What is a natural Japanese facelift?
Much more than just a facial massage, Ko Bi Do is a genuine traditional Japanese art, on a par with the tea ceremony. From "Ko" (ancient) "bi" (beauty) "do" (way), Ko Bi Do means "the ancient way of beauty". Originally, this exceptional treatment was reserved exclusively for the Japanese imperial family and geishas.
Today, with its incredible lifting effect, this beauty ritual is seducing more and more people wishing to combat the signs of time. Or simply to give their skin a radiant glow. So if you too would like to benefit from its prodigiously effective effects, let yourself be tempted by the Ko Bi Do massage in Geneva! Here's an overview of its origins, principles and benefits:
The origins of Ko Bi Do massage
Before the creation of Ko Bi Do or even shiatsu, Anma was one of the earliest forms of massage in Japan. Its origins can be traced back to over 4,000 years BC, according to documents found in northern India, Tibet and Nepal. Anma techniques are thought to have arrived in Japan from China, in the year 562.
This gave rise to appropriations and adaptations by numerous masters, who used to hold friendly competitions to master their art. This is how Ko Bi Do was born in Japan in 1472. In a small inn in Suruga, south of Mount Fuji, two Anma masters compete in a "kyoku te" demonstration.
A kind of facial treatment performed using a special percussion technique with the bent hand. After several months of competition, neither was declared the winner. The two masters then decided to combine their talents and join forces to found Maison Ko Bi Do, establishing the 48 distinct categories of Anma massage, which later evolved into hundreds of techniques.
Over time, these have been passed down from master to pupil in a very closed circle.
Ko Bi Do massage: a traditional and ancestral art
Originally reserved for empresses, geishas and wealthy families, Ko Bi Do has since become a traditional art of rejuvenation for Japanese women. Apprenticeship in Ko Bi Do is a long and demanding process, involving several levels - up to 4 for most practitioners. It involves not only the study of nearly 200 Ko Bi Do techniques, but also its history and theory. After that, a select few may be lucky enough to progress to level 6, the last 3 levels usually being taught by the Grand Master in person, by invitation only. It should be noted that even at level 6, practitioners remain "apprentices of the Master" until they have been practicing for many years.
The principles of Ko Bi Do massage
Ko Bi Do is a holistic art whose philosophy is that beauty is only possible through a perfect balance between physical, emotional and spiritual health. In addition to massage and its sublime lifting effect, Ko Bi Do also works to harmonize chi, the vital energy circulating in our bodies.
By stimulating certain points along the meridians of the face, the practitioner can act on the digestive or nervous system and more globally on all the organs in order to rebalance the energies. For example, the channels of the large intestine and the bladder allow to stimulate the elimination and to act on the brightness of the complexion.
Those for the stomach and spleen help the skin to better absorb vitamins and minerals. There are thousands of Ko Bi Do massage techniques, grouped into 48 different categories specifically designed to treat the face as a whole. Some come directly from the Anma, others are the result of the evolution of Ko Bi Do over the centuries.
Each of these involves many different techniques depending on the part of the face where they are performed. For example, if it is to reduce muscle tension or release toxins from the lymphatic system. Your practitioner will apply vibration techniques instead.
Other techniques include a wide variety of gestures such as effleurage, circular pressure and smoothing. Also kneading or percussion with the fingers, hands or wrists.
How does a Ko Bi Do massage session work?
In order to get the most out of this massage, it is advisable to come without make-up. You will be comfortably seated on a massage table where you will remain dressed, preferably in an outfit in which you are comfortable. The practitioner will start by analysing the skin of your face and neck in order to adapt her gestures to your needs.
During a Ko Bi Do session, your face is cleansed, moisturized and energized thanks to the stimulation of your meridians. This beauty ritual begins with gentle pressure on your face. The massage continues with a harmonious blend of kneading, pinching, palpating and rolling, and rhythmic, regular hand percussion. Every square centimeter of your skin is treated. It's advisable to drink plenty of water after each treatment, as this helps prevent muscle dehydration.
But it also allows your body to eliminate the accumulated toxins that were released during the massage. At the end of the session, you will immediately feel the benefits of the massage: relaxed face, brighter complexion, smoother features and above all a feeling of absolute relaxation! This feeling of firmness lasts for several days.
For longer-lasting effects, we recommend several sessions at short intervals at the start of treatment. Later, you can space them out according to your skin's needs. Follow-up sessions will help reduce expression lines and work on muscular flexibility. To help you maintain your face and keep the effects of Ko Bi Do massage for longer.
The benefits of Ko Bi Do massage
Ko Bi Do stimulates cutaneous microcirculation and lymphatic flow in the face, providing cells with a better supply of nutrients, draining metabolic waste and eliminating toxins. This ancestral beauty ritual also has a relaxing, softening and firming effect on the skin's tissues, enhancing radiance, promoting the production of natural collagen, diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, plumping the skin, improving facial muscle tone and regenerating the epidermis. Last but not least, Ko Bi Do massage frees and harmonizes the circulation of chi, resulting in a sensation of deep relaxation and, by extension, improved psychological well-being and quality of sleep. Practised regularly, Ko Bi Do helps combat facial ageing by reducing the effects of fatigue and stress on expression lines, combating skin slackening, improving skin texture and relaxing facial muscles.
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