THE CHAIR MASSAGE

Massages in chairs or simply in sitting positions have always had their place among most ancient and traditional massage techniques around the world but the contemporary Chair massage as we know it today and as we occasionally refer to as the On-Site or Seated massage is a trend that began as recently as 1982. The Chair massage was the brainchild of David Palmer, the director of the Amma Institute of Traditional Japanese Massage at that time who is considered to be the father of Chair massage. Mr. Palmer came to realize that, whether due to the high cost or the sensual intimacy of conventional table massages, or maybe the lack of sophistication on the part of the public or perhaps due to the combination of the three in one proportion or another, there were too few people who sought such bodyworks services and, therefore, there was not enough work for all the graduates of his institute. Mr. Palmers entrepreneurial intuition and insightfulness led him to adopt a few existing old-time techniques and to renovate others to develop a modern massage technique which could be performed anywhere as it required only brief periods of time, no need for the removal of clothing and quite reasonably priced. Consequently, his Chair massages became convenient, affordable and non-threatening.

The first clients to enjoy the newly developed Chair massage were the employees and customers of the Apple Computers outlets where David Palmer and his graduates set up their makeshift workstations in 1984. That venture lasted only about twelve months and the demand at the time was not huge, but they did give up to 350 Chair massages each week and it proved to be a step in the right direction and a very good beginning. By 1986 a specially designed and structured chair to better accommodate Chair massages went into production and today, there are well over 100,000 such chairs in use within the United States as well as in many other nations around the world.

David Palmer realized that Chair massage will be truly successful only with further development of this particular niche and he opened continuing education seminars for training graduates of other massage schools. During the twelve months of 1986, he taught 24 Chair massage seminars at 24 different locations in the United States as well as in Sweden and Norway. The concept of the Chair massage was embraced with open arms when presented to the American Massage Therapy Association and as a consequence, by 1990 just about every massage school in the nation was teaching it.

The Chair massage is not officially categorized as a therapy or a treatment but rather as a minimal relaxation technique. Whether that was a deliberate marketing ploy and clever salesmanship or not, it worked to attract people who would otherwise shy away from other kinds of massage therapies and treatments. For the most part, those who took the first step and braved the process of the Chair massage, would have become more open minded about progressing and graduating into the true massage therapies.

Nowadays, chair massages are readily available in shopping malls, airport terminals, independent shops, franchises, hotel lounges, hospitals, gyms, spas, bus depots, train stations, supermarkets, community centers, eateries (particularly the new-age cafs), convention centers, beauty salons, barber shops, medical and dental offices, university campuses, corporate workplaces and even at street corners, public parks and city square throughout the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. The Chair massage is estimated to be the fastest growing and most popular form of skilled touch, as professional massages are performed on the otherwise touch-deprived masses. It is David Palmers greatest dream to see young children performing shoulder rubs among family members and friends as part of their regular daily routine; and expressed in his own words, When we reach that point I will know that we have arrived at our goal of a world where touch is recognized as essential to the development and maintenance of healthy human beings.

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Sharper Image Air Purifiers: Reviewed

If you own a television, a radio, or have access to a computer, there is a good chance that you have heard of Sharper Image before. Sharper Image is a well-known company that specializes in household items, among other items. These items may include, but are not limited to, clocks, lamps, traditional household appliances, televisions, massage chairs, and air purifiers.

If you are interested in purchasing an air purifier, which there is a good chance that you may be, it is quite possible that you may be looking for a Shaper Image product. One of the reasons for that is because the name is so popular and so well-known. If you make the decision to purchase an air purifier from Sharper Image, you will find that you have a number of different options. That is because a wide variety of different air purifier models are available for sale, all with Sharper Image.

Despite the fact that Sharper Image produces a number of different air purifiers, they are most well-known for their line of ionic air purifiers. These air purifiers are commonly known as or sold as Ionic Breezes. What is nice about the Ionic Breeze air purifiers is that most are compact. Their tower designs make it possible to fit these air purifiers in just about any space, no matter how much or how little room you have. The Ionic Breeze air purifiers are also known as being extremely quite, when compared to most other air purifiers.

The full size Ionic Breeze towers are capable of cleaning the air in a room up to 500 square feet. Since this square footage is larger than most other air purifiers, you will find that Ionic Breeze air purifiers tend to sell for more money. In most cases, you should be able to purchase a full size Sharper Image Ionic Breeze air purifier for around $300 to $500. If you were looking for something more affordable, you may want to examine the Table Top Ionic Breeze. The Table Top Ionic Breeze is ideal for 350 square foot rooms. When you think about it, this is still a fairly large amount of space. The Table Top Ionic Breeze retails for around $200.

In 2006, Shaper Image introduced a new air purifier. That air purifier is known as the Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier. The Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier is one of a kind. In fact, it is known as being on of the most efficient air purifier currently available for sale. As with the Ionic Breeze air purifiers, the Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier is energy efficient; thus this top of the line air purifier will not only help to clean the air inside your home, but it will also reduce the cost of doing so, energy wise.

Since the Sharper Image Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier is considered top of the line, the price is higher than most air purifiers. This well performing air purifier tends to retail for around $450. Although the cost may seem high, it is important that you remember what you are getting when you purchase this product. In addition to being a top of the line product, the Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier also has a modern and compact design. This means that in addition to fitting into a wide variety of different spaces, the air purifier will also go great with just about any home dcor.

When considering the cost of Shaper Image air purifiers, including the Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifiers, as well as the line of Ionic Breezes, it is important to remember one thing. Unlike most other air purifiers, they do not need replacement filters. Almost all of the Shaper Image air purifiers are filter-less. Essentially this means, that you usually only need to wipe off a collection grid. This is important when determining the cost of a Sharper Image air purifier. Although the cost may seem high, you do not need to purchase additional accessories, which tend to drive up the cost of most air purifiers.

If you would like to check out the air purifiers that are created by Shaper Image, you are advised to visit the companys online website. That online website can be found by visiting www.sharperimage.com.