After a long day at the office or a tough session at the gym, a massage is the ultimate antidote for stress and tired muscles. But if going across town for a rubdown seems like too much hassle or calling someone to your home seems too awkward, there is an alternative.
You can learn the art yourself and then teach relatives and friends.
Several hundred hryvnas for a few weeks of lessons just might be the best investment you can make in your body.
These days, Kyiv’s health institutions offer numerous massage styles, from classical massage to acupuncture. Here are just few of them:
Basic massage
Using the slogan “We will teach your hands,” First Regional Courses is one of the most well‑known massage schools in town. Instructor Arsen Galienko’s course is based on the classical Soviet massage technique, practiced in Eastern Europe and the CIS. Unlike the Swedish massage, which is popular in the West, the Soviet school advocates a milder touch and motion along the lymph flow. The motions are divided into four categories: stroking, rubbing, kneading and vibrations. Galienko says this method is more practical than more traditional massage types.
After studying trauma medicine at Vinnytsya Medical University, Galienko went through a six‑month massage course in 1992. When he completed the course, he realized he had only a vague idea how to massage.
“We had sophisticated lectures, a bit of demonstration, and almost no practice,” Galienko recalled.
Galienko’s course consists of 12 two‑hour classes. After a lecture, the desks are converted into massage tables, and students take turns massaging each other while the teacher supervises.
At first, the approach may seem superficial. But each class builds confidence and skill. After all, the only way to become a good masseur, according to Galienko, is to give two massages each day for six months.
The basic course is a hygienic massage done by non‑professionals to healthy people for relaxation or toning up. The specialization course includes a texturing technique for non‑surgical tightening of the skin, such as scar tissue, flabby breasts or double chins; anti‑cellulite massage; aroma massage; and erotic massage, to increase libido in men and women.
Aroma massage
Vitaly Haiduk, who developed Ukraine’s only state‑approved aroma massage method, propagates a style much different from classical massage.
“Classical massage is not what suits the average contemporary person,” said Haiduk, a masseur with 12‑years’ experience.
“Contemporary society has created chronic fatigue syndrome and stress,” he explained. “A person is unable to relax, and the rough classical massage fails to eliminate tension.”
Instead of rubbing and pressing, Haiduk recommends stretching the muscle lengthwise. He claims that this can make a person feel weightless, as if hovering. This way the tension goes away, and the body comes into balance. Sick organs cure themselves, as many ailments are the result of accumulated tension. Tension causes tachycardia in the heart, spasms in the stomach, gynecological problems in the pelvis and stiffness in the joints.
Haiduk says relaxation is enhanced by aromatic oils. As they are absorbed into the tissue, the oils increase blood circulation and prevent the muscles from contracting. The mind produces endorphins, which relieve pain and stress, so the next time the oil is smelled, the body becomes immediately relaxed.
Haiduk’s course lasts 17 days. The five‑hour classes are held daily and teach rehabilitation and toning, anti‑cellulite and relaxation massage and how to create the aroma compositions of various oils.
Su‑Jok therapy
A recent study by Korean professor Park Jae Woo is gaining popularity all around the world. Su‑Jok (meaning “hand‑foot” in Korean) is a form of acupuncture and acupressure therapy performed only on hands and feet.
According to Su‑Jok, the hands and feet are like a map of the body.
Imagine that the thumb is the head, while the index finger and the pinkie are your arms. The two middle fingers are the legs, and the palm represents the torso. Once you establish the body diagram, it isn’t difficult to locate the highly active points that correspond to all internal organs and body parts. By stimulating those points, the practitioner can relieve pain or repair a malfunctioning organ. The points can be stimulated not only with needles but also by attaching magnets, semi‑precious stones, plant seeds or even burning sticks of wormwood to them.
But the process is more complicated than merely finding the precise point. Choosing the right color of the needle or object is crucial, Su‑Jok masters say.
Su‑Jok practitioners differentiate six colors that carry a certain type of energy. Green carries the energy of wind and is responsible for motion problems, and yellow –– the energy of moisture – works for the digestion system. Red – the energy of warmth – relieves acute pain, and orange – the energy of heat – treats infertility.
Doctor Iryna Herman, who leads Su‑Jok courses at Kyiv’s Folk Medicine Association clinic, says she has had numerous examples of successful healings during her 10‑year practice: from heart diseases or infertility to psychological problems such as stuttering and phobias.
“The human body is a universal self‑regulating system; we just need to know how to keep it in harmony,” Herman said.
Su‑Jok courses include 12 five‑hour classes, where students learn how to find and affect the so‑called “correspondence points,” study the energy constitution of the human body and the basics of metaphysics.
THERE’S THE RUB
First Regional Courses
16 Kudryavska, ste. 1, tel. 212‑2260.
Web site: www.vincoursnw.chat.ru.
Hr 224 for the first stage;
Hr 200 for a specialization.
Aroma Therapy Courses
Pava Center4 Volynska, tel. 243‑0579.
Hr 500 includes oils and guidebook.
Su‑Jok Courses
Folk Medicine Association 9 Tolstoho, tel: 246‑5329.
Sign up now for September.
Su‑Jok texts available in English.
