ABOUT THE TASK AT HAND
Erin Brown, LMT, MLD/CDT
Massage and I found each other back in 2009 when I discovered Portland’s East West College of the Healing Arts. As a lifelong artist with a bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre wanting to get into healthcare, I was inspired by its name. I mean, I knew from personal experience that the arts were healing. But I had never thought that healing could be artistic. I looked over the program, getting more and more excited with every course I read about. I had found my calling! So I plunged into massage school, immersed myself in the world of bodywork, and emerged with a place in the healthcare community and a license to practice my ultimate handicraft. Between curating a safe and cozy space, facilitating therapeutic dialogue, choosing the perfect music and essential oils, choreographing the treatment plan, and performing the massage itself, I am happy I get to use so many tools in my art box every day to help people feel better in their bodies.
I draw upon many massage modalities (see below) and incorporate them all into a house-blend that is customized to your needs of the day. My primary tools are my fingertips, knuckles, palms, forearms, elbows, knees, and feet, but your session may include accessory tools such as cups, scrapers, hot stones, steamed towels, hot/cold packs, kinesiology taping, and compression bandaging. I also teach The MELT Method of foam rolling for self-massage. With hands, heart, and a little elbow grease, I hope to soothe anxiety, ease pain, release knots, relax tension, rejuvenate skin, enhance circulation, reduce and manage swelling, improve posture, restore joint function, and provide education and inspiration to be your best self.
Massage is the art of feeling and being felt, and every massage therapist has their own unique style. I want mine to feel like a therapeutic dance, a rock and roll lullaby. I err on the side of gentleness and vary pressure as necessary. I generally work full-body with specific areas of focus based on what you tell me and my dozen years of experience. Whether for wellness or for injury, my goal in every session is to support your health. When I am not massaging I am out walking in nature, dancing to live music, philosophizing over coffee, quilting, writing songs, watching documentaries, and reading incessantly.
For more information about my education and training, please click here.
Swedish Massage
Swedish Massage is a highly relaxing form of bodywork that nourishes the skin, melts away muscle tension, and improves circulation. Performed on skin with oil or lotion, it is a combination of long and soothing, short and choppy, kneading and scooping strokes that feel oh so good!
Traditional Thai Massage
Thai massage is traditionally performed on a floor mat, fully clothed, and it can be incorporated into a table massage as well. It is a unique system of acupressure, joint mobilization, and stretching that leaves you feeling like you've just done a yoga class with none of the effort!
Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
Lymphatic massage is a light and gentle form of bodywork that helps the lymphatic system do its many jobs: reduce and manage swelling, clear toxins, process fats and proteins, and circulate immune cells. If you are recovering from an acute injury or surgery, rehabilitating from joint replacements or cancer treatment, or seeking a way to reduce chronic swelling, pain, or anxiety, try a lymphatic massage!
Chi Nei Tsang (Chinese Visceral Massage)
Chi Nei Tsang is a treat just for the organs of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis. The therapist massages the organs from the outside in by using a variety of manual techniques, and the client massages the organs from the inside out with focused breathing, guided meditation, and therapeutic sound-making.
Myofascial Release Massage
Fascia is a bubbly and gelatinous web of specialized connective tissue cells that support, separate, and organize the various structures of your body. When properly hydrated, fascia acts as a medium for movement. Repetitive strain, whether pitching a baseball or hunching over a desk, dehydrates this tissue and causes it to stick to surrounding structures. These knots block the flow of nutrients to and waste removal from the compressed tissues, causing fluid stagnation, stiffness, and pain, even loss of function. Myofascial Release involves slow stretches, skin-rolling, and friction techniques to soften rigid tissues, melt stubborn knots, and unwind long-held muscle patterns.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep Tissue Massage uses active, passive, and resisted techniques to relax tight muscles and restore them to a proper tone, allowing for more comfortable movement and healthier posture. Your therapist can work from the outside in, but only you can work from the inside out, so be prepared for a little additional participation, like focused breathing, contract-relax exercises, slow assisted stretching, and joint mobilizations. The results are well worth the effort!
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)
Neuromuscular Therapy is a combination of modalities aimed at releasing knotty trigger points that can be the source of pain and movement restrictions; restoring the affected area with fresh circulation; and resetting the tone of the nervous and muscular systems to bring the body into better balance.