs, or wants. Then he will explore the tissues in the area of interest to you. There may be knotted up muscles (trigger points) that are hard to the touch relative to the tissues around it. The knots or trigger points might be painful all the time, or when you move, or they may only be painful when someone presses on them. The feeling of fullness may be because the tissue is retaining fluid, or because the skin, connective tissue, and body fat matrix is packed too full for the size of the outer connective tissue container (Superficial Fascia). He would then use a combination of the techniques listed below to release the skin Fascia and deep muscles, including knots in the muscles and tenderness in the attachment points.
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Connective Tissue Massage:
John studied Connective tissue massage in 1995 with John Latz, and has practiced it and used it extensively in his work, with his own variations. Based on knowledge retained during workshops he has integrated several modalities; ex. Connective tissue massage is similar, or provides similar results to myofascial release ect. Connective tissue massage not only releases skin and superficial fascia, it also helps release the deep muscle under it. This happens because the nerves that supply the skin and fascia also supply the deep muscles under it. When the deep muscle tightens up, the nerves trigger the skin and connective tissue to crinkle up. ( It feels like corrugated cardboard underneath the skin.) When you release the skin and connective tissue, the nerves trigger the deep muscle to release too. It may also release the casing of connective tissue around the muscle, thereby allowing the muscles more room for the fibers to release. Connective tissue massage gave rise to my towel stretch and my hot wet towel stretch.
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John's Towel Stretch:
John's Towel Stretch evolved because he like to start out using Swedish strokes with massage oil. When he ran into an area of skin, connective tissue and deep muscle that was not letting go, he knew from experience that this area would respond to connective tissue massage. But, connective tissue, as was originally taught to him required dry hands and dry skin. He learned that he could get the connective tissue massage effect by putting a terry cloth towel over the area of interest, pushing perpendicular to the skin with one hand to get stuck to the skin with the terry cloth, and pulling parallel to the skin with the other hand to create a stretch on the skin and fascia over a relative broad area,( the width and breath of his hand). You don’t have to push hard, but create a stretch on the tissue with moderate pressure for a longer period of time. (less pressure for more time is better than more pressure of less time) This technique is generally less painful than the way he was originally taught connective tissue massage, and is usually more effective.
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John's Hot Wet Towel Stretch evolved when he worked for a few months at Elements in Brevard last summer. They have a nice finishing touch of wrapping the feet in hot moist towels at the end of the massage because it is very relaxing, and gets the oil off your feet before you step on the carpet and into your shoes. John determined that he could use the hot moist towels during the massage with his towel Stretch technique. The hot moist towel is very soothing, and interrupts what is called the pain spasm cycle, aiding the tissues in releasing.
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Coconut Oil Massage:
The use of Extra Virgin Coconut oil is primarily used in all of his massages. He keeps other oils on hand incase anyone has a problem with coconut oil. From reading the books listed below, and from experience with his clients John has learned that Coconut oil is much more nutritious for our skin, fascia and deeper connective tissue than most other oils, including cold pressed almond oil and walnut oil which were oils of choice. The Coconut oil feels good, soaks in and disappears so that the client does not feel oily, and at the same time softens and revitalizes the connective tissue, leaving the client feeling more free in their body. Taking it internally, as well as rubbing it in reduces internal inflammation. According to the books below, it also improves the function of the thyroid gland and converts easily into energy in the liver and the cells, so the client feels more energized after the massage than with other oils. Coconut oil does not get rancid and leave clients clothes with an unpleasant smell like Almond oil and walnut oil used to.
Coconut Oil’s benefits can be found in- “Eat Fat Lose Fat” by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon and” The Coconut Oil Miracle” by Bruce Fife ND.
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Essential Oils Massage:
For the past 8 years John has continued to study the use of essential oils in many of his massage techniques. He prefers a few drops of Oregano, a few drops of geranium, and a few drops of Frankincense mixed with a teaspoon of coconut oil, or a capsule of Vitamin E and a capsule of Borage oil on painful areas. According to the recommendations of the Essential Oil reference guide published for Young Living Oils, sometimes he will start with the essential oils on an area the client points out as painful. I will rub it in, then use Reiki on the area while the oil soaks in.
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Swedish Massage:
Is a classic full body massage that systematically relaxes the whole body. The strokes are performed in a soothing continuous manner with the intention of allowing you to get in a rather meditative state of relaxed consciousness. In a strictly Swedish format you do not stop the flow of motion to work for any length of time on a sore or tight muscle. You would rather almost sneak up on it by making a few extra passes, but not stop dead on it and focus directly on a painful spot. Generally the massage will start out with a Swedish format to discover the relative tightness throughout the body, and then transition into more detailed work.
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Energy Work-Reiki and more:
John’s interest in body work started with Energy Work. In 1986 John met a woman on Hilton Head Island , Jimelle Suzanne, who did her own style of energy work. She convinced John that he had some healing potential in his hands and taught him a short course in her approach to healing. Then she took Reiki I and Reiki II. Jimelle let John work with her on several people and John noticed that people commented more about the heat in Jimelle’s hands after she took the Reiki classes. John immediately decided to take the Reiki classes to improve his ability to help people. He took the Reiki I class in May of 1987. John met his future wife, Martha, in June of 1987, and learned that she had taken Reiki I and Reiki II and was planning to become a Reiki Master teacher. John took Reiki II shortly thereafter. Later, when he introduced Martha to Jimelle, they realized they had taken Reiki I and Reiki II in the same class! (small world!) After John and Martha were married, Martha became a Reiki Master and they had Reiki share groups in their home every Monday night for close to ten years.
In Reiki, the therapist usually puts his/her hands on the person in several places in sequence, for about 5 minutes in each place, allowing energy to flow from the practitioner’s field to the client’s field. Reiki is also something that anyone can learn to do and it is so useful! You can work on yourself, and on your friends and loved ones. It is self empowering to know that you can do something to lessen your own pain.
After doing Reiki for several years, and being rather closed about exploring any other energy healing modalities, John was inspired by one of his clients to look into Chinese acupressure massage, and then Medical Chi Gong. John began learning where the meridians ran along the exterior of the body and how to work with them to improve a person’s health. When he took a four day Chi Gong healing work shop in Asheville, NC he got a quantum leap forward in his energy flow that his wife Martha and his clients could feel as a positive change in his work. For the last two years John has been reading books on acupuncture to learn more about the Chinese/ Japanese healing philosophy and acupressure. He recently took a class in Shiatsu by Jim Sandonato of Asheville , NC .
In January of 2010 John read a book by Dr. Eric Pearl, “The Reconnection”. When John read that book and started using the approach described in the book he got another quantum leap forward in his energy flow and effectiveness. The book describes Reconnective Healing which is an approach to healing that is relatively freeform. John has not taken the Reconnection work shops yet, but he has received “The Reconnection” attunement or initiation, which was performed by his friend Jim Avery of Brevard , NC . Jim took the classes and got the certification to do the Reconnection in 2010 when the class was offered in Orlando, Florida .
John hopes to take the workshops soon, but from reading the book and working with the concepts, the changes that John got in the energy he feels when he works on someone and the improvements in the results that he gets have been very pleasing to him and his clients. No miracles as yet, but definitely increased results.
The Reconnective approach to healing involves the therapist working in the auric field of the client without physically touching the client. John usually starts with his hands about 4 inches away from the body. He starts holding one hand still while moving the other hand to sense for a layer of the field. He finds a hot spot, or intense sensation of vibration, and stays there until he gets a feeling that he should move on to a different part of the body. He slowly moves around the whole body from head to toe and along both sides, always seeking the area of most heat sensation or most intense vibration in his hands. This process takes about 45 minutes as it was described in Dr. Pearl’s book.
Some of John’s clients enjoy just having a Reconnective healing while others like having some of the Reconnective approach integrated with a regular massage.
Often, John does a little energy in the beginning of his sessions. Other times he starts with massage in the primary complaint area and then works in some energy work on areas that turn up to be difficult to get a release of tension or pain with only massage. So John uses an eclectic approach, pulling different techniques out of his tool box as problems present themselves in the client’s body, or his/her awareness.
John encourages anyone who wants to learn more about Re-connective healing to buy the book by Dr. Eric Pearl, “The Reconnection”, or check out his website.
topCranial Sacral:
John is not certified in Cranial Sacral Therapy, but attended Cranial Sacral I in 2002 and Cranial Sacral II in 2003, he also studied Cranial Sacral I again with his wife Martha in 2006. Feeling the cranial sacral rhythm is a skill that takes some people longer to learn than others. He felt the rhythm much more confidently after taking the CST I class a second time, but some cranial sacral therapists can feel it just by putting their hands near a client. John uses the techniques that he feels confident with, and plans to take more workshops with the Upledger Institute in the future.
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Enjoy your session.
Down -Town: 516 South Caldwell • Brevard, North Carolina • 28712
• South Caldwell Plaza next to Charm and Glamour Salon.
Office: 828-577-1451
Cash or Check Preferred
Accepted