Tonia Hafter

679 46th Street, Oakland CA 94609

415 706-9052

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Therapeutic Massage

Tui Na

Tui Na is the 3rd Branch of Chinese Medicine. Mother of most modern massage modalities, Tui Na can relieve acute chronic pain of the joints, bones, muscles and tendons caused by injuries, surgery, or stress. Used locally, rather than as a full body technique, it is used to increase range of motion, relieve headaches, and pain to the neck, back, shoulder, and legs. Tui Na practitioners utilize vigorous techniques of acupressure, stretching, shaking and rotation to break up stagnation and free blockages of Qi and blood to restore movement and stimulate blood circulation.
Good for mind, body, and spirit! Very energizing!

Chi Nei Tsang

Sometimes called applied Qigong, Chi Nei Tsang addresses the chi of the internal organs. Thus it is often identified with abdominal massage though we access the energy of the organs through the back as well. The belly is the brain of the body, storing a lifetime of memories and experiences and the emotions associated with them in the connective tissue and internal organs between skin and bones. This work is subtle, and over time can be quite profound, helping the student to release old patterns and traumas connecting the conscious with the unconscious.

Shiatsu

Originating in Japan, Shiatsu is a healing system concentrating on balancing the body through acupressure. “Shi” (finger) and “atsu” (pressure) is applied with thumbs, fingers and palms to the body’s energy pathways meridians and incorporates stretching.

Thai Massage

Originating in India and based on ayurvedic yoga, Thai Massage combines muscle compression, joint mobilization, stretching and acupressure along the meridians to energize and balance the body. Often the practitioner seems as if they are helping the other to be in positions similar to yoga asanas.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Nutritional Counseling

TCM Nutritional Counseling empowers you to find a good balance for your own constitution and your present condition, so you can do something to be as healthy as you wish. Based on Taoist nutritional theory, yin yang theory and food energetics, I assist you with the tools to make your own choices for your own situation.

TCM nutrition is an approach to using food as fuel or in the case of humans, medicine. Meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains all have different energetic properties. Sugars, spices, herbs, even different alcoholic drinks have different energetics. Depending on your constitution, your activities, your environment, the time you sleep and if you are exercising, your nutritional needs will vary and it’s good to be aware of how your decisions affect how you are feeling mentally and physically.

You may come to see me for chronic shoulder pain or for belly discomfort, or for sciatica, which may be treated with bodywork. When appropriate, I often help you to explore what the source of the pain may be offering a complete treatment approach to bring you more comfort and energy. This may take changing your morning routine or reviewing your shopping list. Your treatment will be far more effective if I can offer you something to help you make informed decisions about how you nourish yourself. People tend to eat exactly what is exacerbating their problem.

Common scenarios:
A young woman complains of feeling cold all the time, especially at night. She also suffers from feeling bloated and lacking energy, but she is so happy to be keeping her weight low she eats lots of salads and yogurt and cold vegetarian fare. I may suggest adding in more spice to her diet, more cooked foods, and less dairy products.

Someone with sciatica for instance may realize during our session that they are in fact a little angry about one thing or another. They might find that decreasing their intake of coffee and other dehydrating foods and increasing a green leafy dish to their menu might be helpful to reduce tension and tightness in their tendons.

The body and mind find a harmony between pure yang and pure yin. This state of equilibrium can be balanced with food and drink when we understand more about food energetics which traditional chinese medicine offers.

Reiki

Reiki is the Japanese word for Universal Life Energy; an unconditional energy of a spiritual origin common to all beings, able to heal the body, mind, spirit and soul. Reiki affects both the physical and energetic levels of the body, affecting each person uniquely. Many traditional cultures have different names for this energetic healing with Universal Energy.
Reiki is non-invasive and loving.

The basis of Reiki is in the vibratory nature of the universe.
When you become a Reiki practitioner, you become a channel for yourself and for others to receive healing energy from a “higher source” or a divine source. This happens because you are attuned to a higher frequency. Some call this universal energy. With the attunement, our ability to tune into messages on every level of consciousness increases, and with it our ability to help ourselves and assist others to heal physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dis-ease.

In my Reiki classes I include instruction to prepare your body to be still, a quality necessary to be able to transmit Reiki energy.

• Practices to control the breath and clear the mind
• Self massage and qigong to activate the meridians and restore energy
• Vocalizations which help move the energy

“We must practice receiving guidance for ourselves before we are qualified to receive it for others”
Barbara Brannan

Calling on Reiki is being open to the wisdom of the universe. We don’t control the healing process, no matter how well intentioned we may be. Healing may well be different from what one imagines or what one hopes to expect. If we are open to receiving Reiki, then we agree to be open to the healing and learning we receive in the process. That is your agreement in becoming a Reiki channel. You open yourselves to a higher source for your healing in whatever way it may come. It may manifest in the physical, the emotional, the mental or the spiritual aspect of our being. Healing may take place in the present, just as it may clean karmas accumulated in the past or it may affect something in the future. When we call on Reiki, we ask for the soul level, for our highest good, for our highest self….then we let go and be open to the guidance that is given.

Reiki Initiations

I offer levels one and two Reiki at this time. Reiki techniques are integrated into all my techniques and massages.

