For an outstanding explanation of the word 'bodywork' and its usage, I turn to Job's Body: A Handbook for Bodyworkers by Deane Juhan.  This was written in 1987, and I believe it is still relevant and accurate, even in a culture which has evolved as radically as that of the healing arts:

There are some respects in which the term "bodywork" does not please me.  It conveys well enough the idea of the body being touched in a deliberate fashion for specific results, but it does nothing to evoke the powerful emotional responses and shifts in mental attitudes which often accompany these physical manipulations.  And it has the additional drawback of sounding like something one does to dented automobiles.  However, I confess I am hard put to find a term which, on the whole, serves better.

The term "[physio]therapy" avoids these associations, but it is also too narrow in the scope of its normal usage.  It refers to an official medical discipline, one which is licensed only after protracted and highly specific studies, prescribed only by physicians, and applied through fixed procedures.  Such academic rigor certainly does not count against it as a responsible therapeutic practice, but it does effectively partition "[physio]therapy" off from many other useful kinds of touching and manipulation.  In particular, it typically eliminates a good deal of the intuitive element which seems to be such an important part of other approaches, and which in fact many [physio]therapists have confessed to me that they wish they could use more freely in their clinical practice.  So I have settled upon the term "bodywork," because it seems to include fewer of the elements I wish to avoid and exclude fewer of the elements I wish to consider.


BODYwork
I would add to this my experience that every experience, be it physical, emotional, mental, spiritual… manifests in the physical body.  The body is the vehicle and the repository for every life experience and, for better or worse, the obvious constant in every human’s existence.  In this system of Integrative Bodywork, full embodiment, that is full awareness, acceptance and embodied expression of our various aspects of being, including mind, emotion, spirit… represents the fulfilment of human potential.  My experience is that any conscious movement towards ‘full embodiment’ is for most people an intense, inevitably painful, and often frightening movement into the unknown.  Equally, the ‘finding’ and ownership of oneself and the accompanying realisation of being can be deeply empowering and blissful, even as an ephemeral or momentary experience.  As a physical metaphor, the body is a gross reminder of this ‘being-ness’ and through the body is the only path to the realisation of being.  The Integrative Bodyworker works to support and facilitate this powerful process through conscious practice.

‘When you work you fulfil a part
of the earth's furthest dream,
assigned to you when that dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour
you are in truth loving life.
Work is love made visible.’

It is the stimulus of contact that brings the awareness of bodyworker and partner to the body.  It is the stimulus of contact that allows the body to become aware of itself – initiating the process that we call ‘healing’.  The work of the bodyworker is to invoke this space of awareness, facilitate relaxation, witness the unwinding and spreading of bound fascia, negotiate the lengthening of tight and held muscle, guide the body, as we are guided by it, towards balance and alignment.  Along the way, we invite a felt sense of spaciousness, suggesting new ways of moving and being in the world.  The essence of this form is practice and play, embodied.

When we know this, we realise there is nothing that must be done.  As this knowing is integrated into practice, the bodyworker becomes fully responsible to the healing process, whilst realising that it is impossible to assume responsibility for the health and wellness of another.  As a healing art form, each session is the manifest expression of the artist/practitioner’s relationship to his or her media – the human body and being.  What emerges is a living, organic, dynamic work of art.

What is ‘Integrative Bodywork’?

I am aware that definitive forms can often fixate the practitioner and fix the practice.  As far as an encompassing form or path of practice, 'Integrative Bodywork' is the most nebulous, unrestrictive, non-trademarkable, servicemarkable, or copyrightable term I have found that can easily and accurately be applied to what I do and have to share.  A Google search of ‘integrative bodywork’ will result in over 10,000 hits – practitioners and schools, mostly in the US, that have chosen this term for, it seems, much the same reason that I have.

It is, as the name implies, simply an inclusive practice that works particularly with the body.  The principle of integration refers to the conscious and seamless blending of various bodywork forms, as well as to the intention to facilitate the full embodiment of mind, emotion, spirit… Integration also points to the movement of this practice into the life of the practitioner.  Simply stated, whether or not Integrative Bodywork is a professional practice, it is certainly a personal one.

