The questions
I am often asked

It all starts with a conversation over a herbal tea, to talk about your needs today, your tension and your wishes. You then choose your Lakshmi Ayurvedic oil. Then comes the treatment, built by listening to your body. To finish, you rest for a few moments, then we talk over a hot drink, with a card reading for those who wish.

Let yourself be guided: during the welcome conversation, we choose together what suits you. For a first time, the fully tailor-made Constellation massage is often a lovely way in. If you feel the need to set down something deeper, the Soul Treatment or the sound bath may be more suitable.

One hour allows a complete treatment and real relaxation. 90 minutes give the body time to settle deeply and the treatment time to unfold. 120 minutes offer a true moment outside of time, ideal when you feel the need or for a ritual.

At the Centre Ananda, tailor-made massages start at €80 for one hour (€120 for 90 minutes, €160 for 120 minutes). Energy treatments are €80 per session, sensory rituals from €120. At home, allow from €120 per hour depending on the location and area.

Nothing complicated: simply avoid a heavy meal just before, arrive a few minutes early to take time to settle, and tell me about any health problem, injury or pregnancy. After the session, allow for a calm moment if possible and remember to stay well hydrated.

For an oil massage, you choose what makes you comfortable: keep your underwear on or be naked. In every case, you are covered with a sheet and only the area being massaged is uncovered: your privacy is always respected. You can tell me at any time what suits you. The Prana massage, on the floor, and the energy treatments are received clothed.

Wellbeing massage is not recommended in case of fever, infection, phlebitis, wounds or acute inflammation. In case of pregnancy, heavy medical treatment or a particular health problem, talk to me first and ask your doctor’s advice. The treatments offered are wellbeing treatments, with no medical purpose.

At the Centre Ananda, 52 bis avenue Maurice Chevalier in Cannes-la-Bocca, between Cannes and Mandelieu. Parking is free all along the avenue, and buses 1, 2 and A stop nearby.

Yes, I offer tailor-made massages at home, in a villa, at a hotel or on a yacht, from Cannes to Monaco via Antibes, Mougins or Grasse. I bring all the equipment: table, linen, organic plant oils and music.

Of course: massages, energy treatments and rituals can be given with a gift voucher, ordered online. The recipient then freely chooses the date of their treatment.

Caring touch sends the brain a signal of safety. It encourages the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and lowers cortisol, the stress hormone. Being touched with respect is a fundamental need, far beyond relaxation.

Tension often arises from repeated postures, effort, lack of movement or stress. Rather than a problem to eliminate, I see it as a message: the way the body adapts to what we are going through.

No. It also acts on circulation, tissue mobility and the nervous system, hence this overall sense of wellbeing. That is why pain can sometimes ease without the area having been worked on much.

Tears, laughter or sighs are natural reactions when the body relaxes and emotions rise. I do not provoke them and I do not interpret them: I simply welcome them.

The body is constantly adapting, and some experiences leave an imprint. I combine current knowledge with an energy reading, with one single goal: to restore freer circulation.

The effects last from a few hours to a few days, notably on sleep and energy. To enjoy them fully, give yourself a calm moment after the session and stay well hydrated.

There is no universal rhythm. One session a month is often a good balance, but listening to your body always takes priority over a fixed rule.

More than technique: listening, presence and the ability to adapt to the person’s rhythm. A good massage is first and foremost an encounter.

Yes, it is an involuntary physiological reaction, linked to the relaxation of the nervous system, with no sexual intent whatsoever. It is met with discretion and kindness. A wellbeing massage never has any sexual purpose.

Seat of digestion and connected to the nervous system, the belly often reacts to stress. Gentle touch can bring great comfort there, but it always remains optional and subject to your agreement.

A wellbeing massage aims at relaxation, releasing tension and overall wellbeing. It does not make a diagnosis and does not replace the care of a physiotherapist or a doctor. My massages always combine touch and an energy-based approach.

At the centre, Ayurvedic oils from Lakshmi, chosen according to your constitution during the welcome. At home, organic plant oils, such as coconut or hemp.

It is not about “sending” energy, but about observing what has lost its fluidity and encouraging self-regulation, calm and inner coherence.

Sensations, images and intuitions are leads to welcome with caution. I share them as invitations, never as truths. Humility is essential.

In many traditions (Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, yoga), the human being is not only a physical body: a life energy, called prana or qi, also flows through it. The energy body refers to this whole: the energy centres (chakras), the channels through which it flows (nadis, meridians) and the different layers surrounding the body, often called the aura or subtle bodies (etheric, emotional, mental…). It is an interpretive framework that current medicine does not measure: it complements observation of the physical body, without ever replacing it.

