Massage Therapy

"Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion." 

- Buddha

Compassionate, respectful, healing touch is the core of massage therapy. Joyful Heart incorporates this healing touch into programmatic experiences and retreats to facilitate relaxation and encourage tranquility of the mind, body and spirit.

The history of massage therapy for healing and wellness can be traced back over millennia. Used to cure injuries, prevent illness, relieve pain and induce relaxation, this ancient practice has proved a lasting, genuine, cross-cultural healing modality. Now a mainstream method of healing, massage therapy is often incorporated into sports medicine and other physical wellness programs.

In addition to its benefits to the body, massage can also soothe the spirit. When administered by a trained professional, massage can calm the body's sympathetic nervous system—the one that operates the "fight-or-flight" reflex—and engage the body's parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging relaxation and rest, inducing a calmer mental and emotional state. Massage therapy comes in many forms—Reiki, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Reflexology, Shiatsu, etc. While the techniques vary, the holistic healing goal is a shared one.

Joyful Heart uses licensed massage therapists to provide respectful, therapeutic, trauma-sensitive touch to program participants.