No Hands ® Massage
“In order to plough a heavily muddied field, our forebears used a shire horse, not a gazelle. How long would the gazelle have lasted? …Yet this is exactly what I believe most bodyworkers …do… using some of the smallest muscles… (ie thumb and fingers) to massage the biggest muscles in the client’s body (eg back and legs).” (“No Hands Massage: Zero-Strain Bodywork” by Gerry Pyves, Shi’Zen Publications, 2000).
No Hands Massage is a modern blend of ancient massage techniques that rely of other parts of the practitioner’s body instead of the hands, mainly the soft forearms, to deliver a gentle yet powerful treatment. It was developed by Gerry Pyves in Yorkshire, England, twenty years ago, as he tried to solve the problem of how to give massage treatments with the serious hand and wrist pain that massaging was causing him.
Since then, thousands of bodyworkers have trained in this brilliant new technique, learning new ways of looking at their bodies as healing instruments. They can not only avoid straining and injuring themselves, but also deliver deep strokes with the soft forearms, creating a marvellously releasing pressure on the client’s muscles. They are taught to connect with the client on a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic level.
All the usual benefits of a massage treatment can occur. Blood circulation can improve, which increases oxygen distribution to body systems. Knots of muscle tension can be released by the forearms as effectively as the hands (which are sometimes used in treatments for gentle, light work), bringing feelings of release and greater suppleness. Clients have reported feeling more refreshed, energised and alert after a No Hands Massage, as well as calmed, relaxed, nurtured and grounded.
For more information on No Hands Massage, please see the website of the No Hands Massage Company:
