Nancy Griffin

I had the good fortune of experiencing some amazing treatments at Universal’s Spa Day Event at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas last week. One of my favorites was the Bamboo Fusion Massage masterfully executed by Mary Ann Vaughn. A Holistic Health Practitioner and a Licensed Esthetician, Mary Ann is a national trainer for Bamboo Fusion, which uses Bamboo and Rattan reed to will knead, glide and roll tense muscles into submission. Bamboo Massage has recently gained popularity across the US, and was chosen as one of SpaWeeks Top Ten Hottest Spa Treatment Trends for Fall 2011.

Bamboo Fusion uses heated bamboo and rattan sticks to promotes blood circulation, releases muscle fascia, and encourages lymphatic drainage. Founded by Nathalie Cecilia, a Certified Thai massage therapist based inSarasota,FLwho discovered bamboo when one of her large male clients kept asking for deep tissue massage. Cecilia’s practice includes the use of 12 –inch bamboo sticks. Two smaller pieces of rattan are used to reach harder areas. “I use the bamboo as a continuation of my fingers,” Mary Ann told me. “The environmentally sustainable materials are easy to heat and clean, and I am able to rapidly release tension and trigger points.”

The goal of Bamboo Fusion  is to help therapists provide deep massage without pain. This technique aids in avoiding repetitive injuries, such as carpal tunnel, and reduces the stress on thumbs, wrists and hands. Training is the corner stone of Bamboo Fusion. Massage Continuing Education offering NCBTMB CEUs. Courses are available for table massage, chair massage and facial techniques. The Full-Body / Table” Workshop is 2 days and offeres 16 FL & NCBTMB CEU’s. For more information visit www.bamboo-fusion.com and to purchase kits click here.