So the word ‘integration’ speaks to inclusiveness.  It indicates the space and permission to include all of our self in this practice and the invitation to our client/partner to do the same.  As barriers break down between disparate, warring aspects of being, life ‘de-compartmentalises’, and a realisation comes.  ‘Yes, I am!  I am all of this!  And this, too, and this, too, and this, too… and that’s okay.’

All that is required for what we call ‘healing’, ‘health’ or ‘wellbeing’
is the space to realise it… in this moment… in the flesh.




Hundreds, perhaps thousands of new bodywork terms and techniques have been introduced in recent years.  Here’s a quick list:

ACROSAGE, ACTIVE RELEASE THERAPY, ART, ACUPRESSURE, ACUPUNCTURE, ACU-YOGA, AI CHI, FLOWING AQUATIC ENERGY, ALCHEMICAL SYNERGY, ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE, ALLARD KINETIC SYSTEMS, AMMA THERAPY, ANGELIC REIKI, ANMA, ANMA MASSAGE, APPLIED KINESIOLOGY, TOUCH FOR HEALTH, APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY, AQUATIC MASSAGE THERAPY, AROMATHERAPY, ART THERAPY, ASHIATSU, ASTON PATTERNING, ASYMMETRIC BODY BALANCING, ATTUNEMENT, AYURVEDIC MASSAGE, BACH FLOWER REMEDIES, BALINESE MASSAGE, BARBARA BRENNAN HEALING SCIENCE, BAREFOOT SHIATSU, BART, BONDING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, BELAVI' FACIAL MASSAGE, BERRYWORK, BINDEGEWEBSMASSAGE, CONNECTIVE TISSUE MASSAGE, BINDI, BIOENERGETICS, BIOENERGY, BIOFEEDBACK, BIO-MAGNETIC TOUCH HEALING, BIOSYNC, BODY ALIGNMENT, BODY LOGIC, BODY IMAGING ENHANCEMENT, BODY ROLLING, BODY-MIND CENTERING, BODY-ORIENTED PSYCHOTHERAPY, BODYTALK, BOWEN TECHNIQUE, BRAIN GYM, BREAST MASSAGE, BREATH THERAPY, BREEMA, BUDZEK MEDICAL MASSAGE THERAPY, CANADIAN DEEP MUSCLE MASSAGE, CATHIODERMIE, CHAIR MASSAGE, ON-SITE, SEATED MASSAGE, CORPORATE MASSAGE, CHAMPISSAGE, CHI NEI TSANG, CHINESE PEDIATRIC MASSAGE, CHRISTOPHER METHOD, CIRCULATORY MASSAGE, COLON HYDROTHERAPY, COLONICS, HIGH COLONICS, COLONIC IRRIGATION, COLORPUNCTURE, COLOR THERAPY, COMPRESSIVE DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE, CONSCIOUS BODYWORK, CONSCIOUS MASSAGE, CONTINUUM, CORE BODYWORK, C.O.R.E MYOFASCIAL INTEGRATION, CRANIO-SACRAL THERAPY, CRANIAL-SACRAL, CRYOTHERAPY, CRYSTLEDYNE THERAPY, DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPIES, DAYANA THERAPY, DEEP COMPRESSION MASSAGE, DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE, DEEP TISSUE SCULPTING, DEGRIEFING, DENTAL SPA, DO-IN , DOULA, DYNAMIC SPINAL THERAPY, EARTH ENERGY HEALING, EDU-K, EMBODIMENT TRAINING, EMF BALANCING TECHNIQUE, EMOTIONAL FREEDOOM TECHNIQUE, ENDERMOLOGIE, ENERGY FLOW BALANCING, ENERGY HEALING, EQUINE SPORTS MASSAGE, ERISSAGE, ESALEN MASSAGE, ESOTERIC HEALING, ESTHETICIAN, EUCAPNIC BREATH RETRAINING, EUTONY, EXERSSAGE, FASCIAL MOBILIZATION, FACIAL HARMONY, FACIAL REJUVENATION, FELDENKRAIS, FENG