In a global environment where even the routine pursuits associated with human existence brings with it myriad stress-related challenges, massage therapy, essentially ‘hands-on’ techniques design-ed to enhance circulation, relieve tension, reduce stress, ease anxiety, improve sleep and promote relaxation, have become as widespread a resort for people the world over as visits to the doctor.
Ulelli Verbeke has the appearance of a ‘poster child’ for massage therapy. Refreshed and restful in appearance, she mirrors her profession as a massage therapist. Her Public Road, Kitty studio, Escape To Rest, itself, exudes an aura of restfulness, the lighting (a single lamp) and the décor combining to induce a peacefulness. If you are not mindful of your mission you could fall asleep there forever. If you manage to stay awake you are bound to be drawn to the tasteful artwork adorning the wall and a handful of a few clearly carefully selected accessories deliberately ‘scattered’ across the room. The chairs, when you sit on them, are as comfortable as they are comforting and Ulelli is refreshing to talk with; and all the while you are partially distracted by the bubbling sound being emitted by a small fountain and a sound system offering music that is as discreet as it is soothing.
Both the chairs and the massage table are covered with red cloth, by far the ‘loudest’ colour in the room. Its glow, under the directness of the lighting, accentuates the restfulness of the rest of the environment.
You are probably not likely to hear a more peculiar story than the one she tells about how she came to be a massage therapist. It started with ‘tight shoes,’ which, she said, had to do with the fact that her demand for new shoes exceeded her mother’s ability to supply them. Tight shoes meant painful bunions and the concomitant chore of having to constantly massage her feet. It was out of that ordeal that she developed what she calls ‘the touch.’ It was through this altogether unconventional route that Ulelli found her way into the profession.
A year of training at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital refined her skills after which she fell under the wing of Dr Janice Imhoff who held the view that not all accident and muscle injuries required complex medical procedures. Accordingly, Ulelli was the beneficiary of a number of referrals.
Sixteen years ago Ulelli opened her own massage therapy studio. When she sat down to trace her professional journey she was quick to make the point that patience is the essence of effective massage therapy. Nor is it a question of simply pressing fingers against flesh. She explained that massage therapists are expected to hold considerable knowledge of specific techniques and provide massage interventions that are safe. In that regard their responsibilities include assessing individual clients and making massage-specific recommendations, developing treatment plans, and even reporting on their work and observations using formal and informal methods. Massage therapists are also expected to have a knowledge of clients’ condition(s) and related signs and symptoms. After sixteen years as a professional Ulelli has developed a keen sense of the essentials of her profession. Nor is the demand for massage therapy confined to persons who simply feel sluggish or suffer from some ailment. For many people it’s simply a ‘feel good’ thing.
Her job, she says, goes way beyond simply ‘rubbing shoulders.’ Imbued with some measure of knowledge of the different types of massages, some customers would come to her with specific requests. It is, however, more than just a question of delivering what is asked for. After engaging the customer in discourse, she says, she may recommend a different massage. She offers three types of massages – the Swedish, Deep Tissue and Trigger Point massages as well as Full Body Exfoliation. The Swedish massage focuses on rubbing the muscles with long gliding strokes in the direction of the blood returning to the heart. Sometimes, it is used for relaxation. The Deep Tissue massage targets the deeper layers of the muscles. In some instances, it applies light to medium strokes. It relieves stress, eases pain and makes movement easier. The Trigger Point applies direct pressure to specified points on the tender muscle tissue to ease and reduce muscle tension and pain. The full body exfoliating is where the body is massaged after an abrasive product is rubbed into the skin to remove dead tissue and enhance blood circulation. Ulelle provides her own exfoliating scrub made from natural ingredients such as sugar, honey, coffee, wine, oats and coconut.
The Swedish Relaxation massage costs $8,000 while the Deep Tissue massage costs $10,000 and the Trigger Point therapy massage, $10,000. A Natural Body Exfoliation costs $5,000 and lasts twenty five minutes while a Swedish massage and Natural Body Exfoliation, a two-hour process, costs $11,000.
Escape To Rest provides a house call service though the service is only provided if the client has a massage table. House calls, whatever the nature of the treatment, are priced higher and include transportation costs.
