1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to massage systems and methods, and particularly massage systems and methods utilizing choreographed, mapped, synchronized and/or freeform application of strokes, movements, and stance in sequences and in combination with music.
2. Background
Massage is well-known for the physiological and psychological benefits it provides. It is used by many as a proven way to reduce stress, alleviate pain, improve circulation, release endorphins, and relax the body and mind. Massage received consistently over significant periods has even been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce recovery time after injury, improve sleeping, and increase concentration. Some even claim that massage provides emotional and spiritual balance, by producing a meditative state and a heightened awareness of living in the present.
Music is also known for providing physiological and psychological benefits similar to those provided by massage. Health practitioners, in some cases, prescribe musical therapy to reduce pain and symptoms associated with cancer treatments, for example. Related studies have shown that those undergoing music therapy also experience reductions in high blood pressure, depression, and insomnia. The physiological effects of music were first observed in the 17th Century, when a French musician noted changes to his pulse as he sang in different tempos. More recent studies have discovered that faster tempos elicit a greater physiological response than slower paced music. Music is also known for its ability to stimulate endorphin release.
Although certain types of sounds may ease anxiety and reduce stress for some individuals, for many music still remains a personal preference. Some believe that music preferences play a significant part in the physiological effectiveness of music on the listener. Scientists have shown that harmonic relations and tones are determined by the right brain auditory cortex and organization of sound is controlled by the left brain auditory cortex. Diverse cultures, however, recognize different melodies and harmonies, and thus have different physiological and psychological responses to music. Musical selections, which are preferred to be heard by a listener, result in increased pleasure and improved benefits because they are more easily recognized and organized by the listener's brain.
Because of the numerous physiological and psychological benefits associated with both massage and music, massage practitioners frequently play music during massage sessions. A massage recipient receiving a massage, however, usually does not have any input into the type of music played during the session. Rather, musical selections are predetermined without acknowledgement of the massage recipient's personal preferences or the potential physiological and psychological influence on the recipient. Massage practitioners typically only consider the specific massage modality they are using—without considering any type of mapping or synchronization of their strokes and movements with music played during the session. Although various types of massage modalities provide benefits, there is a clear need for improved massage systems and methods that seek to combine massage and music for an enhanced massage experience. The present invention fulfills this need and provides further related advantages, as described below.
The Lotus massage systems and methods disclosed herein include various combined components that enhance the overall massage experience. These components integrate choreographed, mapped, synchronized, and freeform application of massage techniques with music, silence, ambient noise reduction, 360 degree site cancellation, aromatherapy, etc. The massage systems and methods disclosed herein may also involve choreographed, mapped, synchronized and/or freeform application of strokes and movements, by referencing one or more music body charts. Music body charts can provide massage practitioners with a tool for matching audible, note/tonal frequency and resonance changes in timing, notes and tones, scale progression, breakdowns, sustained notes, chords and sporadic sounds with massage techniques such as stroke values, pressure, direction and speed.
A more complete understanding of various embodiments of Lotus massage systems and methods will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages and objects thereof, by consideration of the following detailed description. Reference will be made to the appended sheets which will first be described briefly.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings:
a shows a massage recipient and a massage practitioner utilizing an auditory system during a massage session;
b shows another view a massage recipient and a massage practitioner utilizing an auditory system during a massage session;
Lotus massage systems and methods include multi-faceted massage techniques which may be adapted to all areas of the massage. These areas can therefore extend to the spa industry and health care industry, including application during physical therapy, esthetician massage, chiropractic care, pre- and post-operative therapy, pre- and post chemotherapy, autism therapy, pediatric care, etc. The foundation of Lotus systems and methods combines benefits associated with both music and massage to heighten and intensify the massage experience.
