Desert Song Healing Arts Center
Massage Therapy and Bodywork
All Desert Song therapists are highly skilled with extensive training and experience. You will be asked about your goals and intention for the session. The therapists are able to blend the massage and bodywork modalities and techniques that will best address your needs. You may also request a specific modality.
Benefits Of Massage Therapy:
• Promotes circulation, bringing oxygen and healing to all tissue and body systems
• Increases lymphatic flow, boosting our immune system
• Relieves chronic pain, muscle tension and nerve impingement/entrapment, reducing the need for pain medication
• Enhances joint and muscle function, increasing range of motion
• Supports detoxification, effective digestion and breathing
• Relieves headache and migraine
• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases metabolism
• Reduces stress
• Lessens anxiety and depression
• Induces sleep
• Increases body awareness, enhancing self-esteem
Massage Therapy:
Swedish……
The objective of this full body session is relaxation. It consists of long, flowing strokes, which increase circulation, promote relaxation, and reduce stress. This is a soothing, relaxing, full body massage that is not muscle specific.
Therapeutic……
This session can entail a full or partial body treatment based on the time requested and/or the client’s needs. The work is more focused and begins to address the deeper muscle groups and chronic pain affecting specific body areas (neck, shoulders, low back, etc.). Therapeutic massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissue structures of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, spasms, and stress, while promoting the health and well-being of the client.
Deep Therapeutic……
This treatment takes Therapeutic massage to a deeper level accessing and addressing the deeper layers of muscle, fascia and the relationships between the structures of the body to release deep-seated patterns of pain, tension, and dysfunctional movement. The therapist utilizes their advanced skills and techniques to work with tissues in these layers to relax, lengthen, and release holding patterns in the most effective and energy efficient way possible. The work is more specific with emphasis on altering structure and muscle/fascial restrictions to bring about better alignment, balance between the structures, improve range of motion, and improve posture. Dense, restricted tissue requires firmer, deeper, slower pressure.
Prenatal……
This treatment offers many wonderful benefits for both mother and baby. Our massage tables are designed with a cutout for the belly so that the mom-to-be is able to lie face down. The massage therapist provides skilled and nurturing touch while bringing individualized attention to the client’s needs and /or concerns.
Specific Massage Modalities:
Aromatherapy……
A soothing Swedish massage is combined with aromatherapy oil blends to promote balance for the body, mind, and spirit. Essential oils have a long tradition of providing a variety of therapeutic benefits for all the body’s systems. The client chooses from Young Living’s Aromatherapy blends.
Lymphatic Drainage……
Utilizes very gentle pressure and rhythmic circular movements to stimulate lymph flow and encourage the natural drainage of lymph, which flushes built up waste products away from the tissues of the body.
Neuromuscular Therapy……
A specialized form of deep tissue massage in which digital pressure (trigger point therapy) and friction are used to release area of strain and bring circulation into overused and chronically tight muscle tissue.
Myotherapy……
A step-by-step process implemented to address specific discomforts in the body such as injuries, postural deviations, and emotional holding patterns. With repeated treatments, underlying causes will be discovered and addressed physically, emotionally, and energetically to minimize reoccurrence of the issue.
Massage Cupping……
In combination with Therapeutic or Deep Therapeutic massage, silicone cups are used that can be left in place or slid across an area being treated to break up blockage in the tissue that can be causing pain and restores the body’s natural flow of energy. This aids in promoting blood flow, thereby increasing circulation to muscles and tissue, supplies oxygen to cells, loosens knots, and encourages detoxification of the tissue. It relieves pain, eases sore muscles, and encourages relaxation.
Other Bodywork & Healing Modalities:
Foot Reflexology……
This works with the body’s energy flow by manipulating specific reflex areas in the feet that correspond to other parts of the body stimulating body organs and relieving areas of congestion. It is especially useful in stress-related imbalances.
Thai Yoga Massage……
The therapist moves the client through a series of supported stretches and movements on a mat, while incorporating compression, pressure point therapy and slow rhythmic breathing techniques. Strongly rooted in the Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda, it is useful for health maintenance, as well as for treating a variety of conditions. The individual remains fully clothed.
Myokinesthetic System……
A soft-tissue treatment designed to quickly, easily, and effectively relieves acute and chronic pain, numbness, and tingling, improves range of motion, improves painful or weak movements, balances and improves posture, and alleviates symptoms of compensation. No oils or creams are used and the client stays fully clothed.
Reiki……
Reiki is an ancient hands-on healing modality that works with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels in restoring and balancing our natural energy and well-being.
