Treatment of the Month
Vogue, May 2001
Sitting at my desk recounting my experience of the Bodyharmonics
Massage I had yesterday, I am in pain. But it's good pain, similar
to a having-exercised-and-feeling-better-for-it-pain, a no-pain-no-gain
kind of pain. Bodyharmonics incorporates Chinese, Indonesian and
Thai massage techniques and treats neck and shoulder pain, sports
injuries, PMT, stress and headaches.
Gina Mercarti, who works two nights a week at the Harbour Club,
is the daughter of renowned masseur, Maria Mercarti, who developed
the Bodyharmonics technique. Gina herself has trained extensively
in Bangkok and Java. "It's like second nature to me,"
she says. "I started massaging at the age of four."
The treatment began with Tuina Chinese massage. I sat upright in
a chair as Gina worked vigorously on my neck and shoulder through
my clothing. Her hands worked like lightning along my meridians,
removing energy (Qi) blockages. The incredible rolling action left
me feeling weightless as I slumped onto the bed for the Indonesian
and Thai massages. The former is a healing system which uses deep-pressure
massage to break down tense tissue and stimulate the circulatory
and lymphatic systems, while Thai massage stretches and relaxes
the body and maintains health and vitality.
I could feel the knots in my shoulders being teased away as Gina
seemed to instinctively concentrate on my problem areas. Of course,
she can adopt a lighter touch. "Some clients can only bear
to be stroked when they first come to see me," Gina confided.
"But after several sessions, they're begging me to work harder."
