Hellerwork Rubs Local the Right Way
From Summerlin View News - A Neighborhood Newspaper
By: Jan Hogan
"Growing old is mandatory," said Michael Kastris. "Feeling
old is optional."
He was speaking about Hellerwork, a deep-tissue style of
massage. Literature says the doctrine is based on the "inseparability of
body, mind and spirit, making the connection between movement and the
body alignment and restoring the body's natural balance from the inside
out."
Through a series of sessions, it's been said to remove
stress and pain, improve posture and increase energy.
Kastris said major metropolises like Los Angeles, Denver and
Seattle are way ahead when it comes to embracing the program. Hellerwork
is making strides in those cities.
Here in Las Vegas, Michael Kastris, 51, says he is the first
licensed Hellerwork therapist. He just signed a contract to be part of
the $8 million La Dolce Vita: A Longevity and Wellness Center being
built at Flamingo Road and the Las Vegas Beltway in Summerlin. La Dolce
Vita is slated to open late this summer.
To earn his license, Kastris traveled to a training center
near San Diego every month for 16 months. He spent a week there each
time, learning the technique.
Kastris is an experienced bricklayer by trade. His boss at
Ace Masonry, Glen Bott, worked around his Hellerwork training schedule
to keep him. But then, it was a win-win situation -- Kastris' friends
and co-workers volunteered as his training subjects and got free
massages.
Hellerwork massages last between an hour and an hour and a
half. The theory goes that once the body is in proper alignment, that
translates into how a person interacts with others, views events and how
he or she approaches life.
Kastris was first introduced to Hellerwork by a friend about
25 years ago. It was the time of mind expansion with yoga, EST and
similar doctrines.
"I had no idea what it was," he said. "I thought, 'What the
heck.' It was novel. It was interesting. And I wondered how changing
your body could change how you felt about life."
After anyone goes through the program, he said, they walk
with efficient movements and sit properly, with the pelvis and rib cage
correctly aligned, putting no stress on the lower back. Some say it
helps sleep patterns, digestion and flexibility.
John Hava, 70, a retired electrician who lives in the
northwest, recently finished his 10 sessions of Hellerwork.
"I've always had back problems," he said. "But I was in a
car accident about a year ago, hit head on, and that really triggered
things."
After his first couple sessions with Kastris, Hava said he
noticed a difference in his back and his freedom of movement.
Connie Johnson, 51, a yoga instructor, just began Hellerwork
sessions.
"It's intense," she said. "It's similar to Rolfing but it
goes into body alignment and how you sit and how you walk and what you
do. It's not your typical massage. There's even (a component) where you
get an emotional release."
However it affects one's life, it doesn't do it in a couple
of sessions. Hellerwork is based on a systematic approach and involves
10 separate sessions, each one building on the previous one. They are
generally scheduled once a week or once every two weeks.
Before Kastris was halfway through getting all his sessions,
back in his 20s, he noticed a difference in the way his body moved.
"I felt like a dancer and, believe me, I'm no dancer," he
said. "But I could tell I was standing taller."
He now undergoes maintenance treatments. To the casual
observer, he does walk with an easy grace and seems to approach things
with quiet introspection.
He said anyone can feel better with Hellerwork.
"It doesn't mean you're going to feel like a 20-year-old,"
Kastris said. "But you will be more graceful and have more energy."