Tamari Lazarus
RMT NZ Massage Association | Dip. Therapeutic Massage
Providing Remedial massage therapy for the past 10 years, with qualifications in pregnancy massage, lymphatic massage, acupressure, neuromuscular therapy, dry needling & aromatherapy, I started working for sports teams around Auckland, in the corporate environment, providing mobile massage as well as contracting to clinics in central Auckland, working alongside Chiropractors and physiotherapists.
Over the past decade, I have continued to deepen my understanding through further studies in different areas of manual therapy and their connection to the biosychosocial model. Every day is an opportunity to listen to our environment/te Tai Ao and what we need to achieve a better state of being, connect with what our mind needs for our body to be in homeostasis- a stable, balanced internal environment. The ocean is my happy place, surfing, the forest, yoga and meditation.
Lawrence (Loz) Oldershaw
Dip. Sports massage | Dip. Nutrition
UK-born and raised, with a 9-year career in the British Forces, where I took up running and then triathlon. After leaving the RAF, I spent several years as a Professional Triathlete, competing internationally for GB, and it was whilst training full-time and competing at the highest levels that I became acutely aware that massage and joint mobility work are critical for performance.
Post sports competing career, I moved into coaching, becoming a British triathlon coach, coaching elite and age group athletes and then, as a natural progression, I wanted to know and understand more about optimising performance, so I trained in Sports Massage and the treatment of activity injuries. I now have 20yrs experience treating both athletes and non-athletes.
My experience with coaching, coupled with the knowledge and experience of massage and injury treatment, has given me an in-depth understanding of body movement and a problem-solving approach to issues and the best course of treatment for both sports and non-sports people alike. I am passionate about getting people moving, enjoying what they want to do and off pain relief where appropriate by helping with flexibility, strength and soft tissue release.
I like to focus on:
Deep tissue massage, Sports massage and injury treatment, Strapping/taping, Soft tissue release, Joint mobility, Lower back pain, Flexibility.
About Alignment Massage
First started in Auckland in 2016 by Tamari, Alignment Massage clinic relocated to Whitianga, Coromandel in December 2021. Initially, the clinic was located at the Whiti Cross WOD gym. In December 2022, Alignment Massage shifted to a new health complex at 24 B Lee Street, Whitianga, working along side Mercury bay physiotherapy.
Aroha, Manaakitanga me Maatauranga. Love, care & knowledge. Alignment starts within, in the space that makes who we are; the physical, emotional & spiritual being. People come from different places with different backgrounds, whakapapa (genealogy) & matauranga (understandings).
Looking at the whole picture, the mind or the brain is what controls how we see ourselves or our body and how we read pain. Understanding that massage may change sensory input and information carried to the brain is the key to this practice.
Individual assessments with a goal to assist your body with its own healing potential, to reduce or eliminate pain, improve joint mobility, increase circulation, enhance lymphatic drainage, decrease muscular tension and de-stress. This is achieved by using a combination of relaxation and therapeutic techniques when needed to promote systemic nervous system response. It’s your body doing the healing.
Gratitude and intention.
One cannot claim to release or increase – therapeutic touch works with the nervous system, and it’s the nervous system that holds our memories and emotions. Massage can influence how a person is feeling, but all the work is done by the client in the brain. Massage doesn’t work on its own, it’s not a ‘magic pill’- it’s important to combine with regular exercise, sufficient sleep, connection to nature, good nutrition, psychology and other modalities.
As preventative care practitioners to understand the importance of how the emotional and physical bodies react to stress, both chronic and long-term stress and acute, severe stress and how stress impacts our clients. Emotional stress causes physiological responses in the body via the nervous and endocrine (hormonal control) systems, kicking off a cascade of reactions that can eventually lead to “disease” ranging from mild to severe.
More study, because learning never stops
Every experience working with sports teams such as the NZ Tall Fern, NZ Breakers, local sports clubs, in clinics and in high-stress and performance corporate environments, alongside professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, Rongoā practitioners, neuropaths and nutritionists, has enabled this work to arrive from broader understanding of the different needs every person has.
Naturally, balancing knowledge with intuition. Together, your needs are the most important.
~ Align your body right because your Health is your biggest Wealth ~ Māuri Ora!
Thanks for your time – we look forward to seeing you in the clinic in Whitianga!