What makes Yoga Tree’s massage therapists the Bay Area’s best? Their yoga practice!
Our therapists, educated by the finest schools and teachers in the nation, understand more than the muscular structure of the human body. They carry with them true knowledge of the mind-body connection, that relationship we work so hard to unify and understand on the mat. Lie down and let the passivity of massage, coming through the hands of masters in the art, integrate and intensify your yoga practice.
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April Hirschman
April HirschmanApril started her journey into the art of massage in the sunlit room of the Kathmandu Center for Healing in Nepal. She then studied in a prestigious Chaing Mai Center. Her Swedish and Deep Tissue studies were through The SF School of Massage and Aveda where she was the trainer for hot stone massage.
April considers her work transformational massage because she assists with re-patterning the body to remove chronic problems. This restores the body to its natural balance and tranquility. She integrate Thai massage stretching techniques in her Swedish and Deep Tissue work to approach tight muscles from many different angles.
April’s modalities are Deep Tissue, Swedish, Thai Massage, Hot Stone, Reflexology, and Prenatal.
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Cindy Meiri
Cindy MeiriCindy began learning about the power of the body-mind connection, and the potential for healing as a gymnast and dancer at age 5. Years later, while attending the University of Illinois attaining her BFA in Dance, she suffered a herniated disc in her lower back. Through receiving bodywork, energy work and practicing meditation, she completely healed, and went on to dance professionally. She was a founding member of Scott Wells and Dancers Modern Dance Co. here in San Francisco 20 years ago.
Cindy is a 1995 graduate of the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences in New York City – the oldest massage therapy school in the country. The focus of her practice is to support each person’s optimal health, and to facilitate the highest level of harmony in one’s body, mind and spirit. Her work aims to help each person communicate with their body, and their being, at a very deep level, facilitating vibrant health as well as deep peace and tranquility. She is also a lifelong student of Yoga and Meditation, continually exploring and learning on an inner level.
Cindy has training and experience in the following modalities: Therapeutic and Sports massage, Medical Massage, Pre and Post Natal Massage, Shiatsu, Reiki Master Level, Acutonics®,Himalayan Bowl Healing, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and Zero Balancing. In addition, she is a Certified Amrit Method Yoga Nidra Facilitator, offering private and semi-private sessions.
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Coraly Serrano
Coraly SerranoCoraly began practicing massage in 1998 after completing her first 100 hours of training, believing that the only way to become one of the best was to get out there and start working right away. She truly delights in creating an individualized, customized experience for each guest based on their needs and prides herself in delivering 5-star quality treatments.
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Danielle Frances
Danielle FrancesWhen it comes to health and wellness, our body has the potential to be our greatest teacher in life. Each individual can be faced with unique challenges that surface in the body as signs, symptoms, and areas of dis-ease. Danielle combine’s advanced training in deep tissue massage, sports injury, structural bodywork, and acupressure, with her own deep experience in the healing and detoxification process to create treatments that support transformation from the inside out.
Danielle received her massage training at the Utah College of Massage Therapy in 2003. After a few years of practice, she moved to Seattle where she interned as a colon hydrotherapist at Tummy Temple. She did extensive training in organ and abdominal massage, specializing in the digestive system and women’s health. Danielle’s intention is to create massage treatments unique to each individual that facilitate whole body release and energy alignment. She specializes in structural deep tissue, injury management, digestion, and women’s health. She is currently earning her Masters of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco.
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Hari Khalsa
Hari KhalsaHari discovered her gift for touch when she was a teenager and daily her friends or family requested massage from her naturally gifted hands. The hobby became her passion and profession in 2001 when her formal studies and practice commenced in New Mexico and Thailand. Since then Hari has had the privilege of working with thousands of people to assist and enrich their lives and gained invaluable experience in the process. Her bodywork style is very strong and physical, yet deeply nurturing and relaxing. Her clients feel both physical and energetic change from working with her as she seamlessly combines Thai massage with deep tissue oil massage, polarity therapy and reflexology. She has also extensively experience working with pregnancy and is honored to share in this amazing process with women and their families. Every massage with Hari is a unique experience, because we are all continuously changing. Her success as a massage therapist largely results from her ability to be attuned to her clients needs, and her passion to be of service.
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Hari Khalsa, CMT
www.bayleafbodywork.com
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Liz Walton
Liz WaltonLiz has been refining the Art of Massage since 1996. She originally studied in Austin, Texas where she received training in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, Pre Natal, Shiatsu, and Hydrotherapy. Since then she has continued her education to include Crainosacral, Trigger Point, Reiki, Thai Massage, TMJ, Myofascial Release and Structural Integration.
