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Pia Poulsen

Pia Poulsen is educated as a wellness massage therapist at Institut FIGARI in Paris, from where she passed her certification exam in January 2008. Since then she has expanded her skills to become the first Advanced LaStone® practitioner in France as well as a certified LaStone® instructor.
Pia Poulsen has written 184 posts for Massage and Wellness

Find the mistakes in this stone massage video

I came across this video recently. This is a very educational video demonstrating how you should -not- give a stone massage. This way the video becomes the perfect educational tool and I will certainly keep it in mind when I’m teaching my students. Take a look at it and see if you can spot the … Continue reading »

Becoming a LaStone® Instructor

Image via Wikipedia I have some very busy and packed three days ahead of me when I leave for England tomorrow. There’s so much to learn and know in order to teach LaStone®. Most of it which I of course already know and utilize through giving massages as well as writing these blog-posts. But there … Continue reading »

Depression affects the immune system

Research has shown that depression can lead to reduced immune functioning. A recent article in Massage Magazine describes how depressed people are more prone to premature ageing of immune cells, “which could in turn open the door to serious illness, such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke and dementia.” A challenged immune system does not … Continue reading »

Massage eases depression

Image by darijus via Flickr Massage Magazine has published several articles about how massage can help dealing with depression. Lots of research is being done in the field. Researchers prove many things we as massage therapists intuitively have known for a long while. Now it is backed up by scientific studies and research. This week … Continue reading »

Health considerations in stone massage

Working with temperature and massage always gives rise to considerations and things to be aware of. There are many contraindications in stone massage, though fortunately in most cases they just mean the treatment needs to be adjusted. It is very important that I, as your therapist, am told if you have any medical or health … Continue reading »

More thermo-therapy at home

Using alternating temperatures can create amazing results to your health and well-being. It can help with aches and pains, strengthen the heart and circulation, support the lymphatic and immune systems, as well as increase your energy levels and ability to deal with stress. In short, daily thermo-therapy is good for you. Last week I wrote … Continue reading »

Thermo-therapy in your shower

Image by hegtor via Flickr A hot sauna visit followed by a cold winter dip is effective thermo-therapy. Using alternating temperatures can create amazing results to your health and well-being. It can help with aches and pains, strengthen the heart and circulation, support the lymphatic and immune systems, as well as increase your energy levels … Continue reading »

A world of different Stone Massages

What is a “Stone Massage”? Essentially it is a bodywork modality including the use of stones one way or another. There are many different expressions of stone-work. I say stone-work, because there are expressions which do not include massage or physical manipulation of tissue. The typical perception of a stone-treatment here in France includes passive … Continue reading »

Emotional benefits of massage

When we read about what massage is good for, the majority of focus is placed on physical benefits. This is easy to study and research scientifically, as it can be weighted and measured. There is another aspect to massage which is rarely mentioned. The emotional benefits. How massage affects our feelings, our mood and emotional … Continue reading »

Massage and Pregnancy

Image via Wikipedia There is a very persistent myth in the massage community that pregnant women can’t receive any massages, especially during their first trimester. Fact is that during a normal pregnancy, where there are no other health concerns, a pregnant woman can without risk receive a normal massage. The discussion has been going on … Continue reading »

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