Spirit & Body: Massage Therapist Hosts Open House

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 14:06 | Written by Byron

The following is an interview with my longtime friend Richard Ludt. He is a massage therapist and a very cool guy and next Saturday will have an open house for his business, Spirit Body Massage (details below):

When you find yourself gripping your steering wheel, a little too tightly, or waking from what should have been a restful nights sleep, it could just be a natural response to stress. Richard Ludt is a talented massage therapist here in Portland that brings a very unique approach to relieving stress and the accompanying pain and discomfort it can bring.

Says Ludt: “I’m in the business of bringing people back into their own state of equilibrium, when they’ve been thrown off kilter. It could be good news like a job promotion that gives us amazing new challenges, the birth of a new child (which is basically the same thing), or even acceptance to grad school. It’s not just the bad news of sports injuries or car accidents that can throw us out of our practice of self-care."

(Ludt) has been asked many times ‘What kind of massage do you do?’

His response?

Click on "Read More" for his response to that question and others.

"It seems to be a very unique combination of all the techniques I’ve learned through the years. It also includes the years of training I’ve had in the Vipassana meditation practice and the Ceremonies of the Lakota Native Americans. Some people will automatically use the term Shamanistic practice when I describe that I include these things, but I don’t label myself as a Shaman. I’m primarily a Licensed Massage Therapist. I have 12 years experience treating sports and repetitive use injuries; auto accident claims; musicians before their recitals; and people who are interested in changing the way they move in their bodies. I’ll often incorporate Deep Tissue Massage; Myofascial Release; Swedish massage, and Reiki. These are all modalities that can be used throughout a massage session that is tailored to meet the specific needs of my clients. I also use guided visualization of the structural anatomy and guided meditation in the ‘signature massage’ session that can stretch a client into the edges of their range of motion and awareness of their body.”

And as for the biggie question of the day: “What does the future of health-care in the US look like to you?” Here is what he has to say: "I think it is a very complex and complicated issue. I believe we are seeing the increase in diabetes and cancer as a result of big business being in control of what foods we eat and what products are made available for us to purchase. I feel like people are taking back control of their health. They stand up against GMO foods by planting their own organic gardens and make use of the abundant farmers markets available to us in this amazing city. It’s a way to take control of their health and wellness by starting with their diets. This leads to people feeling more in control of their health in general. With the long and very passionate debate about healthcare being so prevalent in the media over the last year, I have seen an increase in the amount of clients who are coming to me with questions about work out’s and posture. People are demanding these preventative options be available from their insurance companies. As a result of this increased need for support from my clients, I am expanding my office to include a new treatment room. It will be a place for personalized ergonomic instruction, personal training support ,and a loft space for my insurance billing provider. I am undergoing training to be a licensed ergonomics practitioner, and a personal trainer. But I am also hoping, in the future, to continue my studies to include nutritional counseling and life coaching.”

And where did the name of your Business -Spirit Body Massage- come from?

"I decided early on that I wanted to describe my business in a way to show that I have an intention to connect our awareness of our bodies to the awareness of our spirit. The word spirit is used in so many ways. The Webster definition of spirit includes the etymology of it's Latin origin: 'spiritus, literally, breath, from spirare, to blow, breathe.' I have always taught my clients that we must breathe to be aware of our bodies. One frequent observation I make is: "we can go many many days without food and many days without water, but nearly no time at all without our breath."So in that spirit I will encourage you to take a deep breath and notice your toes, allow the edges of your lips to curve upwards slightly, and think of how great it will feel to get your next massage!"

MORE INFO: Spirit Body Massage will have an open house at 11 am on Saturday, July 31 at ActivSpace.To see more details about the event click here for the Facebook invite or you can can contact Ludt directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .