What is MASHing?

What is MASHing?

A couple of years after beginning her thai yoga massage practice, Beri had the opportunity to work on a professional athlete who had been attending her hot yoga classes. Knowing his strength and flexibility before working on him, she reached out to her teacher, Gabriel Azoulay. He advised her “don’t be afraid to walk on the muscles, the pressure will give him maximum results and it’ll require minimum effort for you.’ This advice would ultimately shape her understanding of the progression of the bodywork she had been studying. Eastern bodywork has a long tradition of walking techniques. While some require the use of special equipment such as bars, ropes, and rails, they are typically only available in the respective treatment room. The nature of the healing arts is a fine blend of scientific/medical evidence and the creative personal touch of art. Mashing is a technique in which the therapist uses various foot positions and pressure to increase blood flow to the muscles, promoting faster healing and to help release tension in the body.

The scientific side of the practice is rooted in the proven benefits of compression therapy which include:

  • physical relaxation
  • improves circulation, which nourishes cells and improves waste elimination
  • enhances flexibility and mobility
  • relief for tight muscles, speeds up recovery time for overworked muscles
  • stimulates a relaxation response which promotes greater overall energy and vitality

Because the heart of healing lies in our ability to listen, from an artistic and creative standpoint, mashing is a masterpiece. It allows the therapist to utilize the listening ability of her feet as if they are hands. Because our feet are extremely receptive, from a treatment standpoint, the therapist is able to learn a lot about the way in which the recipient’s body carries tension and how his/her body distributes the tension. While using the MASHer (a mobile apparatus that provides the therapist with the ability to stay balanced during the body walking session) the therapist is also able to control the amount of pressure and therefore keep it within the recipient’s tolerance threshold. MASHing promotes a feeling of being grounded which allows the recipient to relax and ultimately let go of tension and stress in the body and the mind.

Get In Touch

Thai Yoga Stretch