Going Brazilian: The new massage everyone is talking about

WORDS: Juliana Medina PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

It’s the therapeutic massage helping Victoria’s Secret models, Hollywood stars and influencers sculpt their bodies but you don’t need celebrity status to feel rejuvenated by a Lymph4You session at this new luxury Gold Coast clinic.

WHEN a model and health coach with almost one million social media followers recommended Juliana Medina’s Brazilian body-sculpting lymphatic massage, it launched her Gold Coast business virtually overnight.

“I went from zero to 200 followers on Instagram that day, then 1000 soon after, so I quit my job and bought a massage table,” Juliana says. “I had five clients a day within the first two weeks and it all grew from there.”

After 18 months, Juliana had built up a business so successful she was able to move out of her spare room and into a dedicated wellness hub she envisioned and created at Main Beach. The 31-year-old managed to get her new clinic premises up and running last year and keep her appointment book filled, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

 

Juliana’s luxury clinic is the only massage specialist in Australia totally focused on lymphatic drainage – a therapy to detox and de-stress by stimulating the lymph nodes to encourage drainage and remove toxins naturally from the body.

While everyone from Victoria’s Secret models to Elle Macpherson, the Kardashians and a host of Hollywood stars and influencers are sculpting their bodies with lymphatic drainage massage and adopting it as part of their health and beauty routine, you don’t need celebrity status to feel rejuvenated by a session at the Lymph4You clinic.

“Most people come to us at first for aesthetic reasons because they have heard about the body sculpting benefits, but they keep coming back because of the overall health benefits. It can completely change someone’s life,” Juliana says.

“Patients and clients come to me from all backgrounds and ages and with all kinds of stresses, whether they are suffering from IBS, fluid retention, feeling lethargic, have skin problems or have hormonal issues.”

While Juliana treats younger men and women regularly, she is keen to encourage mature locals to visit the clinic.

“More mature people, especially those with lymphoedema, can find benefits from my massage. I also see clients post-surgery who need relief from various symptoms,” she says.

“The lymphatic system is related to your metabolism and hormonal balance, so it’s also useful to clients going through IVF, or with PCOS or endometriosis.

“I have treated many clients with very different wants and needs, which is why I tailor each treatment plan to suit the individual. It doesn’t matter how big or small the results are that they’re trying to achieve – they are always so grateful, which drives me to continuously look at ways to expand further in our treatments.”

A physiotherapist in Brazil before she came to the Gold Coast in 2016 to attend Bond University, Juliana quickly saw the potential to apply her qualifications and experience to the technique. She has continued to refine the traditional Brazilian technique and has developed her own signature massage, which starts with a magnesium body wrap and an infrared sauna.

“Getting the infrared sauna before your lymphatic drainage massage means you are relaxed and your body will be warm and receptive,” she says. “The detoxification process will already have begun and cortisol levels and blood pressure will have already come down. The heat provides additional support to the lymphatic drainage process with a deeper sweat at the cellular level, where toxins reside.

“During the massage, we stimulate the lymph nodes, which are concentrated in the armpits, groin, neck and behind the knees. And we have to respect where the fluid is going to go, so the massage focuses on light movements in the right direction on your skin.”

Juliana says she asks clients to feel both sides of their body during the massage – and they can always see the difference.

“One side will be slimmer and one puffy and people usually are blown away at the difference and how much excess fluid can be removed,” she says.

While the clinic doesn’t offer nutritional advice, Juliana shares tips for gut health to support clients in-between visits.

“I tell clients to drink, drink, drink water! You must stay hydrated. And if you don’t drink enough water, you retain water,” Juliana says. “Exercise is important too, because the lymphatic system works through muscle contraction. And if you don’t stimulate those contractions, you start to retain water and toxins.

“When clients come to us because they have bloating or water retention they leave feeling lighter and slimmer. But we never tell clients how often they should come to the clinic. We suggest they listen to their body because everyone is different.

“Clients direct their own schedule, but we find people benefit from weekly sessions for three weeks, then monthly after that.”

Lymph4You is located at Unit 2, 6 Tedder Avenue, Main Beach. Visit www.lymphforyou.com to learn more or book an appointment.