Bad memories of a painful foot massage in Taiwan float away as Justine Tyerman has a blissful experience with a Gisborne masseuse. THE last massage I had was in Taipei. It was supposed to have been a treat for my hard-working feet but it turned out to be excruciatingly painful. There must have been a serious language barrier because the more I writhed, protested and squealed, the more my enthusiastic Chinese masseur pummelled, probed and prodded my poor tootsies.
So to experience a gentle, soothing, relaxation massage at the experienced hands of Gisborne masseuse Paula Hatten at Float Away was bliss.
And I did float away to somewhere warm and peaceful, as if on a soft cloud. Even the nagging worries in my head were suspended for a time. Trained in Agios Nikolaos on the Greek Island of Crete, UK-born Paula believes gradual, gentle massage is just as effective in releasing tension and relieving aches and pains as more vigorous deep tissue work. Paula undertook further training in massage and holistic therapeutic treatments and set up her own business in Apart from seeing private clients at her studio in Cameron Road, for the past eight years she has devoted a morning a week, free of charge, to Gisborne Cancer Society and Palliative Care patients.
She also works one afternoon a week with intellectually-handicapped clients. After conducting an interview with me to collect relevant information on any past injuries or allergies, Paula gave me a relaxation massage practising some of the techniques she uses when delivering massage as a therapy to patients. She started with my feet which she says eases a person into relaxation mode. She used rose water to cleanse and then applied peppermint foot balm with lavender to refresh. A trained masseur can detect things in the foot that relate to problem areas in the body.
She did vibrational work on my shoulders and legs, kneading my calf muscles and using deep longitudinal strokes up my back to stretch out the muscles and release knots. A gentle pulling and circular motion was used on fingers and toes. Apart from soft music, the room was quiet. Paula says while performing a massage, her high level of concentration puts her into another zone. It was a peaceful, dreamlike experience with the massage delivered in a tender, caring way. Paula says she loves helping people to achieve health and balance within their body, mind, spirit and soul.
