Tao Massage

By Joan Slowey Dellett ~

Please remove shoes and speak softly.  The sign that greets you as you walk in the door at Tao Massage immediately sets the tone of the unique environment you are about to enter.  Just walking in to the small reception area is relaxing. Serene and peaceful, in calming muted colors, with soft music wafting through the speakers, you instantly feel your body begin to shed the tension that pushed you to make an appointment in the first place….

Owner/Director Vivian Taormina opened Tao Massage in Asbury Park in June 2014, having been in business for 14 years in other locations.  Her philosophy is simple – together, by listening to your body, they will work with you to have an experience that will make you breathe easier, see a bit more vividly, hear more distinctly, appreciate and experience touch more deeply and just plain FEEL better.

Toward this end, Tao offers a variety of day spa health services specifically created to improve and enhance your life with DEEP, CALM, FLOAT, GLOW & HEAT.

DEEP – Ashiatsu massage is a Tao specialty where therapists use their feet to deliver deep sustained compression over the body’s largest muscles groups.  Therapists use an overhead bar support system to deliver long, smooth, gliding strokes allowing for the body’s natural alignment. Tao also offers Swedish-style massage, therapeutic deep tissue techniques, pregnancy and sports massages.

Another service offered by Tao is Cupping. You may have wondered about the round marks you noticed on Olympic athletes. Through gentle suction created by vacuum technology, massage cupping techniques are nontoxic, suck toxins from the body, relieve inflammation, sedate the nervous system, move stagnant lymph and blood, hydrate and nourish tissue, shift tissue PH, and can be used on acute and chronic conditions for all ages.

CALM – For body, mind and spirit, CALM service choices include a Himalayan Stone Muscle Melt which uses salt stones that help to retain heat longer than traditional lava stones while providing a deep warmth which deeply penetrates into the muscles, releasing tension; Pregnancy massage to help Mom transition in and out of pregnancy;  Happy Feet Reflexology; Warm herbal poultice muscle soother Integrating acupressure, utilizing traditional massage strokes and the use of a steam heated muslin parcel of aromatic herbs to soothes muscle tension and stiffness.

 FLOAT – One of only a handful of flotation tanks in New Jersey, this is a unique opportunity, perhaps not for everyone but certainly one that should be experienced.  Floating or Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) is relaxing in a pool of super buoyant salt water that allows you to just float effortlessly in a sensory deprivation tank.  This is an opportunity to get out of your body with minimal stimulation to better open pathways for healing. One hour of flotation therapy is as beneficial as four hours of restful sleep.

GLOW – With ingredients inspired by nature and drawing from traditional healing practices, TAO offers numerous facials and other body transforming cleansing and massaging techniques to rejuvenate, comfort and enhance your skin.  These methods include not only facials but also cleansing back sessions, No-Tox facial lifting and draining, body contouring and massage cupping that focuses on the abdomen.

HEAT – Tao features a Far Infrared sauna.  Heating deeper than regular sauna for better detoxing systems, Far infrared penetrates through the skin and insulating layer of fat more quickly, producing a warming effect from the inside out and providing a faster response in the body, increasing circulation and improving flexibility.

For Vivian Taormina, educating customers on the value of taking care of ourselves is paramount as is making an emotional connection to the physical body.  Finding and seeing the holistic picture of each client is at the center of each session.

To that end, Vivian also opened a sister store, Bond & Bangs Apothecary, just down the street from Tao at 701 Bangs Avenue in December 2015. She felt they had so much more to offer their clients that didn’t fit at Tao.  Believing the sense of smell to be very powerful and able to shift one’s emotional health, Bond & Bangs Apothecary features dozens of products designed to extend the holistic journey started at TAO. Whether blended in-house or bought to self-blend, the specialists at Bond & Bangs will help you find a product specially formulated for specific conditions, such sleep issues, anxiety and physical issues.  Bond & Bangs Apothecary offers private consultations with customized product creation to incorporate aromas in products that address specific conditions in a delivery system that best suits you.  

If you are looking for an experience that leaves you recharged and rejuvenated, a visit to Tao is an excellent first step to finding your personal nirvana.

Tao Massage is located at 611 Bangs Avenue in Asbury Park.  You can see everything they offer or make an appointment by going to www.taomassage.com or calling 732-775-1550.