A Relaxing Cebu Massage
Asian spas and Cebu massage salons are well-known for a world class quality massage and spa experience that caters to people who crave for rest and relaxation. Cebu is the spa capital of Asia! Spa literally means 'relaxing in water', and a spa adventure in Cebu is a wonderful Asian experience that should not be missed.
Let's have a Sparty! ...What?
That's a spa party!
A massage is the practice of manipulating the soft tissues in our body (such as rubbing, kneading, or tapping) with the hand or an instrument for therapeutic purposes. And Cebu is the spot to go for a private relaxation and it's the pleasure place to be!
In Cebu massage salons, techniques involve the client being treated lying down on a massage bed, in a massage chair, or on a mattress on the floor. In many forms of massage, it may start with the client face up or down for the first part of the session: the client then rolls over for the second half of the session. Relaxation is necessary for maximum therapeutic benefits to be achieved.
There are a lot of types of massages, however, in this article we will only be talking about four types, namely: HILOT, THAI MASSAGE, SHIATSU and SWEDISH massage.
HILOT ( traditional Filipino massage )
One distinctive feature of the HILOT, is the use of warm strips of leaves (variety of herbs) minimally laced with extra virgin coconut oil, which is applied to the body before and after the massage. The leaves, being naturally ionized, are supposed to determine which affected areas need an infusion of massage. Apart from its healing effects, these leaves are also believed to have astringent and cleansing effects.
If you get this type of Cebu massage, relief from stress will be evident right away. However, if your body was already sore before you get a HILOT your body might become more sore after the massage but the following day you will definitely feel a difference, you will feel very light and the soreness of your body will be gone.
This type of massage is available only in the Philippines and specifically in some of the Mactan spas and in Cebu massage salons as well.
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THAI MASSAGE( know in Thailand as NUAT PHAEN BORAN - ancient or traditional massage )
This is also known as Thai ancient massage, traditional Thai massage, Thai physical massage, Thai yoga massage, yoga massage, Thai classical massage, Thai bodywork, passive yoga, or assisted yoga. This is usually soothing because of the emphasis on stretching and loosening the body. The client is put into many yoga like positions during the course of the massage.
The Cebu massage client changes into pajamas and lies on a mat or firm mattress on the floor. (It can be done solo or in a group of a dozen or so patients in the same large room.) The massuese/massuer leans on the recipient's body using hands and forearms to apply firm rhythmic pressure to almost every part of the client's body. The massage generally follows the lines on the body-somewhat analogous to Chinese Meridians.
In some practices, legs and feet of the masseuse/masseure are used to fixate the body or limbs of the client. In other gestures, hands fixate the body, while the feet do the massaging action. Usually no oil is applied. A full course of Thai massage typically lasts for an hour, and includes pulling fingers, toes, ears etc., cracking the knuckles, walking on the recipient's back, arching the recipient's back in a rolling action etc. There is a standard procedure and rhythm to the massage. Sometimes in a large group massage, the practitioners do the procedures in unison.
A full Thai massage in the Philippines of typically one hour costs around 250 Philippine Peso (about 5 US dollars) depending on your location (it may cost 5 times more inside a five star hotel).
There is a variation called oil massage (or aromatherapy massage) which is offered in many of the Asian spas, saunas and Cebu massage salons: the body of the client is bathed with aromatic herbal oils (lavender, jasmin, rose, sandalwood ect). The treatment becomes somewhat like Esalen massage: more relaxing than invigorating. Ill-informed practioners (as found on the beach and as outcall practioners) use cheap baby (mineral!) oil. This is more expensive compared to the dry Thai massage in Asian spas.
Along with influencing the energetic side, Thai massage also works on the physical body. Starting at the feet and progressing up to the head, the client’s body will be moved, loosened and stretched. The combination of energetic and physical aspects is unique to Thai Massage, and so are its effects.
