If you’ve never had a massage, it could be time to make them part of your routine
THE only seaweed wraps I am familiar with hold Sushi together. Once, when working in Stockholm, I experienced the dubious delights of a massage from a woman with zero charm who, sporting muscles like edible swedes, liberally covered me in a potion which smelt suspiciously of Scampi, then proceeded to pummel me so vigorously, my back felt as if it had been spot welded to my knees.
That painful memory hung over me as I entered the Poeseidonio Health spa and fitness centre. There to meet me was Antigoni Tryfonos, director of the centre and the woman who promised she would introduce me to a masseuse who would guarantee to restore my confidence in the ancient art of the massage.
Albena Vougaridou is Bulgarian. She trained in her homeland as a doctor for three years, until financial restraints forced her to give up her studies. She then used her knowledge of the human body to train in therapeutic massage.
From the minute her ‘magic’ hands went to work on my neck muscles, I was an instant convert; this woman not only knows what to do with tension knots, stiff joints and a recalcitrant immune system, she also makes you feel totally safe in her small but exceedingly powerful hands.
Most people will have to inform a therapist of any medical problems that exist prior to having any treatment; with Albena she only needs to touch your body, to discover what ails you, after which she is able to concentrate on the appropriate level of massage.
Massage is one of the most popular of all complementary therapies and is now commonly accepted as an additional and important weapon in the arsenal that helps in our never-ending battle for a healthy body.
Over the years even hard nosed ‘by the book’ professionals have given massage their seal of approval, realising that the power of touch alters how a person feels, with qualified therapists such as Albena dedicated to improving the lives of their clients.
For the majority without a physical problem, massage simply provides an island of complete bliss, away from the daily grind and sea of stress, anxiety and hard work.
Albena’s full body massage takes one hour, and throughout she strokes and kneads the soft tissues of the body to release tension, ease pain and help kick-start circulation.
During the treatment, most of the body is wrapped cosily in a blanket and after you have been oiled and stroked from toe to scalp you feel marvellous. Tired but marvellous; Albena recommends after one of her sessions that you go straight home to bed. The friends I have introduced to this ‘wonder woman’ religiously followed her instructions, with one sleeping for eight straight hours, to waken up fuelled with a level of energy she hadn’t experienced in fifteen years.
This is due to the stimulation and release of toxins in the body which in turn can trigger a form of healing crisis. The important thing to remember is that one solo massage rarely resolves a chronic problem; a series of treatments to suit your needs is the essential long term approach to massage.
Massage doesn’t cure diseases. What someone with the talents and experience of Albena does is to listen to the body and by applying pressure to specific points under the skin she will then stimulate the body’s inherent energy system.
This lady is never slow to tell you whether you really need to cut down a bit on the red wine intake. If she feels your liver is a bit under stress or she may find that your lymph glands are a tadge on the sluggish side then you have to pay attention as she will recommend a special herbal tea that should be drunk on a twice-daily basis. No other pills and potions are recommended but, as a committed vegetarian, she does try and encourage you to ‘eat up your greens and cut down on the red meat and pork chops in favour of fish (you have been warned).’
After five weekly sessions, I now eagerly anticipate my Friday session. This brings me to the other key to any form of therapeutic massage and that is the close partnership between therapist and client. By talking about a particular problem there is the opportunity for the therapist to then develop a tailor-made massage to suit your specific needs. In my case, Albena will, for a time, concentrate every session on the arthritis that seems to be prevalent in my fingers and the lingering lower back pain, both conditions caused by that most modern of virulent diseases ‘computeritis.’
l Poseidonio Health and Fitness centre. 132 Democratis Avenue, 8028 Paphos. Tel: 26 222234 or 26 952745. Fax: 26 938760