Jin Shin Jyutsu……
Jin Shin addresses the energetic pathways of the body using finger pressure on specific points to release areas of tension. This reduces stress and balances and harmonizes life energy within the body.
Craniosacral Therapy……
A gentle, soft-touch approach that releases tensions deep in the body. It is a deeply relaxing method that relieves pain, stress, trauma, and dysfunction while allowing the body to balance and repair itself.
The Bodytalk System……
In today’s world, we are expected to process and integrate as much sensory information in a single day as our ancestors encountered over the course of an entire year a mere century ago. This increased demand on the body-mind complex has dampened its ability to self-heal and remain balanced.
BodyTalk is a consciousness-based healthcare modality that assists the body’s ability to self-heal by optimizing its internal communication systems. Through a form of muscle testing, the practitioner literally asks the body’s innate intelligence which lines of communication are compromised and need to be restored in order for its functions to be carried out properly. These links or formulas are then implemented through the practitioner’s focused awareness and gentle tapping while the client is guided to relax and breathe deeply. A truly holistic system, BodyTalk addresses the whole person, physical, emotional, mental and energetic.
Sessions last one hour and are conducted lying comfortably clothed on a massage table.
TRE® (Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises)……
When we encounter highly stressful events, the nervous system can go into survival mode causing a surge of energy intended to put the body into motion. If this energy gets stuck, it can cause the body and mind to suffer patterns of excess pain, tension, and heightened sensitivity.
TRE® is a somatic (body-based) healing modality that utilizes a set of simple exercises to reconnect us with our innate ability to process and release excess stress through neurogenic movements. Instinctual to all mammals, these gentle involuntary movements can manifest as subtle tremoring, rocking, spontaneous stretching or unwinding. By more fully resolving the stuck energy patterns in the body, we are able to stay more relaxed and present in life, better apt to deal with its challenges effectively and in the moment.
Sessions last one hour, and most people can practice on their own after 3-5 facilitated sessions. Please wear yoga suitable attire.
Sedona Method……
A facilitated system of self-inquiry to quickly release and resolve mental stress and its underlying emotions, allowing us to shift into a more state of ease and well-being.
Somatic Integration……
This integrative process is custom-tailored to meet your unique needs. Fully clothed in loose comfortable clothing, the therapist guides movement with non-invasive touch. Limitations are acknowledged and possibilities for movement explored. The body is able to release tension, stress, and patterns of movement contributing to pain. Learn to stand, sit and move with ease.
Prenatal Massage Therapy (Swedish or Therapeutic)
This treatment offers many wonderful benefits for both mother and baby. Our massage tables are designed with a cutout for the belly so that the mom-to-be is able to lie face down. The Swedish Prenatal’s focus is relaxation. The Therapeutic Prenatal targets areas of discomfort, such as the neck, back, pelvis and legs, to reduce pain and swelling. Receiving massages throughout the course of your pregnancy helps to promote your overall health and comfort level during this time of change in the body. (Written permission from the client’s physician or midwife is required for all prenatal massages. It may be faxed to our office at 602-265-7630.)
BENEFITS OF PRE-NATAL MASSAGE:
• Increases circulation – more nutrients to the baby!
• Reduces stress
• Promotes sleep
• Relieves muscle tension, leg cramps and sciatica
• Relieves pain associated with back labor
• Introduces the unborn child to the sense of touch
MASSAGE THERAPY RATES
STAFF MASSAGE SERVICES
| Treatment | Length | Service Rate | 4-Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic/Swedish/Prenatal | 30 minutes | $55 | $200 |
| Therapeutic/Swedish/Prenatal | 60 minutes | $75 | $280 |
| Therapeutic/Swedish/Prenatal | 90 minutes | $105 | $400 |
| Aromatherapy | 30 minutes | $65 | $240 |
| Aromatherapy | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Aromatherapy | 90 minutes | $115 | $440 |
| Deep Therapeutic | 30 minutes | $65 | $240 |
| Deep Therapeutic | 60 minutes | $90 | $340 |
| Deep Therapeutic | 90 minutes | $125 | $480 |
| Reflexology | 40 minutes | $65 | $240 |
| Reflexology | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Thai Yoga Massage | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Thai Yoga Massage | 90 minutes | $115 | $440 |
| Reiki | 30 minutes | $55 | $200 |
| Reiki | 60 minutes | $75 | $280 |
| Reiki | 90 minutes | $105 | $400 |
| TRE® (Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises) | 60 minutes | $115 | |
| Sedona Method | 60 minutes | $115 | |
| The Bodytalk System | 60 minutes | $115 |
4-Series – valid for four months, non-refundable, may NOT be shared
Note: Prices are the same for prenatal clients.
