Gina resides in Chicago and graduated from the Chicago School of Massage Therapy in December, 1999. She is certified and licensed massage therapist and a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. She is also a Certified Advanced Thai Massage Therapist and a Certified Yoga Instructor.  A graduate of The Temple of Kriya Yoga, June 2007 and Yogaview's teacher training Dec. 2008.  In 2003 she stared studying both northern and southern style Thai massage and has studied with various Advanced Thai therapists in both styles such as Paul Weitz and Chuck Duff and various other eastern modalities such as acupressure classes and other thai style workshops.  She has also completed her studies in Zen Shiatsu (formerly Ohashishiatsu). She's also been honored from the Manchester's Who's Who of massage therapists and Thai massage therapists. Her passion is Asian bodywork and Shiatsu and her love for the work is something that pushes her to continually learn more. She often enjoys combining elements of Shiatsu, Thai massage and western all into one session. Each session  will be customized to fit your needs. 

Upon graduation from CSMT she has extensive study in Anatomy, Physiology, Career Development, Seated Chair Massage, Clinical Massage Therapy, Community Outreach, Professional Foundations, Acupressure, Kinesiology & Musculo-skeletal Pathology, Therapeutic Movement, Stretching and Exercise, Sports Massage, Pregnancy massage, Pre and Post Race/Event Massage, First Aid and CPR.

Along with her continually growing interest in massage therapy, she frequently attends classes to educate herself and keep her practice current and fresh.  Such classes would include; Thai massage workshops both Northern style and Southern style. Gratuate of Ohashishiatsu (Now Zen Shiatsu) -Beg. I, Beg. II, Intermediate I, Intermediate II, Advanced I, Oriental Diagnosis with Ohashi, Chinese Moxabustion, Palpations of Kyo & Jitsu workshop,  Masunaga Meridian Extensions -And various other advanced zen refinement workshops, Chinese Medicine, anatomy review, reflexology, acupressure, thai style workshops, aromatherapy and various forms of energy and point work.

Currently she teaches Introduction to Thai Massage workshops in the Chicagoland area. In the past she assisted her first teacher Paul Weitz in numerous Thai massage workshops in the Chicago area for 3.5 years.   In the past she's worked in several spa's in Chicago and worked for Working Well Massage providing Chair massage at Whole Foods for  years.  She's had experience working in spas, special populations, marathon and sports massage, chair massage and other special populations.

"I also find that as a therapist self care is such a priority. Be it your own personal yoga practice, regular bodywork, working out or meditation.  Self care is a way to not only take care of yourself but to also experience the work as your clients do.  It's  a great learning tool. You may receive something and it may spark your memory and inspire you. The more you receive the more you learn as a therapist, about yourself and your clients. "

"I was very very ill at one time in my life and during that process I learned a lot from many teachers, from yoga, from the feirce women that I practice yoga with everyday, from sitting in sickness from trial and error between certain foods, certain types of bodywork and other therapies how to really live a better quality of life.  I believe what I learned at that time and with my own injuries over the years helpes me in what I do to understand what a person's body maybe going thru when they come to me. That is really how I approach each client  in terms of trying  to relate to them so they can live a better life."

Gina often works intuitively to meet her clients needs. The initial goal is for the client to heal and continue to live in a state of optimal health as we cycle on with life.  

" It is my firm belief that it is an honor to touch another human life or to teach a person anything and I am grateful to do so."

Shanti

She welcomes you to visit her site and to feel free to contact her with any questions you may have.

Other info about Gina:

July, 2008 -Yogaview-Taught Thai Massage for The Table-For Massage Therapists 3 hour workshop

July, 2008- Chi-Town Shakti-Taught Thai Massage for the Table-For Massage Therapists 3 hour workshop

January 2010 - Yogaview-Taught Intro To Thai Bodywork Workshop -All levels welcome-3 hour workshop

January 2010 - Chi Town Shakti-Taught Intro To Thai Bodywork Workshop-All levels welcome-3 hour workshop

Gina was a thai massage teacher's assistant  in Thai massage workshops for over3.5 years. These workshops consisted of 1 day workshops, weekend workshops and 8 day intensive certification trainings which vary through out the year. All of these workshops are taught at Moksha Yoga Center. 

Taught Thai applications for table for massage therapists 2 hour workshop -3/09

Assisted Thai Massage Weekend workshop, July, 2005

Attended 1 day Bally's Total Fitness Yoga Training Level 2, August 2005

Taught Couples Yoga Class, Crunch Fitness, June 2005.

Taught one day Contact Yoga Class with  Instructor Wade Gotwels at Body Be Good in Chicago, May, 2004

Attended 60 Some Veda Level 2, Southern Style Thai Massage Certification workshop, May, 2003.

Assisted weekend workshop Thai Massage, Body Be Good, summer 2003

Attended 60 hours/ 8 days Thai Massage Certification Intensive, October/December 2001.

Attended Thai Style Workshop at CSMT, 2002.

Attended Anatomy Review Class at CSMT, March 2003.

Attended Reflexology workshop, CSMT, July 2002.

Attended Energy Work Workshop, CSMT, December, 1999.

Volunteered at Heiwa Terrace Elderly Home twice a month from 1990-1995.

Participated in providing pre and post event massage for athletes in the Chicago Marathon, 1999.

Volunteered at Aids Alternative Health Care Center, 30+ Hours thru 12/99.