SHUI, FIVE-ELEMENT SHIATSU, FLOTATION REPATTERNING, FOLK MASSAGE, FOOT ZONE THERAPY, FOUR-HAND MASSAGE, QUAD MASSAGE, GERIATRIC MASSAGE, GERONTOLOGY, GERMAN MASSAGE, GRASTON TECHNIQUE, GRINBERG METHOD, GUA SHA, GUIDED IMAGERY, HAELEN THERAPY, HAKOMI BODYWORK, HEALING SOUNDS, HEALING TOUCH, HELLERWORK, HEMME APPROACH, HOLISTIC MASSAGE, HOSHINO THERAPY, HOLOGRAPHIC MEMORY RELEASE, HOLOGRAPHIC NATURE OF HEALING, HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK, HOSHINO THERAPY, HUMA TRANSPERSONAL BODYWORK, HUMAN ENERGY DYNAMICS, HUNA KANE, HURLEY-OSBORNE TECHNIQUE, HYDROTHERAPY, HYPNOTHERAPY, INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE, AYURVEDIC TREATMENT, INDONESIAN BODY TREATMENTS, INFANT MASSAGE, INGHAM METHOD, INSIGHT BODYWORK, INTEGRATED KABBALISTIC HEALING, INTEGRATED/ECLECTIC MASSAGE, INTEGRATIVE MANUAL THERAPY, INTEGRATED NEUROMUSCULAR INHIBITION, INTEGRATIVE BODYWORK, INTEGRATIVE MASSAGE, INTERACTIVE GUIDED IMAGERY, INTUITIVE WORK, INTUITIVE MASSAGE, INVIGORATING MASSAGE, IRIDOLOGY, SOMETRIC MUSCLE BALANCING, JAMU MASSAGE, JAPANESE RESTORATION THERAPY & OKAZAKI LONG-LIFE MASSAGE, JIN SHIN DO, JIN SHIN JYUTSU, JOINT MOBILIZATION, KENTRO, KINETIC CHAIN RELEASE (KCR), KINETIC AWARENESS, KODO BODY MASSAGE, KOREAN MARTIAL THERAPY, KRIYA MASSAGE, KRIPALU MASSAGE, KRIYA MASSAGE, KUNDALINI ENERGIZATION, LAUREN BERRY METHOD, LENAIR TECHNIQUE, LEVA, LIFESTREAM MASSAGE TECHNIQUE, LOMI-LOMI MASSAGE, LONSDALE METHOD OF LYMPHATIC MASSAGE, LOOYENWORK, LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE OR MLD, LYPPOSAGE, M TECHNIQUE, MACROBIOTIC SHIATSU, MAGNETIC THERAPY, MARIEL, MARMA THERAPY, MASSOTHERAPY, MEDICAL GYMNASTICS, MEDICAL MASSAGE, CLINICAL MASSAGE,  MIDDENDORF BREATHWORK, MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION, MOROCCAN MASSAGE, MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE, MET,  MUSCLE RELEASE TECHNIQUE, MRT, MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINT THERAPY, MYOMASSOLOGY, MYOPATHIC MUSCULAR THERAPY, MYOPRACTIC, MYOSKELETAL ALIGNMENT TECHNIQUES, MAT, MYOTHERAPY, NAMBUDRIPAD'S ALLERGY ELIMINATION TECHNIQUE, NAPRAPATHY, NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE, NEUROLINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING, NLP, NEURAL KINESIOLOGY, NEURO MUSCULAR STRETCH RELEASE, NEURO-STRUCTURAL BODYWORK, NEUROMUSCULAR INTEGRATION AND STRUCTURAL ALIGNMENT, NEUROMUSCULAR INTEGRATIVE ACTION, NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPY, NEUROMUSCULAR REPROGRAMMING, NIKKON RESTORATIVE MASSAGE, OKAZAKI RESTORATIVE MASSAGE, NORMALIZATION OF SOFT TISSUE, NST, NUAT THAI, OHASHIATSU, ONSEN, ORIGIN/INSERTION, I/O WORK, ORTHO-BIONOMY, ORTHOPAEDIC MASSAGE, ORTHOTHERAPY, OSHIATSU, OSTEOKINETICS, OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY, PHYSIOHELANICS, PHYTOTHERAPY, PJM/TREPIDATIONS, PFRIMMER