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Heading Off Stress: Indian head massage relaxes the whole body

by Sarah Gardner

Indian head-massage is exactly what it sounds like: a massage technique from India focused on the head. Also called Champissage, it has been practiced in Asia for centuries, and now massage therapist Johnna Cook at Southpark Chiropractic Wellness Center has brought it to Moline, Ill. Sounds straightforward enough, right? And yet...

If you have ever branched out and tried a "new" kind of massage, you know you never can tell just what to expect. One minute you are on the table looking forward to a lavender-scented back rub, and the next minute someone is working his feet into your lumbar spine. All I could think when I went in for my first Indian head-massage was, please, no pinching, plucking, knotting or walking barefoot on my scalp. Especially that last one, which was painful just to imagine.

When I arrived for my appointment, the first thing I noticed was that the Wellness Center felt less like a clinic and more like a spa. I was ushered into a lounge that had been organized according to feng shui principals, with soft lighting and music playing overhead. A receptionist offered me chocolates and tea sweetened with agave nectar. "I like where this is going," I thought.

Cook came to meet me in the lounge. After answering a few questions about my medical history and any muscle tension I was feeling that day, I was invited to lie down on her massage table. Because Champissage works only on the head and shoulders, there was no need to undress.

The massage can be done a number of different ways, with the client sitting in a chair or lying down, starting at the scalp or the shoulders. For each person it is different. For me, it began at the temples, with Cook moving her fingers in slow, small circles.

"I try to find the highest stress point and start there," she explained to me. Common places include the temples, forehead and the base of the skull. From that point, she can work her way up to the crown of the head and down to the shoulders, as well as forward to the sinuses and back to the occipital scalp.

Indian head-massage has the benefits you might expect from any other massage technique—heightened relaxation and an improved sense of well-being -- plus some added benefits owing to its focus on the head. Because it stimulates circulation in the scalp, it can promote hair growth and a proper balance of oils. It also is especially effective at alleviating headaches and eyestrain.

Around the time Cook worked her way to the back of my scalp, I realized something unusual was happening: even though she had not laid one hand on my back, I could feel the tension draining from there. My shoulder blades were gently spreading and my lower back was softening.

"This is one of the advantages of Indian head-massage," Cook explained to me. "For the elderly who have fragile bones, or people who would be uncomfortable lying down on their stomachs, or if someone is just nervous about being touched, I can work just on their head and shoulders and the rest of the body still relaxes."

This is not surprising, given Champissage’s origins in ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine, which focuses on bringing balance to the whole body. Doing so is believed to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal.

Like any other massage, a Champissage session ends with instructions to drink plenty of water and get a good night’s rest. Because I didn’t have to undress, and because there were no oils used during my Indian head-massage, at the end of the session I could simply get off the table and go on with my day. No need to go home and shower before heading back to work.

Of course, work was the last thing on my mind when my session ended. Instead, I was thinking about my next appointment. Cook recommends clients come for an Indian head-massage every two to four weeks. The average session lasts a half hour and costs $40. Gift certificates are available.

Southpark Chiropractic Wellness Center is located at 1529 46th Ave., Suite 4, Moline. (309) 757-7100 or southparkchiropractic.com.
Sarah Gardner is a freelance writer. She lives in Davenport.