Rhythmical Massage Therapy

“All creation, everything we see,
has condensed out of life rhythms.”

—Margarethe Hauschka, MD
View of hands practicing rhythmical massage therapy at the base of patient’s neck, between shoulder blades

Rhythmical Massage Therapy (RMT) gives a new emphasis to massage through the insights of Anthroposophy which connects the nature of a human being to the nature of the cosmos and their evolutionary course of development. RMT is a warm, nurturing, enveloping massage therapy that enlivens and balances the body while calling forth the client’s own healing forces. Through specific massage movements, the RM therapist addresses the relationship between the body, soul, and spirit by working with the life-supporting forces of warmth, rhythm, and breathing, as well as the interplay of levity and gravity, center and periphery.

SHOWN LEFT: A Rhythmical Massage Therapist performs archetypal forms of line, circle, and lemniscate movements calling on the patient’s own healing forces and enlivening and balancing the body.

Archetypal forms of line, circle, and lemniscate are a basis for the massage movements. The selection of forms, the sequence of the treatments, and the quality of touch are individualized to create a unique treatment plan for each client. Careful listening with head, heart, and hands is the essential guide to the art of RMT.

Rhythmical Massage Therapy (RMT) is applicable in the treatment of acute and chronic health needs and supports individual constitutions, life transitions, and recovery from illness. RMT can be given during pregnancy, in caring for infants and children, and in caring for the elderly and individuals approaching death. A series of weekly or biweekly treatments is recommended for the full effects of the therapy to unfold.

Rhythmical Massage is Supportive of the Following Health Conditions:

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Sleep disorders
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Muscular tension, strain and injury
  • Degenerative disorders of the joint
  • Disorders of the spinal system, neck, back, and shoulder
  • Allergies
  • Cancer
  • Immune and auto-immune disorders
  • ADD and ADHD
  • Developmental disorders and disabilities
  • Psychological disorders
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Degenerative disorders of the nervous system
  • Cardiovascular disorders
  • Respiratory conditions
  • Digestive disorders
  • Frail constitution
  • Eating disorders
  • RMT Treatment

    Rhythmical Massage Therapy is given as a treatment sequence one to two times a week unfolding over several weeks.

    Rhythmical Massage Therapists give careful preparation to the therapeutic environment. The room is kept warm, free of drafts, and lit with indirect lighting. Natural quality linens and towels are warmed to aid relaxation and well-being. All disturbing influences such as electronic devices or mechanical sounds are eliminated as much as possible, to provide quiet, peaceful, surroundings for both patient and practitioner.

    Depending on diagnostic and assessment findings, a particular therapeutic gesture and treatment sequence is established. Therapeutic oil is chosen to accompany this process. Treatment starts with a central part of the body, and then other parts of the body are integrated back into a healthy enlivened functioning of the whole. An organ may be included to complete the benefits.

    Treatment tends to be shorter in length (20 to 30 minutes) as the aim of the massage is to awaken the body to its own healing forces and not overpower it. A rest period of 15 to 20 minutes follows, it is an important aspect of the therapy to allow the stimulus of the massage to fully unfold its effects through the development of warmth.

    The qualities of Swedish Massage have been adapted to address the differentiated fluid constitution working through the organ systems and brought into harmonious orchestration by the rhythm of breath and pulse.