Massage
Aska's curiousity toward human body has been deepening through her yoga practice and led her to her initial massage training at Body Therapy Center, Palo Alto in 2008. Although her initial intention was just studying hands-on anatomy, she discovered and excited to learn that like yoga massage also could assist people's self-healing process by connecting their body, mind and spirit thanks to her wonderful teachers.
    Just a few month later, she started working as a certified massage therapist. Since then she has been taking multiple certification programs and continuing education classes in order to serve her clients better.

Reiki
    When she gives massages or adjust yoga students, quite a few people have reported that they feel very strong warm energy through Aska's touch. After learning Reiki, an energy work which was started by Dr. Usui in Kyoto, Japan, has been widely accepted in the U.S. and even nurses give Reiki to patients at hospitals, Aska took Reiki trainings (Level One through Level Three) with Char Pias.
    Reiki's teachings begins from self-healing to make a practitioner a better medium or a pipe of Reiki energy. This idea fits Aska's idea of healing: all one can do is healing oneself and creating a peaceful space for others to access to their own self-healing ability.

Esalen Massage
    Aska felt very strong connection to her Reiki instructor, Char, who is also very experienced Esalen Massage instructor, she simply followed her intuition and started studying Esalen Massage with Char in 2010.
    Although Esalen Massage is often described with its "signature head-to-toe long stroke," Char emphasizes how to feel subtleties than how to do specific techniques. "Listen to the body" and "Ride with the breath" are just a few of phrases that are repeated over and over in the trainings. 
    No matter which methods we use for our self-healing process, it is critical for us "to fell as we are and accept as we are." It sounds very simple, yet it is very difficult to practice. In an Esalen Massage session, first a therapist will simply feel and accept how a client is without trying to change anything. Through the therapist's accepting touch, the client finds it much easier to feel and accept how he/she is no matter what is going on with his/her body or mind. This assisted self-acceptance will lead the client to deeper relaxation state where his/her self-healing process naturally takes place.

Customize Your Session
Please let us know what you are expecting from your session: Pain relief, Increase of range of motion, Relaxation etc. Your session will be customized based on your needs and  expectations.

Affiliate Organizations
California Massage Therapy Council: Certified Massage Therapist #16576
Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals: Certified Massage Therapist #848450
Esalen® Massage and Bodywork Association: Massage Practitioner

Trainings
McKinnon BTC in Palo Alto/Oakland and Esalen Institute in Big Sur
Completed over 650 hours various trainings at the below massage training institutions.