A student at heart, Liz teaches in both the Swedish and Deep Tissue Curriculum at McKinnon BTC in Oakland. She has a passion for mindfulness and is a seeker at heart. She studied yoga in India at Yoga Vidya Gurukul and enjoys blending the knowledge of Yoga and Massage into everyday life.
Liz believes that we all have a unique ability to know our own bodies and enjoys working with people no matter where they are on the path of self discovery.
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Nicole Casanova
Nicole CasanovaNicole is a Certified Massage Therapist and has worked as a bodyworker for 7 years. In Austin, she attended both Texas Healing Arts Institute, where she studied massage, and the University of Texas, where she studied biology and psychology.
Nicole’s massage style is best described as a delicious blend of intuitive energy balancing and targeted deep tissue work. She is passionate about supporting your evolution in whichever ways are currently most needed. Nicole has the well developed talent and gift of communicating messages your body and spirit may have for you in a way which encourages action.Specific therapies Nicole is trained in and employs include myofascial release, triggerpoint therapy, lymphatic drainage, passive stretching, active release, prenatal massage, and energy work.
Nicole understands that people are wonderfully dynamic beings and that the overly sedentary yet high stress lifestyle of today can translate into energetic blockages, muscular pain, and the less than optimal use of the body in general. Massage sessions with Nicole bring back balance in the direction of health and well being. Regular sessions will especially aid the body and spirit in releasing unnecessary holding patterns and facilitate your own unique and natural healing process.
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Tom Om
Tom OmTom Om is a graduate of San Francisco School of Massage. In addition to deepening his knowledge with massage, he has managed to blend his knowledge and passion for yoga into his growing practice.
He specializes in Therapeutic Massage, which combines massage techniques, muscle mechanics, pressure points, and stretching to assist in pain relief and relaxation–bringing the body into balance.
His main modalities are Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Sports massage, and cranial sacral. Tom believes that Massage Therapy is an essential part of living a healthy life.
By understanding what effects Massage has on the body, you can be better informed about how it will enhance your circulation, immunity, and overall well-being. Tom is familiar with different types of clients with different massage needs feel free to contact him with any questions about services you may have. Furthermore, He can also mix modalities for a custom therapeutic massage.
Tom is a Professional Member of ABMP (Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals)
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V
VMy training in the healing arts began in 2001 with the bay area’s first Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training with Sat Santokh Singh Khalsa. The course was 220+ hours and studies included: Pranayama, Meditation, Kriyas and the yogic lifestyle. After completing my certification, I lived in the Hargobind Sadan Ashram in San Leandro while I was the Teacher’s Assistant to the course in 2002.
Through my yogic community I was led to The Pacific School of Massage and Healing Arts, run by Fred and Cheryl Mitouer, in the summer of 2002. I became certified after completing their 110+ hour massage certification course. Since then I have taken all seven of the advanced courses in Transformational Bodywork and have been a regular Teacher’s Assistant to the certification and advanced courses. I have earned over 600 continuing education hours at PSM&HA and my studies included: Deep Tissue, Swedish, Jin Shin, Cranio-Sacral, Reiki, Anatomy, Physiology and the overall human condition.
Through my training I have developed the skills to offer a holistic, heart-centered approach to facilitate a healing space, and be a conduit for the life force of energy that flows through and around us. Sessions are typically a blend of techniques tailored to the specific needs and desires of the client, while also leaving space for the intuitive nature of the work.
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Wanda Pierce
Wanda PierceWanda has been happily practicing massage therapy since 2002. She offers her clients a unique combination of styles in which she has trained, including Swedish/Esalen, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Zen Shiatsu and pre-natal massage. Wanda received her certification at Diamond Light School of Massage and Healing Arts in San Anselmo, California. The training she received at Diamond Light was a perfect match as she was committed to seek a heart-centered approach to healing body work. She also holds a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certification from Yoga Tree and has a passionate curiosity of nutrition and food as medicine. She incorporates all these practices and knowledge into her work.
Wanda holds a degree in Broadcast Communications from SFSU and spent several years working in Silicon Valley before transitioning to bodywork. She has experienced and understands the physical manifestations of stress caused by our fast paced lives and the impact daily pressures and provides support and encouragement to her clients so that they can sustain a well balanced life.
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