A system of integrative medicine that involves inserting very small needles into the skin or tissues, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. Originating in ancient China, acupuncture is now widely practiced in the West.

The Alexander Technique was developed in the 1890's by Frederick Matthias Alexander, born in Tasmania in 1869. It is a system of body awareness designed to promote well-being by ensuring minimum effort in maintaining postures and carrying out movements.

Ayurvedic medicine (“Ayurveda” for short) is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in India. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Its primary goal is to promote good health, not fight disease. Treatments may be geared toward specific health problems, and can include the use of herbs, massage, and diet.

Therapies and techniques in integrative medicine which involve touching or manipulating the body.

A class or division of things regarded as having particular shared characteristics. In the case of Open Path Healing Arts Collective, the five categories that all of the offered disciplines are housed under are: Acupuncture, Coaching, Massage Therapy, Nutrition, and Yoga.

A person who counsels and encourages clients on matters having to do with careers or personal challenges.

A system of alternative medicine intended to relieve pain and tension by gentle manipulations of the skull regarded as harmonizing with a natural rhythm in the central nervous system. Practitioners release restrictions in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system.

A branch of knowledge related to health or well-being.

This category consists of disciplines that are forms of healing that consider the whole person — body, mind, spirit, and emotions — in the quest for optimal health and wellness but do not fit into the other categories that Open Path Healing Arts offers.

Healing Arts is an umbrella term for any type of treatment, practice, or method that uses the body’s natural ability to restore or maintain a healthy, holistic balance throughout the physical body.

A state of optimal well being in which all aspects of a person — body, mind, spirit, and emotions — are considered and balanced.

Holistic Medicine is a form of healing that considers the whole person — body, mind, spirit, and emotions — in the quest for optimal health and wellness. According to the holistic medicine philosophy, one can achieve optimal health — the primary goal of holistic medicine practice — by gaining proper balance in life.

Massage therapy is a type of treatment in which a trained and certified professional manipulates the soft tissues of your body — muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and skin — using varying degrees of pressure and movement.

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage (ATMAM) are founded on the ancient Mayan technique of abdominal massage which is an external, non invasive massage using only hands to reposition the internal abdominal and pelvic organs that have shifted and as a result, restrict the flow of blood, lymph, nerve impulses and energy (qi). The technique works by relieving congestion and blockages that improve the flow of qi and fluids of the circulatory, lymphatic and nervous systems, thereby preventing the symptoms from progressing to chronic disease.

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of one's thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them — without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When one practices mindfulness, their thoughts tune into what they are sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

Myofascial Release is a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion.

Nutrition is an individualized approach meant to help treat certain medical conditions. Each program is developed and implemented by a registered dietician with the approval of the patient’s doctor. Nutritional education is based on decades of medical research on the relationship between diet, nutrition, and health outcomes.

A person who is actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession, especially medicine.

Rolfing is a technique of deep tissue manipulation aimed at the release and realignment of the body, and the reduction of muscular and psychic tension. Created by Dr. Ida P. Rolf in the 1920's, Rolfing bodywork affects the body’s posture and structure by manipulating the myofascial system (connective tissue). Often considered a deep-tissue approach, Rolfing bodywork actually works with all the layers of the body to ease strain patterns in the entire system.

Shiatsu Massage is a technique that involves manual pressure applied to specific points on the body in an attempt to relieve tension and pain. According to the Japanese healing treatment, Shiatsu (meaning finger pressure) massage uses thumbs, fingers, elbows, and knees to concentrate pressure at certain energy pathways in the body called meridians. The massage, also known as acupressure, works to reduce muscle tension and fatigue and is thought to improve blood circulation in the body as well as improve function of the lymphatic system.

A medical system that has been used for thousands of years to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. It is based on the belief that qi (the body's vital energy) flows along meridians (channels) in the body and keeps a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health in balance.

Trager massage is a two-part approach that consists of hands-on work and gentle exercises. The hands-on work is the first part of the session. The practitioner moves fluidly and rhythmically to encourage the sensation of freedom of movement in the client. After the hands-on stage, the exercise element follows. The movements, referred to as Mentastics, are designed to re-create the sensory experience of the hands-on section of the therapy. The idea behind the therapy is to aid in releasing mental and physical patterns that are interfering with mobility and general well being.

Yoga therapy is the specific application of yogic tools—postures/exercises, breathwork, meditation techniques, and more—to address an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.