As used herein the term “Lotus” is defined as combining music and applying pressure, such as those used in various types of massage modalities, through mapping, choreography, synchronization, and freeform application. The term “Lotus” may also apply to the use of music body charts, configured for use as a practitioner's tool. This tool allows practitioners to correspond audible, note/tonal frequency and resonance changes in timing, notes and tones, scale progression, breakdowns, sustained notes, chords and sporadic sounds with massage techniques, stroke values, pressure, direction, and speed.
As used herein, the term “music” is to be broadly defined as any vibration or audible sound produced by any source in succession, combination, or one or more temporal relationships to produce rhythm, melody, harmony, and other sonic qualities. Other elements of music encompassed by this definition include pitch, tempo, meter, articulation, dynamics, timbre and texture.
The term “massage” is broadly defined herein as the application of pressure to any body surface. The term, therefore, includes the application of various types of massage modalities, including, but not limited to Swedish massage, Acupressure, Trigger Point Therapy, Deep Tissue massage and Amma. The massage techniques described herein also include variations and combinations of the aforementioned modalities. Moreover, in using the systems and methods disclosed herein massage practitioners may incorporate their own massage techniques and styles without limitation. Commercially, Lotus massage systems and methods described herein may be collectively known as the LOTUS SYSTEM®.
Turning in detail to the drawings,
In addition, the auditory devices used are preferably wireless such that the comfort and positioning of the recipient and/or the practitioner during the massage session is optimized. In another version of the system, the massage recipient may be positioned on a supportive device 22 such as a table or chair used for massage. The supportive device 22 may be configured to output a musical selection such that the recipient can hear the musical selection and/or feel vibrations resulting from output of the musical selection.
In one version of the LOTUS SYSTEM®, the auditory system 16 is configured to output music into headphones or similar devices, having left and right speakers 18a, 18b. Use of speakers of this type is known to provide the massage recipient with a heightened sense of transference. A heightened sense of transference is used herein to mean a state or sense that occurs when there is a substantial removal of sounds surrounding the massage recipient, for example, sounds from the recipient's audible ambient environment which may distract the recipient. In contrast, under “normal” listening circumstances, such as when a recipient listens to music without the use of headphones, it is often difficult for the listener to fully engage with the music, and perhaps be distracted from the musician's true intentions. Under normal listening circumstances there is often too much audible, ambient noise in between the external speaker and the listener's ear. With the use of headphones, a recipient can become removed from the audible ambient environment and allowed to capture all of the composition's inherent qualities without outside distractions. As such, transference of vibrations and musical notes can cause the massage recipient's mind and body to briefly separate into right and left sides, and/or blend back and forth through the speakers providing a feeling of movement within the body. For example, when music emanates into one specific side of a speaker, the massage practitioner may massage on that side. Whether a sustained note quickly transitions from one side to the other, the massage practitioner can move with the music to further enhance the feeling of movement within the body. To ensure the recipient experiences transference, a massage practitioner should be familiar with the arrangement of the musical selection and when notes from the selection are played from a specific speaker.
When a musical selection is played, a note is produced for a specified duration, creating a vibrational frequency and resonance known as “measure.” Time signatures within one or more measures are known as “meters” in which a regular pattern reoccurs throughout music selection. The regular pattern is referred to herein as “time.” Time signatures are separated into a treble clef 26 and a bass clef 28, which are represented in
In some persons, vibrational frequencies and resonances of notes and tones can produce various emotional reactions as well as fluctuations in blood pressure. Considering these potential reactions, it is believed that use of Lotus massage systems and methods has the ability to shift emotional states by combining massage techniques with musical changes in notes, tones, rhythm and tempo patterns, chords, scale progression, bridges, breakdowns, sustained notes, chords and sporadic sounds heard by the massage recipient. For example, vibrational frequencies and resonances of musical selections may cause feelings of happiness, sadness, contemplation, rage and/or anger. The following provides a broad range of how aspects of a musical section can affect a person's emotional state:
As used herein the term “staccato” indicates notes produced in a detached and distinctly separate manner, where silence consists of a latter part of the time allocated for each produced note. Rhythm is not typically affected when staccato notes are produced. Notes identified as staccato are usually abrupt and short. In musical compositions, staccato notes are notated by a dot over the head of the note when the stem is downward, or by a dot below the head of the note when the stem is upward. Examples of musical selections that use staccato notes include: Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin, Anemia by Tool, and Indestructible by Disturbed. Other genres with musical selections having staccato-type notes include Rock, Hard Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues (R&B), Dixieland, and Classical.
