October 28, 2009

Kobido - Ancient Way of Beauty

When people want to get healthy, look good and feel better, they go to the bookstore and pick up the latest wellness book on the market. All too often, the book is cracked, a few chapters are read, and then the 200-plus page key-to-total-wellness becomes a coaster on the coffee table and starts to collect dust. Face it; reading books isn’t going to get anyone anywhere unless the words are digested and put into use. Nevertheless, Americans are buying into the wellness craze and will continue to buy self-help books, supplements and join gym memberships in hopes of achieving optimal health and longevity. In response to this craze, many spas have added nutritionists and dieticians to aid their clients’ search for healthy alternatives. In addition, our profession has branched out to embrace world therapies that help us provide the total wellness our clients seek. One such therapy, which comes from an “ancient way of beauty” in Japan is Kobido-Japanese Facial Massage.

Eastern Origins-For many people, the mention of Japanese culture conjures up images of unique masks and extravagantly made-up actors twirling red umbrellas on stage, and elegant, kimono-clad ladies demurely pouring cups of tea within tranquil temples surrounded by cherry blossoms. It seem to be a to be a private society rich in history and purity. All cultural aspects aside, according to the World Health organization, the Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the world. The Japanese embrace rituals and healing practices, and they respect wisdom that comes with long life. The Japanese have known for centuries that the secret of longevity is to have good eating habits and to exercise. Their beauty secrets stem from their belief that beauty is more than skin deep, and that in order to be beautiful, one must also be in good health. for the Japanese, good health is maintained through massage. In fact, in Eastern traditions, massage is considered as important to health and beauty as diet and exercise. Eastern facial massage movements use simple but very effective techniques involving meridians, acupressure points, and lymphatic drainage to create nonsurgical facelifts.

THe Rise of Kobido-The Kobido tradition is an art lineage rather than a family lineage. This means that the Kobido tradition is passed from master to student. The Kobido experience was established in 1472 in Japan. The empress at the time, when receiving her beauty treatments would specifically ask for a Kobido massage. as a result, this technique became better know and requested. The Kobido skill and experience have been passed down from one generation to the next. The treatment, which has finally reached our shores, is gaining much publicity because of the benefits it achieves during a facial. Kobido’s ultimate goal is to produce the immediate lifting results through the incorporation of shiatsu movements and therapeutic techniques, which stimulate the facial nerves that reach the skin cells. This improves blood flow. And, as you know, improved blood flow helps to distribute nutrients to parts of the body and helps remove toxins and dead skin cells.

Much like exercise, which increases blood flow to the body, Kobido-Japanese Facial Massage is an “exercise” designed for the skin - a treatment that uses sacred, ancient movements that are known to achieve impressive results to help improve health

The massage is performed very lightly with smooth stroking and quick, light, percussive techniques. Depending on the skin’s condition, a combination of deep-kneading is used to work the muscles underneath the surface tissues. These movements are said to “unblock” the restriction of blood flow and allow fresh blood to circulate and enter the surface of the face. This action, in turn, provides oxygen and nutrition to the skin cells and allows the skin to rebuild itself. According to Kobido experts, only when the circulation is unimpeded can skin cells repair and rejuvenate themselves.

Practitioners believe that Kobido-Japanese Facial Massage is a treatment that is unsurpassed by conventional facial movements and they also assert that it brings about unparalleled results. Health retreats and spas have begun to incorporate the specialized massage. According to practitioners and recipients alike, a Kobido experience provides benefits that go beyond the feel-good prks and it’s a treatment that get raves.

Balancing the Life Force-It is believed that balancing the “ki” flow brings the body and emotions into balance simultaneously. During a treatment, the face, neck, and scalp muscles are systematically massaged while acupressure poits are activated. The massage helps free constrictions in the connective tissues and helps restore lost microcirculation.

Using a three-stage treatment consisting of cleansing, moisturizing and energizing, the facial stimulates the meridians, which will help to “balance and harmonize” the condition of internal organs. The energizing massage embraces the techniques that come from anma, acupressure and lymphatic drainage. Important meridians originate and terminate on the face, and there are several points where ki passes from one meridian to the other. Applying gentle pressure to these points, massaging the face, and stroking the meridians very gently can improve ki flow. This is referred to as the “enegizing stage,” where facial nerves are activated and ki flow is increased in the face. This, according to practitioners, brings about a natural facelift effect and radiant beauty. It is important to understand that this wonderful massage is not a “quick fix.” The effects are cumulative

Benefits of “the ancient way”-This ancient way of beauty, which differs from other types of facial massage, is regarded as a refreshing treatment that stimulates skin tone, improves circulation, promotes relaxation, and encourages collagen growt over time. Kobido-Japanese Facial Massage is believed to be extremely effective in treating dry and oily skin, acne, wrinkles, age spots and poor facial tone, as well as migraines, headaches and TMJ disorders. Further, Kobido is touted as one of the most effective natural treatments to enhance the condition of the skin and minimize the aging process. This treatment was developed to improve the client’s health and vitality with an emphasis on the prevention of problems - a main characteristic of traditional Eastern medecine - rather than fixing existing ones.