MARY BETH MASSAGE SERVICES
| Treatment | Length | Service Rate | 4-Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic/Swedish | 30 minutes | $65 | $240 |
| Therapeutic/Swedish | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Therapeutic/Swedish | 90 minutes | $120 | $460 |
| Deep Therapeutic | 60 minutes | $100 | $380 |
| Deep Therapeutic | 90 minutes | $140 | $540 |
| Reiki | 30 minutes | $65 | $240 |
| Reiki | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Reiki | 90 minutes | $120 | $460 |
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS
| Treatment | Length | Service Rate | 4-Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbal | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Herbal | 90 minutes | $115 | $440 |
| Healing | 60 minutes | $90 | |
| Healing | 90 minutes | $120 |
YOGA THERAPEUTICS
| Treatment | Length | Service Rate | 4-Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Consultation | 75 minutes | $100 | |
| Follow up Sessions | 60 minutes | $75 | $280 |
| Follow up Sessions | 90 minutes | $105 | $400 |
YOGA THERAPEUTICS WITH: MARY BETH /
HEIDI LICHTE / DEBBIE KAYATT
| Treatment | Length | Service Rate | 4-Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Consultation | 75 minutes | $100 | |
| Follow up Sessions | 60 minutes | $85 | $320 |
| Follow up Sessions | 90 minutes | $120 | $460 |
Massage Therapists
Mary Beth Markus
Owner/Director - LMT, E-RYT 500, CYI
Mary Beth Markus is the owner and director of Desert Song Healing Arts Center now in their 35th year. She has studied and has taught extensively in the fields of Yoga, therapeutics, various massage modalities and energy work. Her holistic focus in bodywork began 1979 at ASU while studying interior design. She began practicing yoga consistently for years and met a massage therapist who encouraged her to learn the science and art of massage and combine it with her love of yoga. In 1983, Desert Song was born.
While in massage school at the Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Holistic Clinic in Phoenix under the tutelage of Dr. Gladys McGarey M.D. and staff, Mary Beth became a LMT with a focus on a broad education in natural remedies and therapeutic modalities including Therapeutic Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Infant Massage and Lymphatic Massage. Over the past 3 decades Mary Beth has taken advanced trainings in therapeutic modalities in both massage and yoga including Chakra Balancing, Reiki, Thai yoga/massage and Trager. Most recently she has been studying Jin Shin Jyutsu through the many teachers trained by Mary Burmeister’s organization, Chakra work with Anodea Judith and Yoga Nidra with Kamini Desai.
Mary Beth draws on her years of practice in yoga and massage to both educate and support her client’s innate ability to heal and create a healthy happy life for themselves. Her sessions will address the needs of each individual where she will intuitively incorporate the modalities that will assist this process.
For decades, her vision and legacy for Desert Song is to be a community oasis of healing arts where people can come to relax, rejuvenate, and thrive. She is honored to be a part of such a devoted and caring group of practitioners and teachers.
Judy Pyanowski
LMT, NBCTMB, RYT 200, CYI
Judy is an AZ licensed massage therapist with national board certification and a certified, registered yoga teacher. She has been a part of the Desert Song team since 2007 and has 19 years of experience in therapeutic massage and bodywork.
She has been on a journey for many years exploring and experiencing the how, what, and why of the way we move and the ways we heal.
After 25 years as a professional dancer, singer, actress, she felt drawn to pursue a career in bodywork. In Germany, she became a physical therapist, manual therapist, and Feldenkrais teacher where she practiced for 7 years. Returning to the US in 2006, she received massage therapy certification from Cortiva Institute Scottsdale and NASM personal training certification in 2007. Her interest in yoga and eastern perspectives towards health and well-being led her to complete the Desert Song Yoga Teacher Training, also in 2007 and began teaching yoga in 2008.
The massage therapy Judy offers integrates a variety of massage’s very effective techniques in the treatment of soft-tissue dysfunction, pain, injury, stress, and trauma. Bringing many years of study and experience in the fields of massage therapy, physical and manual therapy, exercise science, dance, Pilates, and Yoga allows her the flexibility to customize the soft-tissue techniques/bodywork/yoga to meet your individual needs – from a soothing relaxation massage, to releasing muscles and deeper connective tissues that hold patterns of tension and pain, to relearning efficient, functional movement patterns. She approaches each session ready to listen to your body’s intelligence and wisdom and to assist you in your healing process.
