Garden Retreat Spa practices a combination of Shiatsu and Swedish massage. In Shiatsu massage pressure is applied with thumbs, fingers and palms to the same energy meridians as acupressure and incorporates stretching, rolling, kneading with the hands and thumbs. Swedish massage uses long flowing strokes to relax tight muscles. The strokes are sliding or gliding, kneading, rhythmic tapping, cross fiber friction and vibration. The combination of Swedish and Shiatsu massage is New York’s most popular style.