Hello, my name is Ario. I have been a licensed massage therapist in Portland, Oregon since February, 2008. I came to massage therapy as a profession in my early 30s, having experienced it's benefits after a bike/auto accident, during treatment for cancer (hospital beds are not so comfy after a few days) and as a general practice for well being. I attended East West College, where I discovered Thai massage, which greatly influenced my bodywork style and focus. I've found stretching and movement to be essential to an effective massage treatment. I also took the Deep Tissue and Shiatsu courses, which play a large role in my work, as well. In recent years I took Alex Susbauer's Structural Bodywork class at East West, which introduced me to the concepts and techniques of Structural Integration (Rolfing). These methods, including postural assessment and the use of fascial release to correct imbalances in structure, really altered my approach to bodywork. I've since taken additional workshops with Alex, bringing my SI training hours up to 47.