Instead of fretting about that end-of-semester course work cramming, holiday preparations and shopping, or the responsibility of figuring students' final grades, picture yourself lying at rest, feeling the tension leave your body as your neck and shoulders are vigorously though carefully massaged. Your skin soaks in the warm massage oils as your body becomes increasingly relaxed. Little by little, stressful thoughts flee your mind, leaving only a consciousness of the soothing music of Pachelbel's "Canon" that is playing in the background.
Increasing numbers of students, faculty and staff are taking time out of their hectic schedules to experience the release of tension that comes from a therapeutic massage, and they're traveling no further than the Payne Whitney Gym.
This time of the year is among the busiest for Diane Wellstead, a registered nurse and nationally certified massage therapist, who has been giving massages to members of the Yale community at the gym for the past year. Ms. Wellstead was offered a space there to provide massage as a service to gym members and other members of the Yale community, including athletes who have turned to her for help in easing the discomfort of sore muscles or as part of therapy to recover from sports injuries. Many of her clients come to her after parents or friends have given them the gift of a massage in "Care Cubes," a package of foods and gift certificates offered through an undergraduate agency that is designed to help boost morale during the challenging period of finals.
During either a half-hour or full-hour session, Ms. Wellstead offers Swedish massage, which is a technique used for muscle relaxation, or therapeutic massage for sore muscles or injuries. Clients also have a choice of opting for a full body massage, which includes work on the back, shoulders, neck, arms, legs, feet and even the scalp and face, or a partial body massage, covering only the neck and shoulders or some other area the client prefers, such as the lower back. Ms. Wellstead also allows her relaxation-hungry clients to choose between a variety of scented massage oils or to select unscented oil. The cost is $30 for a half-hour massage and $50 for a full-hour session, and gift certificates are available.
While most of Ms. Wellstead's clients come for a massage to reduce physical tension, greater numbers of people are beginning to make massage a routine in their lives due to its positive effect on their overall health, says the massage therapist.
"When I first became interested in massage, I was very aware of how helpful it could be in helping people feel relaxed but had no idea that it had so many health benefits," says Ms. Wellstead. "But recent studies measuring its benefits have shown that it improves circulation by increasing blood flow, thus having the equivalent effect on the circulatory system as walking for an hour, and it aids in cell function by increasing oxygen in cells and increasing the number of healthy red-blood cells," she says. In literature she prepared for her clients, Ms. Wellstead also points out that massage has been shown to remove toxins from muscle fibers, help bones retain elements crucial for their strength, boost the body's immune system, increase nourishment to the skin, improve sleep, and enhance focus and memory.
"As a nurse as well as a massage therapist, I recommend massage because of its focus on the total person, both physically and emotionally," says Ms. Wellstead. She is quick to note, however, that massage should never be used as substitute for treatment by a physician or other qualified health care professional for ailments or serious injuries.
Prior to coming to Yale, Ms. Wellstead worked in Massachusetts as a psychiatric nurse. She decided to focus on massage therapy, she says, because "working in a psychiatric setting, a lot of my time was spent on setting limits for people. I felt it was time to do something entirely positive and wanted to concentrate on helping make people feel good." In addition to taking the necessary courses for certification as a massage therapist, Ms. Wellstead, who is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, has also furthered her training by completing annual Continuing Education Units CEU's to meet state requirements in her field. "Ironically, the CEU's for massage therapists are more difficult and demanding than the CEU's for nursing," comments Ms. Wellstead, noting that such serious training helped to dispel some of the "massage parlor" images people have had of her profession.
In addition to giving massages, Ms. Wellstead also teaches two massage therapy classes at the gym Boaz Itshaky, a physical therapist at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, is also a massage therapy instructor there . She has approximately 14 students in each of her classes this year. "A lot of people just want to learn how to do massages so they can properly give them to friends or family members," says Ms. Wellstead. "But many people who work in the health profession have also become interested in learning massage techniques; a Yale doctor was among the students in one of my classes last year and I've also had a number of medical and nursing school students."
The addition of massage therapy at the gym has been a "win- win situation," says Larry Matthews, associate director for sports and recreation in the athletics department. "In terms of our focus on sport, exercise and fitness, massage therapy is a valuable service to the more than 11,000 people who use Payne Whitney Gym, and we're happy to include it among our offerings to help meet our gym members' total fitness needs," he explains. "Diane's been great; she's a real professional, and having the opportunity to be here is also good for her from a business perspective."
Offering his admittedly "biased" opinion of Ms. Wellstead's massages is Chuck Bennett, assistant director of University dining halls and the massage therapist's fiance, who says that he recently got a massage from Ms. Wellstead on the occasion of his 56th birthday. "She's wonderful," says Mr. Bennett. "It's so relaxing that I usually fall asleep; the most recent massage she gave me was probably the first one I've had where I was able to stay awake throughout the whole process. One of the reasons she's so good at it is because she loves doing it so much. She's very interested in people's wholeness and wellness."
"You have to be a giving person to enjoy doing what I do, because it does take a certain amount of strength," says Ms. Wellstead. "But it's rewarding to know that you're helping someone feel better."
To schedule an appointment with Diane Wellstead, call 481- 2873 or 432-2487.
-- By Susan Gonzalez