The modalities and techniques she offers and integrates include Swedish Massage, Therapeutic Massage, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Muscle-Energy Technique, Postural Release, PNF, Stretching, Thai Massage, Reflexology, Myokinesthetic System, Biomechanical and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Marma Therapy, and Kineseo Taping.
With gratitude to her teachers Meg Byerlein and Mary Beth Markus, Judy teaches a yoga class focused on functional alignment and a chair yoga class which is ideal for the elderly and injured.
Judy continues in her studies of Biomechanical and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Biodynamic Cardiovascular Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Yoga, and Ayurveda.
Scott McConnell
LMT, CBP, CYI
Scott has been in practice for over 15 years since graduating from The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts with a diploma in Massage Therapy and Reflexology in 2001. In 2003, he became certified in BodyTalk, a comprehensive system of consciousness-based healthcare. In 2012, he completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at The White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara and completed his certification as a provider of TRE® (Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises). He also studied primitive survival, indigenous philosophy and healing with Tom Brown Jr. in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. He then became a certified instructor of Yoga Nidra (Amrit Method) in 2014 (Advanced Certification in 2018). Having met his spiritual teacher in 2009, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma - The Hugging Saint), he was blessed to have spent 7 months at her ashram in India 2016-17. Scott's whole-being approach to massage focuses on stress relief, deep structural alignment, and subtle intuitive work. It incorporates various techniques such as Swedish, Deep Tissue, Myofascial, Active Release, Stretching, Lymphatic, Reflexology, Body Psychology, and Energy Work. Scott is deeply honored to now be a part of the Desert Song massage and yoga staff. He takes great pleasure in sharing the gifts of healing and spirituality with his clients and community. As he sees it, we are each our own healers who just need some assistance, empowerment, and perspective along the way. Once tapped into our innate ability to heal, we are better able to recognize our imbalances, self-regulate, and thus thrive on all levels.
Sally Jo Bannow
LMT, CNMT, CYI
Sally Jo has worked professionally in centers for the healing arts, as well as maintained a private practice throughout her 30-year career in massage therapy. She is a LMT and a licensed NMT (neuromuscular therapy) practitioner. She uses several bodywork modalities, including Neuro-muscular therapy, Swedish, Reiki, foot reflexology, deep tissue, cranio-sacral therapy, LaStone, and cupping. She may use one modality for an entire treatment, or mix and match, as needed, for desired results. Her goals, as a massage therapist, are to communicate clearly with each client to ascertain what their goals are, and then, to formulate a treatment plan accordingly, drawing from her various skills and experience working with a vast array of clients, and treatment situations. Besides being a massage therapist, Sally Jo is a professional actor/improviser, playwright, composer, visual artist, singer, recording artist, and a dedicated mom.
Theresa Martin Snyder
CYI, LMT
Theresa Martin Snyder is a Certified Life Coach, Wellness Expert, Yoga Instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist. She brings over 30 years of learning to her wellness philosophy and practice. She attended her first yoga class in 1987, as a college student looking for something “more” than a workout. After spending twenty-five years passionately pursuing her own practice and deepening her understanding of this ancient healing art and science, Theresa again wanted more out of her practice. That searching led her to become a certified yoga instructor in 2012, receiving her 200-hour training from Desert Song Healing Arts Center. Theresa began her exploration of alternative and complimentary health at the Honolulu School of Massage in 1993. Since then she has gained extensive knowledge and experience in all areas of massage. Her continuing education and training include modalities such as: sports, deep tissue, prenatal, and lymphatic massage; leadership and ethics; and nutrition. She has worked in close association with doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, resorts and spas, colleges and corporations and is available for Wellness classes, presentations and lectures. In 2014 she received her certification as a Life Coach, and in 2015 she became a certified Better Bones & Balance instructor, rounding out her vision as a multi-disciplined Wellness Expert. Theresa's full, rich life and passion for living spills over into every aspect of her life, including her practice. Clients automatically sense her presence and expertise, and leave their time with her feeling a greater appreciation for their own healing powers.
Lori True
L.Ac., LMT
Lori has been a massage therapist for over 30 years. She attended massage school in Santa Fe, New Mexico and after a short time on the east coast working at the Omega Institute, she moved to Phoenix and worked at a luxury resort spa for 24 years. While at the spa, she had the honor of being selected to work on First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as well as a number of celebrities. Currently, Lori is a full time student working towards her master’s degree in Oriental Medicine –she’ll graduate next year. Lori loves working with people to help them feel great and function optimally. Her bodywork modalities include; reflexology, lymphatic drainage, and massage cupping.