Interview with Paco Avilés, a master with his hands for the welfare of the body

In SHA we are pleased to have Paco Avilés with us until October 18th, a renowned therapist who has treated stars like Pink or Diane Lane. Paco is specialized in holistic massage therapy and has created his own art from the combination of deep tissue massage with a technique called Neuro-Structural Body Work.

Paco is from Mexico, but he lives in the United States since he was 17. In California, he began as the assistant to the renowned master Larry T. Fujimoto, and from him, he learned a lot about natural healing therapies and remedies from traditional oriental medicine.

Since 2006, Paco Avilés works in California, in a spa center with over 80 years experience where, in addition to treatments, he acts as consultant of protocols and as a supervisor of staff to ensure the quality of the services they offer.

In SHA are proud to have him on our team as a therapist guest and we’ve interviewed him to transmit you some of his knowledge:

Hi Paco, let’s start with the basics, what is for you a good therapeutic massage?

Therapeutic massages are those that provide physiological and psychological benefits that create a better balance to the overall health and wellness. A good therapeutic massage increases metabolism, stimulates the lymphatic system and improves circulation. By improving the body’s ability to function, the brain supplies greater amounts of oxygen that reduce common problems of today’s society as high stress, anxiety or fatigue. Besides providing muscle relaxation and general characteristic of any massage, a massage therapy accelerates the natural healing ability of the body.

If I had to choose a type of therapeutic massage, what would it be?

Although it always depends on the needs of each person, personally I prefer the deep tissue massage and I personally performed the technique combined with Neuro-Structural Body Work as it is a massage can be adapted to almost every individual needs.

The deep tissue massage helps to reduce tension in the deeper structures of the muscle and fascia, also called connective tissue through slow strokes and heavy pressure studied. This type of bodywork can cause mild discomfort during or after treatment massage, but then improves the overall feeling. The combination technique with Neuro-Structural Body Work also includes postural and muscle re-education that is essential to the sense of well endure. This technique is highly recommended for women using high heels incorrectly that can result in problems when walking or misalignment of the spine and back.

What if someone requires shallower movements?

Then use the technique Myofascial Release, a softer and more delicate to treat soft tissue, with slow movements to achieve relaxation of contracted muscles, increasing circulation, lymphatic drainage and contribute to stretch treated muscles.

We know who specializes in pregnancy massage… What is that?

Pregnant women are very sensitive patients to be treated with care, so that the mothers massage is intended to avoid the points which could harm the pregnancy or be uncomfortable for the mother. In this type of massage we focus on eliminating the typical discomforts of pregnancy and get into a deep state of relaxation and wellbeing, ensuring that there will be no side effects.

You also do reflexology… Is it true that by stimulating the reflex points of the feet can cure certain diseases?
Reflexology serves to stimulate the body’s overall well-being and of certain organs in particular. Direct action on the reflex points helps reduce the ailments of certain organs by their stimulation but not useful in diagnosing specific diseases. However, it is a natural therapy tremendously valuable to contribute to the general welfare of the internal organs to which, otherwise, may be more difficult to access.

Finally, any key tips for our readers?

It is essential to take care both inside and out, and I’m particularly glad I came to SHA because I consider it a great place where people come not only to heal but to learn to live healthier, and massages are part of that lifestyle. It is essential to spend time taking care of oneself, everyone should get a massage weekly.