Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In European countries, a person professionally trained to give massages is traditionally known as a masseur (male) or masseuse (female). In the United States, these individuals are often referred to as "massage therapists". In some provinces of Canada, they are called "registered massage therapists."
Shiatsu is a form of Japanese bodywork based on concepts in traditional Chinese medicine such as qi meridians. Having been popularized in the twentieth century by Tokujiro Namikoshi (1905–2000), shiatsu derives from the older Japanese massage modality called anma.
Rolfing is a form of alternative medicine originally developed by Ida Rolf (1896–1979) as Structural Integration. Rolfing is marketed with unproven claims of various health benefits, is recognized as pseudoscience and has been characterized as quackery. It is based on Rolf's ideas about how the human body's "energy field" can benefit when aligned with the Earth's gravitational field.
Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India during the 11th–12th century CE.
Gua sha, or kerokan, is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice in which a tool is used to scrape people's skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matter from blood stasis within sore, tired, stiff, or injured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flow to the areas, thus promoting healing and recovery.
Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is an alternative medical practice involving the application of pressure to specific points on the feet, ears, and hands. This is done using thumb, finger, and hand massage techniques without the use of oil or lotion. It is based on a pseudoscientific system of zones and reflex areas that purportedly reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands, with the premise that such work on the feet and hands causes a physical change to the supposedly related areas of the body.
Hilot (/HEE-lot/) is an ancient Filipino art of healing. It uses manipulation and massage to achieve the treatment outcome, although techniques differ from one practitioner to another. It emerged from the shamanic tradition of the ancient Filipinos with healers considering their practice as derived from their calling from visions or from having been born by breech.
A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of Kalaripayattu. The word kalari comes from Malayalam. In the past, village schools in Kerala, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were known by the name kalari. Later schools for teaching language and grammar started calling in the name Ezhuthu Kalari.
Lomilomi massage is a Polynesian method of kneading massage, but with overtones of the indigenous religious beliefs. The word lomilomi comes from the Hawaiian and Samoan languages. Lomi means "to knead.” The smooth flow of the strokes mimic the ocean waves. It may also mean "to take and turn, to shift" as in "the sacred shift within you that is inspired by the healing kahuna," spoken twice for emphasis.
The stone massage is a form of alternative medicine massage therapy and bodywork involving the placement of either heated or cooled stones to the body for the purpose of pain relief, relaxation and therapy. There are many variations and techniques used in the application of stone massage therapy, deriving from a variety of traditional practices. Stone massages are primarily used to alleviate physical pain issues, however, they are also used to promote emotional and spiritual wellbeing in practice.
Martial arts Therapy refers to the usage of martial arts as an alternative or complementary therapy for a medical disorder. This can include disorders of the body or of the mind. The therapy may involve applications such as promoting kinaesthetic balance in the elderly or impaired, through tai chi, or reducing aggressiveness in specific populations.
Cheerappanchira is an ancient noble Ezhava family renowned for its Kalari in Muhamma, Alappuzha District. According to legend, Lord Ayyappan came here to learn Kalaripayattu.
Simhalan Madhava Panicker was an Indian martial artist and actor of film and theater. Born into a family of plantation farmers in Kerala in 1930, he left home at the young age of eight and traveled to all corners of India. He found his passion in martial arts and acting. He became an expert and authority in varma kalai, the art of hitting pressure points in Kalaripayattu.
Unniyarcha is a legendary warrior and heroine from the 16th century, mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a set of historical ballads from northern Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyyar community family called Puthooram Veed in Kadathanad. Her father's name was Kannappa Chekavar. She is believed to have lived in the northern part of Kerala during the 16th century. She is a popular character in Kerala's folklore and is remembered for her valour and skills in Kerala's native martial art, Kalaripayattu. According to legend, Unniyarcha was mostly known for her deadly skill with the whip-like urumi, a unique type of sword that originates from Kerala. Like most traditional Kalaripayattu practitioners, she began training at the kalari at the age of seven.
Canine massage is a branch of massage therapy that promotes health in dogs. Specifically, canine massage therapy is a form of alternative therapy, the benefits of which may include relaxation, increased oxygenation, relief from pain, improved joint flexibility, and miscellaneous benefits to the immune system. It uses touch to maintain or improve both physical and emotional well-being. However, an owner should consult with a veterinarian before attempting to massage their dog themselves.
Kalari Panicker / Kalari Kurup is an ethnic group belonging to the Hindu religion, who live in the Malabar and central parts of the Indian state of Kerala. They were known as the masters of Kalari tradition, having their Nalpatheeradi Kalari. They are the people who propagated and practiced Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala. The National Commission of Backward Classes lists Kalari Kurup or Kalari Panicker under the list of OBCs.
Watsu is a form of aquatic bodywork used for deep relaxation and passive aquatic therapy. Watsu is characterized by one-on-one sessions in which a practitioner or therapist gently cradles, moves, stretches, and massages a receiver in chest-deep warm water.
Biodynamic massage is a complementary therapy developed by Gerda Boyesen in Norway during the 1950s.
Hiroshi Nozaki (1926-2006) was a Shiatsu master and alternative healer well known in Switzerland, France and Italy for his innovative techniques of Shiatsu, Qigong and Yoga and for starting the Ko School of Shiatsu. He is known for founding Hiron Shiatsu a branch of Shiatsu.