As used herein the term “legato” indicates notes produced without breaks, i.e. in a smooth and connected manner. Some genres having musical selections with legato-type influences include Soft Rock, Ballads, Smooth Jazz, Heavy Metal, and Classical. Other genres, such as Rock for example, frequently use staccato and legato notes in one musical selection. Musical artists that have release musical selections combining staccato and legato notes include Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Yes, Pink Floyd, Rush, the Allman Brothers Band, and Jimi Hendrix.
Certain musical selections are known for their effect on triggering memories and emotional, autonomic and limbic responses. Known selections of this type include: the Electric Slide, the Macarena, the Chicken Dance, Everybody Dance Now, Wind Beneath My Wings, and Daddy's Little Girl. Other musical selections are known for their ability to generate a para-sympathetic response which can cause a listener to have “goose bumps.” These musical selections include: The Marine Corps Hymn, Taps, God Bless America, various National Anthems, and various musical selections by Mozart.
Through output of musical selections such as those referred to above in combination with choreographed, mapped, synchronized, and/or freeform application of massage techniques a massage recipient can have an enhanced massage experience. As such, Lotus massage systems and methods can include any and all strokes, movements, and stances practiced by massage practitioners during a massage session. The following list provides some type strokes by massage practitioners during massage and their corresponding meaning:
Examples of relationship of clefs, notes, and body surfaces for applied pressure are represented in
In using Lotus massage systems and methods, especially in combination with referencing a music body chart, a massage practitioner can engage in a sort of musical dance when applying pressure to a massage recipient. For example, these systems and methods can blend all major and minor notes/scales of audibly produced music/sounds played during the massage session above middle C and apply strokes and movements according to “high notes” sections of a music body chart. A massage practitioner should understand beats per minute (“BPM”), rhythm cycles and tempo changes in order to perform Lotus techniques at optimum levels during massage.
In so doing, the practitioner will use a pressure implementing device 60 (
When referencing the music body charts shown in
Separating musical selections into low, mid, and high notes corresponding to massage recipient's lumbar, thoracic, and cervical regions, the recipient essentially becomes an open canvas to create mapped, choreographed, synchronized, and/or freeform strokes and/or movement, and stance sequences. As shown particularly in Table 1, various types of applications can be applied to various body surfaces depending on how a musical selection moves along a musical scale. As a massage practitioner listens and continues to separate notes in a musical selection application of mapped, choreographed, synchronized, and/or freeform strokes and/or movements can become easier. Moreover, the practitioner's ability to adjust pressure with the intensity of the notes in the musical selection will develop over time.
Variances in pressure may be determined as stroke or movement progresses. For example, when a tonal level changes, the massage practitioner's pressure will change. This direct application is evident when the note/tonal changes occur during the musical selection played during the massage session. For example, if when beginning a massage stroke, a note/tonal level drops from an “A” to a “D” minor in 4 counts, the massage stroke can start at the proximal end of an extremity or in the cervical region of the back. As the stroke progresses with the tonal change, the pressure can change from a superficial application of pressure, to a medium application, to a deep application as the stroke ends. The deeper pressure will be sustained as long as the low note is held. It is therefore important for practitioners to know musical sounds and corresponding pressures to determine the most suited stroke or movement to apply. This rational also applies to pressure application during low to high notes. As a tone begins to rise, the massage practitioner will change the direction and pressure of a stroke or movement to flow with the musical selection.
