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Biography

Tonia BiographyTonia Hafter is a holistic intuitive massage therapist practicing an integrative approach to healing. MELTING THE DRAGON MASSAGE integrates bodywork and physical therapy with energy work to relieve pain and distress. The work is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles with formal and intuitive healing methods that include Tui Na medical massage and other forms of clothed body therapies, including Qigong healing and Reiki healing. Tonia offers her students and clients nutritional counseling and personalized coaching for self care. Her intention is to empower her students and patients by offering them the tools they can call upon to participate in their healing.

Formal Training

  • Graduate of American College of Chinese Medicine, Médical Tui Na program, 2002 with Dr. Rocky Wang, San Francisco, Calif.
  • Shiatsu & Thai massage studies at Shiatsu Institute, SF 1991.
  • Practitioner of Oriental Massage since 1992.
  • Chi Nei Tsang studies with Gilles Marin, Berkeley, CA. 1991-2006.
  • Cosmic Healing & Chi Nei Tsang with Mantak Chia, Taoist Garden & Calif 2009.
  • Medical Qigong, Tui Na and Wuji Gong studies with Grandmaster Fu Wei Zhong, of the school of Da Dao Chan Gong in 2001. Certified Wuji Gong Instructor
  • Reiki Master since 2006
  • Initiated into Green Tara by Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche in Kensington, California 2006
  • California Certified Massage Therapist certificate #36001

Biography P1060312 300x374Tonia’s specialties include Tui Na Therapeutic Massage, Shiatsu, Thai Massage, Chi Nei Tsang (abdominal massage), Cranial Sacral, breathwork, toning, guided meditation and other personally evolved practices. She includes customized self healing exercises and nutritional counseling to support your healing process, taking into consideration your personality and lifestyle.

Assists her students and patients to:

  • Reduce inflammation and pain in the joints
  • Recover faster from injuries and surgeries ; especially hip and pelvic pain
  • Recover from repetitive stress injuries like frozen shoulder, tennis elbow,
    carpal tunnel syndrome and neck and shoulder pain
  • Regain better circulation and increase energy
  • Increase their range of motion
  • Increath their breath capacity
  • Open their voices
  • Reduce anxiety and nervousness
  • Find relief from abdominal “knots” and stress
  • Work with post traumatic stress symptoms
  • Learn Self Healing techniques
  • Personalize their diets to achieve maximum health

Biography BIO P1000195 400x300
Tonia worked in a post traumatic stress clinic serving victims of the war in Bosnia served to help develop her personalized MELTING THE DRAGON approach to healing. She’s collaborated with Karma Clinic and the Berkeley Acupuncture Project and has been in private practice since 2002 seeing all different kind of patients in northern California, Switzerland, the Virgin Islands France and Spain.

She has studied and practiced various forms of Yoga since her youth and Qigong since 1991. She holds a yoga teaching certificate from Shivananda School of Yoga in Trivanderum, India, and has studied and practiced different Daoist forms of meditation and qigong since the early 90’s with various teachers and masters in the U.S. and in Thailand.

Tonia’s qigong, self healing and Reiki classes have taken place in Harbin Hot Springs, Women at Risk programs in Marin, Oklahoma City, St. Johns Island, Arriege, France, Bordeaux, France, Barcelona, Spain and soon in Jalapa, Veracruz and Mexico City. She has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe and Mexico and is fluent in Spanish and French.