Qigong

Qigong literally means the practice of cultivating life force energy. The word Qi is interpreted as energy or life force. Qi is the same as Universal energy, Prana in Hindi, and Ruach in Hebrew. Gong refers to working at something, or practicing something, which is then cultivated by that practice. The word Qigong is also found written as: Qi gong, Chi Kung or Chi Gung. Qigong is practiced traditionally in China for three different intentions:

• Qigong for martial arts training
• Spiritual Qigong
• Medical Qigong

Qigong for martial arts training builds concentration, force and the ability to manipulate qi.

Spiritual Qigong prepares a person for enlightenment. These practices are more internal.

Medical Qigong is practiced to prevent dis-ease, strengthen the organs, enhance protective qi, calm the mind and heal the body from dis-ease, bringing it into a state of balance. Medical Qigong is not only used for treatment of dis-harmony. It is also useful for longevity and prevention. Preventive treatment is often seen as more important in ancient Chinese philosophy. Traditional Chinese Medicine views health as a balanced state of yin and yang in the mind, body, and spirit, known as Shen.

Medical Qigong is employed to:

• Eliminate or balance excessive negative emotions like anger, grief, worry, and fear, which would harm the body if left untreated.
• Balance external pathogens coming from the environment, such as Cold, Heat, Dryness, and Dampness, to purify the human body.
• Balance a person’s Qi by either increasing their Qi or decreasing the influences of pathogens to counteract the imbalanced condition within the internal organs and channels.
• Regulate and balance the client’s Yin and Yang energy, bringing it back into harmony.
• Relieve pain
• Detoxification
• Correct internal organ dysfunctions
• Strengthen bodily resistance
• Promote circulation of Qi, Blood and Shen

Medical Qigong therapy includes different modalities:

Distance Healing requires the Qigong practitioner to manipulate a client’s Qi by focusing on the energetic properties of the client’s channels, collaterals, and points, as well as internal organs. This is done from a distance of several inches, several feet or even several miles away.

Self-Healing Qigong, also called Qigong Prescriptions and Client Homework, are Qigong exercises. They consist of postures, movements, sound vibrations, and visualizations. They are given to clients by a practitioner. Clients use these Qigong techniques to regulate their own health in support of the treatment, using various lying, sitting, moving and standing postures. The clients may also use meditation techniques or their own spiritual belief system as a healing tool.

Qigong Bodywork Therapy or Energy healing is a soft-tissue regulation technique. It differs from Anmo or Tuina, the Chinese External Bodywork Therapy, in that the practitioner’s hand skims the client’s energy body with a very light touch. The light skimming action is used to dredge the client’s external channel Qi, causing energy to be released from the internal channels themselves which serve as pathways for Qi transference.

Sound Resonation Therapy or sound healing, can be used in Medical Qigong for breaking up energetic stagnations. It requires the practitioner to project sound vibration deep into the client’s tissues. When the resonate sound penetrates the client’s body it causes massive chaotic vibrational patterns that disrupt the body’s normal energetic flow. This energetic disruption softens and liquefies the client’s stagnant Qi and is the primary reason why clients are given healing sound therapy homework prescriptions.

Invisible Needle Therapy involves the visualization of imaginary needles of light being inserted into specific points on the client’s body. This can also be achieved by inserting actual needles into a model of a human being at particular acupoints. This is done with the same intention that one would have in doing an actual acupuncture session on the person’s body. The actual needles or the needles of light are used to stimulate and direct the client’s Qi. Although this sounds very similar to a technique used in voodoo, invisible needle therapy is done to heal without any other confusing intentions.

Shen Gong Therapy offers patients a safe and effective way to rid themselves of years of painful toxic emotions that otherwise can cause mental and physical illness.

Dao Yin Therapy combines breathing techniques with physical movement, and creative visualization to improve the patient’s health. These specific energetic techniques use the knowledge of the body’s internal organ systems as well as internal and external energy fields to:

• Purge: Remove excess conditions, break up stagnations and remove toxins
• Tonify: Strengthen deficient conditions and weak organs
• Regulate: Balance and harmonize the body’s Jing, Qi, Blood, Body Fluids, and Shen

Medical Qigong is often combined with other techniques, such as acupuncture and herbal treatments. in addition, Medical Qigong can include counseling and consulting. Through the conversation, a Qigong practitioner works on clients with his tone, his voice and his energy.

The Medical Qigong classes include energetic anatomy and physiology, diagnosis and symptomology, energetic psychology, Qigong pathology, Medical Qigong therapy, as well as a survey of other related medical modalities. The other related modalities include a comprehensive understanding of herbal medicine, acupuncture therapy, Chinese massage, Asian dietary therapy, and Western Medicine anatomy and physiology.

Medical Qigong Massage

Depending on the strength and direction of hand, the power sinking into the body differs. Consequently some reach only the skin, some to the pulses, muscle and even marrow. The effects of medical Qigong massage have been affirmed by people who have experienced it. They report the relieving of the bones and muscles, detumescence, acesodyne, adjusting dislocation of the joints, and removal of muscle spasms.

Besides massages for healing the body, there are also massages for keeping fit. Kneading the acupoints around eyes can give you good eyesight. Massaging simply and exactly on the three acupoints of head can quickly relax yourself. Massaging the feet, known as reflexology in the west, can reflect the effects on all parts of the human body. The feet have a close relationship with the whole body and are known as the ‘second heart’.