Reference
Glossary
A comprehensive reference of massage, bodywork, and wellness terminology. Click any term to learn more.
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Body Glide
A massage technique using full-body contact with a slippery medium.
Body Mapping
Awareness techniques for understanding your body's tension patterns.
Body Mechanics
The practitioner's use of their own body for effective, safe technique.
Body Scrub
An exfoliating treatment often offered before massage sessions.
Bodywork
The broad category of therapeutic physical manipulation practices.
Bolster
A supportive cushion used during massage for proper body alignment.
Booking Platform
An online service connecting clients with verified bodywork practitioners.
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CE Credits
Continuing education requirements for maintaining bodywork credentials.
Central Nervous System
The brain and spinal cord — the body's command center affected by massage.
Chakras
Energy centers in the body according to Indian wellness traditions.
Consent
Ongoing, informed agreement essential to professional bodywork.
Contraindication
A condition that makes a particular treatment inadvisable.
Cortisol
The body's primary stress hormone, reduced by massage therapy.
Craniosacral Therapy
A gentle technique working with the body's craniosacral rhythm.
Cupping
A therapy using suction cups to promote circulation and healing.
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Ideal Pressure
Finding the optimal massage pressure between too light and too deep.
Informed Consent
Agreement given with full understanding of the treatment involved.
Intake Form
A health questionnaire completed before your first massage session.
Integrative Bodywork
Combining multiple massage modalities in a single session.
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Parasympathetic Response
The body's 'rest and digest' mode activated during deep relaxation.
Petrissage
Kneading massage technique that works deeper muscle layers.
PNF Stretching
An advanced stretching technique using muscle contraction and release.
Polarity Therapy
An energy-based healing system balancing the body's electromagnetic field.
Porphyra Yezoensis
The nori seaweed species from which nuru gel is derived.
Prenatal Massage
Massage adapted for the unique needs of pregnant individuals.
Preventive Wellness
Using regular bodywork to prevent health issues before they arise.
Prone Position
Lying face-down on the massage table.
Proprioception
The body's sense of its own position and movement in space.
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Scope of Practice
The legally defined boundaries of what a practitioner may do.
Self-Massage
Massage techniques you can perform on yourself for daily relief.
Sensory Deprivation
Reducing external stimuli to promote deep relaxation and introspection.
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter that regulates mood, increased by massage.
Session Duration
The length of a massage appointment, typically 60-120 minutes.
Shiatsu
A Japanese pressure-point technique meaning 'finger pressure.'
Somatic
Relating to the body, especially as experienced from within.
Somatic Experiencing
A body-centered approach to processing stress and trauma.
Sports Massage
Massage specifically designed for athletic performance and recovery.
Structural Integration
A systematic approach to aligning the body with gravity through fascial work.
Supine Position
Lying face-up on the massage table.
Swedish Massage
The most common Western massage modality using five core techniques.
Swedish Movement Cure
The historical therapeutic system that founded modern Western massage.
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Table Shower
A pre-massage rinse using a multi-headed shower fixture on a waterproof table.
Tantric Massage
A holistic bodywork practice combining breathwork, energy, and touch.
Thai Massage
An ancient technique combining yoga-like stretching with pressure.
Thalassotherapy
Marine-based wellness treatments using seawater and sea products.
Therapeutic Touch
The intentional use of touch for healing and wellness promotion.
Treatment Plan
A structured approach to achieving specific wellness goals through bodywork.
Trigger Point
A hyperirritable knot in muscle tissue that refers pain.