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Integrative Bodywork

with NIUKA Tea Founder
Alexander Friend CMP

Tui Na (Chinese) Massage, CranioSacral & Reiki Therapies

BOOK A SESSION NOW

Intro

I have been maintaining a private practice around the Bay Area since 2008. A certified practitioner in Tui Na (Chinese) Massage (2015), with a background in CranioSacral and Reiki therapies extending back to 2002; I integrate and adapt these complementary modalities to provide customized treatments that best support each client’s own unique healing process.

Benefits Include

- Relief from physical pain (migraine/sinus headaches, TMJ, scoliosis, sciatica & most any condition whose symptoms involve neck, back, knee, & any other joint, muscular and myofascial constrictions)
- Relief from mental-emotional stress
- Enhanced mental clarity, emotional balance & spiritual growth
- Release of stagnate energy (or "qi")

- Enhancement/vitalization of existing qi/energy

Clothing

All three of the modalities I use are practiced over clothing or a sheet. So clients are recommended to where either soft, loose fitting clothes or soft and snug fitting clothes, according to your preference. Sessions can also be conducted with minimal clothing through a sheet.

Where

I work out of Oakland Acupuncture Clinic's Grand Ave. Location in Oakland, California.

Book a Session

The best way to book a session with me is through the clinic's online system. There you will find details around rates, times, available days and hours, along with other housekeeping, logistical information around the clinic and visits. BOOK A SESSION NOW

My Approach

My central priority is to be present with you. To approach with a sensitive strength that creates a safe, trustworthy space. That you may feel comfortable and supported enough to let go of restrictions and embrace fresh vitality to carry with you into the rest of your life.

I regard the physical, mental, emotional and energy bodies as interrelated and interdependent. I approach all ailments as opportunities to seek out and employ these modalities to relieve illness and in the process, cultivate greater strength, resilience, fortitude, wisdom, and—ultimately - health and happiness.

The variety of healing modalities I employ enables me to engage a holistic approach to each individual's fluid condition. I custom tailor different combinations of these modalities according to what is called for by the client on any particular day and within the course of an extended treatment plan.

In this way the practitioner-client relationship is a collaborative experience, which seeks to understand the root of the aliments at hand and respond to your unique and ever evolving states of being.

A Deeper Look at Each Modality


TUI NA
Tui na is an ancient Chinese massage, part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cannon. Performed over your clothed body, the massage employs a wide range of pressures, from gentle to quite firm, using palms, thumbs, fingers, and elbows. Added to this are various stretches. For nearly all musculoskeletal issues, Tui Na is a useful application. The most common issues that Tui Na is easily useful for are back pain, Sciatic pain, Carpal tunnel syndrome, anxiety, stress, insomnia, fatigue, and headaches. It has been described as an assisted qi gong, in that the practitioner works to help you clear your energy meridians.

 

REIKI
REIKI (Rei = universal, ki = life force) is an energy healing modality developed around the turn of the twentieth century by Japanese Buddhist and scholar, Mikao Usui. It uses a technique commonly called ’palm healing,’ which transfers healing energy through the palms to the recipient. The practitioner uses a gentle, warm touch to promote relaxation and healing. This natural and simple method clears energy blockages from the chakras and meridians, helps accelerate the body's self-healing process, provides a lightness of being, physical health, mental/emotional balance and energetic clarity ("qi' or "ki" cultivation).


CRANIOSACRAL 
UPLEDGER CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY (CST) is a system of evaluation and treatment viewing the individual as an integrated totality and utilizing gentle, non-invasive mobilization techniques. As a result, the application of CST helps to enhance the body's innate healing abilities. Studies have shown that CST improves the quality of life in those with neuromuscular dysfunction, reducing the perception of pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia, improving sleep, mood, and increasing physical function. It has also been shown to reduce anxiety levels, improve depressive states, and as a manual therapy is considered an ideal complementary therapy within a multidisciplinary approach to healing.

In 1978 Dr. Upledger developed a hypothesis of the craniosacral dura mater and cerebrospinal fluid being integrated into a comprehensive model of the craniosacral system, which he termed the "PressureStat Model". The results of the scientific studies at MSU helped explain the function of the craniosacral system and its use in evaluating and treating poorly understood malfunctions of the brain and spinal cord. Dr. Upledger went on to develop the manual therapy that he called "CranioSacral Therapy," as well as other complementary disciplines that are now taught worldwide to healthcare professionals through Upledger Institute International's educational programs. And to this day, the PressureStat Model has stood the test of time.