Sustained notes, such as those used in New Age genres can result in stroke and movement applied from cervical to lumbar and/or proximal to distal of an extremity. However, pressure can be applied during sustained notes from across the recipient's back or another extremity, perpendicular to the rhythm and tempo pathways and muscle fibers (e.g. cervical to lumbar, proximal to distal and vice versa).
When notes or tones rise, a massage practitioner can also apply strokes or movements towards the heart. When notes or tones lower, the practitioner can then apply strokes or movements away from the heart while keeping the variance of pressure with the intensity of the note. This type of pressure application can pertains to the extremities, i.e. arms, legs, hands, feet, the back, and “sub-sections” of those areas
As previously referenced, different speeds and tempo patterns of a musical selection can affect the massage recipients cerebral and Central Nervous Systems (“CNS”) reactions and responses. Different genres can, therefore, affect the massage practitioners overall speed throughout a massage session. This includes all movements, strokes and stances made by the massage practitioner during session. If massage client wishes to “wake up” and to assist in a feeling of alertness during or after the massage, faster rhythm and tempo patterns of a musical selection may be more suited to enhance the recipient's experience. Similarly, if a more relaxing and de-stressing type of massage is requested, a musical selection having slower rhythms and tempo patterns would be more suitable.
In preferred embodiments of the LOTUS SYSTEM®, additional system components may be implemented to further enhance the massage experience for both the massage practitioner and recipient. These components include: use of playlists contained on a non-transitory storage medium, 360° sight cancellation, ambient noise reduction, and aromatherapy.
In one aspect, the system may include musical selections contained on storage media such as a cellular device, tablet device (e.g. iPod, iPad), a compact disc, a computer, a phone, a tape cassette, or any other type of device suitable for music playback. The storage media may further include pre-determined playlists of music and/or sounds for relaxation and other purposes during massage. The playlists are preferably set at a specific time length to match the amount of time of the massage session. For example, multiple musical selections may be included in a playlist that last for a 60-minute, 90-minute, or 120-minute massage session. Using the playlist disposed on the storage medium, therefore, enables the massage practitioner to concentrate more on applying pressure according to Lotus massage systems and methods without referring to or concentrating on a visible time device. Use of playlists in this manner, would be similar to a dancer's choreographed movements which are synchronized to a musical selection.
Another component of Lotus massage systems and methods includes the use of 360° sight cancellation. In using this component, a covering is placed over the eyes of the client to remove ambient sources of light. Removal of light sources in this manner has been shown to further relax the massage recipient and slow the recipient's motor cortex and brain synapse output such that the recipient body is triggered into a state of homeostasis.
Similarly, ambient noise reduction through the use of noise canceling devices can also trigger a state of homeostasis. The types of noise canceling devices preferable remove the majority of ambient noise and noise immediate surroundings for both the massage practitioner and the massage recipient during the massage session. Examples of ambient noise includes, but is not limited to noise from creaking floors, movements in areas outside of the massage room, conversations being held outside the massage room, loud ventilation systems, slamming doors, toilet flushing, ringing phones, airplanes, automobiles, motorcycles, lawnmowers, cell phones, etc. The list of potential source of noise is potentially endless. Use of noise reduction devices, such as noise canceling headphones and earbuds enhances the overall massage experience, by allowing the recipient to relax, feel comfortable and disengage from their immediate environment. The massage practitioner may also wear noise reduction devices during the massage sessions. This component of the system can also increase practitioner's immersion with the music selection and their application of choreographed, mapped, synchronized and/or freeform strokes and movements. Use of this component also frees the massage practitioner from potential distractions that may inhibit optimal application of Lotus massage systems and methods.
Aromatherapy may also be used as another component of Lotus massage systems and methods. The types of oils and blends described below, however, provide only a template for potential benefits, which may be experienced by a massage recipient:
While embodiments of Lotus massage system and methods have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted, except in the spirit of the following claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 12/565,086, filed on Sep. 23, 2009, which claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 61/107,461 filed on Oct. 22, 2008. Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61107461 | Oct 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12565086 | Sep 2009 | US |
Child | 13491089 | US |