The Importance Of Bodywork

Integrative therapy for stress management

Most people think of therapeutic massage, or bodywork, as a means of promoting relaxation and providing relief from the everyday stresses of life. While massage therapy can dramatically improve the quality of one’s life by relieving stress and tension headaches, pain reduction, and increasing circulation and flexibility, therapeutic bodywork offers much more.

For twelve years, Linda St. Laurent, a Structural Integrator and Aston-Patterning® Practitioner and owner of LeVisage Integrative Massage Therapy in Sturbridge, has been providing clients with an integrated approach to massage therapy. “Integrative therapy combines bodywork, ergonomics, and postural and movement reeducation,” said St. Laurent.

St. Laurent’s approach is unique in the area. As an Aston-Patterning® practitioner, she tailors each therapy session to the client’s specific needs. “Through a detailed history and pretreatment observation of simple and specific movements, I ascertain the client’s postural alignment and tension-holding patterns,” she explained. “By assessing the body’s natural integrity and alignment I can design a specific movement therapy that allows their body to be dynamic, move naturally, and improve its function, balance, and coordination.”

Spiraling Touch is another part of the Aston-Patterning® approach. This method of massage releases unessential tension from surface to bone. “This painless, hands-on approach respects and matches the layer, shape, and grain of the soft tissue, allowing me to work from the surface layers through to the bone with ease.,” said St, Laurent. Specialized attention is placed on keeping the whole body in balance as localized tension is released.

Bodywork is not restricted to her office. “Movement education, or neuro-kinetics, is a vital aspect of Aston-Patterning®,” St. Laurent said.  The goal of neuro-kinetics is to elicit easy, efficient, and less stressful ways of performing simple movements and release accumulated tension in the body. “Through step-by-step coaching, I teach people effortless ways to reduce physical stress and strain, and sustain the effects from the bodywork.”

Since graduating from the Bancroft School of Massage, St. Laurent has continued her bodywork and movement education. She studied under Rolfer/Anatomist Tom Myers  and received her certification in Kinesis Myofascial Structural Integration.

“The K.M.I. (Kinesis Myofascial Integration) method involves the slow, gentle, and deep stretching and opening of the body's fascial and myofascial tissue coupled with movement reeducation. It is designed to counteract the adverse effects of poor postural habits and the aftereffects of injury or trauma.” The goal of structural integration is to restore skeletal alignment, reciprocal balance of muscles, and full-range anatomical and physiological motion.

Additionally, St. Laurent received her Myofascial Certification at the Core Institute, studied Orthopedic Massage with Whitney Lowe, and Visceral Manipulation under Konrad J. Obermeier.

LeVisage is located at Center Styling, 48 Main Street (Rte 131) in Sturbridge. To speak with Linda St. Laurent call 508-347-9554 or 413-245-6675.