DEEP MUSCLE THERAPY, POINT HOLDING, POLARITY THERAPY, POSITIONAL RELEASE THERAPY, POSTURAL INTEGRATION PRANIC HEALING, PRE-NUPTIAL MASSAGE, PREGNANCY MASSAGE, PRENATAL MASSAGE, PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION, QI GONG, QIGONG MERIDIAN THERAPY, QUANTUM ENERGETICS, QUANTUM TOUCH, RADIANCE TECHNIQUE, RADIX, RAINDROP TECHNIQUE, RAYID METHOD, REBALANCING, REBIRTHING, RECTAL CRYSTAL THERAPY, REFLEXOGNOSY, REFLECTIVE HEALING, REFLEXOGNOSY, REFLEXOLOGY, REHABILITATIVE MASSAGE, REICHIAN RELEASE, REIKI, REIKI-ALCHEMIA, REPOSTURING DYNAMICS, REPROGRAMMING NEUROMUSCULAR RESPONSES, RESONANT KINESIOLOGY, RESTORATION THERAPY, RHYTHM MOBILITY, RO-HUN TRANSFORMATION THERAPY, ROLFING, ROSEN METHOD, ROYAL THAI MASSAGE, RUBENFELD SYNERGY METHOD, RUSSIAN CLINICAL MASSAGE, RUSSIAN MASSAGE, SCAR TISSUE MOBILIZATION, SEITAI SHIATSU, SHADOW INTEGRATION, SHEN THERAPY, SHI'ZEN NO-HANDS MASSAGE, SHIAT-SURF, SHIATSU, ACUPRESSURE, SHINKIKO,SOFT TISSUE ACTIVE-ASSISTIVE RELEASE S.T.A.A.R., SOFT-TISSUE MASSAGE SWEDISH, MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, DEEP-TISSUE MASSAGE, TRIGGER-POINT THERAPY, CONNECTIVE TISSUE MASSAGE, SOFT TISSUE RELEASE, SOMA, SOMA NEUROMUSCULAR INTEGRATION, SOMATIC EXPERIENCING, SOMATIC PSYCHOLOGY, SOMA NEUROMUSCULAR INTEGRATION, SOMATO-EMOTIONAL RELEASE, SOMATICS, SOTAI HO, SOUND HEALING, SOUND THERAPY, SPA TREATMENTS, SPINAL RELEASE, SPIRITUAL MASSAGE HEALING, SPORTS MASSAGE, ST JOHN NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPY, STAR TECH, STRAIN/COUNTERSTRAIN, STRUCTURAL ENERGETIC THERAPY, STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION, SWEDISH MASSAGE, SYNTROPY INSIGHT BODYWORK, T'AI CHI CHIH, T'AI CHI CHUAN, TAIKYO SHIATSU, TANTRIC MASSAGE, TANTSU TANTRIC SHIATSU, TARA APPROACH, TELLINGTON TOUCH, TERA-MAI SEICHEM, THAI MASSAGE, THERAPEUTIC TOUCH (TT), TIBETAN POINT HOLDING, TOUCH FOR HEALTH, TRADITIONAL MALDIVIAN SAND MASSAGE, TRAGER, TRAUMA ERASE, TRAUMA TOUCH THERAPY, TRIGGER POINT THERAPIES, TRIGGER POINT MYOTHERAPY, TUI NA, CHINESE MEDICAL MASSAGE, TURAYA TOUCH SYSTEM, TURKISH MASSAGE, UNTIE, UNWINDING, VIBRATIONAL HEALING MASSAGE THERAPY, VISCERAL MANIPULATION, VISHESH MASSAGE, VORTEXHEALING ENERGETIC THERAPY, WATSU, AQUATIC SHIATSU, WHOLE BRAIN INTEGRATION, YOGA, YOGASSAGE, YOGIC TOUCH THERAPY, ZEN BODY THERAPY, ZEN SHIATSU, ZENTHERAPY, ZERO BALANCING, ZONE THERAPY, & Many More...


Whew!  Many of the terms we use to describe basic massage techniques come specifically from the Swedish or ‘Classical’ Massage lexicon.  The techniques themselves did not come from Peter Ling, the supposed originator of Swedish Massage.  No one knows the exact origins of the science of touch therapy, because it is inextricable from the art of touch.  And that high form has existed since the beginning of time.

Integrative Massage...