In the Indian tradition, the chakras (“wheels” in Sanskrit) are energy centres located along the spine. There are seven main ones, from the base of the spine to the top of the head: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. Each is associated with an area of the body and with life themes (grounding, creativity, confidence, love, expression, intuition, spirituality). Science has not identified any corresponding organ: I use them as a symbolic reference point, to guide attention, with the person always remaining at the centre of the treatment.

Traditions describe pathways of circulation, such as meridians or nadis. I do not seek to “unblock” energy at all costs, but to restore the body’s fluidity.

A blockage is a loss of fluidity, linked to stress, emotions, breathing or habits. The treatment aims for better balance rather than a fight against the blockage.

In energy approaches, the vibrational rate refers to the level of vitality of the energy of a person, a place or a food: the idea that everything alive “vibrates”, more or less highly. A high vibrational rate is associated with joy, serenity, clarity and good energy; a lower rate with fatigue, stress, heavy emotions or a difficult period. It is often estimated with a pendulum, on a scale called the Bovis scale. It is thought that it can be raised through nature, good sleep, living food, meditation, gratitude or an energy treatment. It is a valuable traditional reference point for observing your state, but it is not a scientific measurement: the Bovis scale has never been validated, and the vibrational rate is in no way medical data.

Yes: sensitivity develops through breathing, meditation, hand work and magnetism. The aim is not to acquire extraordinary abilities, but greater presence to yourself.

The heart and the hands are closely connected, energetically as well as physiologically. In the Indian tradition, the heart is the seat of Anahata, the heart chakra, centre of love, compassion and openness to others. Its energy extends through the arms to the secondary chakras in the hollow of the palms: it is through them that the heart’s energy expresses itself in the treatment. Chinese medicine describes the same link: the Heart meridian runs down the arm to the little finger, and the Heart Protector meridian ends in the centre of the palm, at the Laogong point, widely used in energy practices. Physiologically, the heart sets the rhythm of circulation right to the fingertips, and its electrical activity can even be measured between the two hands: this is the principle of the electrocardiogram. When the heart calms, the nervous system relaxes, peripheral circulation improves and the hands warm up. In practice, it is hands guided by a present heart that make the difference: without this presence, the treatment becomes mechanical. It is a quality cultivated over the years.

Rather than “protecting myself”, I favour grounding, awareness of my limits and inner stability, without denying my own sensitivity.

One session may be enough for a one-off need. A long-standing imbalance or a period of transition often calls for several sessions: that is the whole point of the course of three Soul Treatments, one session a week.

No, never. Energy treatments are wellbeing support, complementary to medicine. They do not replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Yes: emotions trigger physiological responses which, when they become chronic, can contribute to pain, digestive problems or fatigue. I see two complementary readings, physiological and energetic.

The nervous system can stay on alert long after the danger has gone. By regaining a sense of safety, the body can gradually let go of its protective strategies, without having to be asked to let go.

Persistent pain often results from several factors: posture, sleep, stress, nerve sensitisation… That is why two people with the same pain may need different kinds of support.

A tight throat, a knotted stomach: the body sometimes expresses unspoken emotions. But not all pain has an emotional origin: it is about observing it with curiosity, without jumping to conclusions.

Under stress, breathing becomes fast and shallow, whereas slow breathing encourages rest. The breath is a powerful lever for inner regulation.

The body adapts, and experiences can lose intensity thanks to resources and a safe environment. The aim is not to erase the past, but to stop carrying all its weight.

Recurring tension, fatigue and sensations deserve to be listened to, without necessarily being interpreted systematically as hidden messages.

An emotion can become imprinted in posture and breathing. Neuroscience and energy traditions agree: this trace can evolve in a safe environment.

A held-back emotion sometimes seems to seek a way of expression through the body. This is not true of every pain, but it is a lead worth keeping in mind with kindness.

The body reflects our inner world and constantly seeks to maintain balance. Before trying to make a tension disappear, I invite you to understand what it is telling you.

Slow, enveloping touch stimulates skin receptors that inform the brain of a safe context. The autonomic nervous system then gradually shifts from “vigilance” mode (sympathetic) to “rest and repair” mode (parasympathetic), notably via the vagus nerve: breathing deepens, the heart rate slows, the muscles relax. Meta-analyses on massage mainly show a clear reduction in anxiety; effects on cortisol exist but remain more modest and vary between studies.

The skin has specialised nerve fibres, C-tactile fibres, which respond best to a slow caress, of about 1 to 10 cm per second, at skin temperature. They project to the insula, a region of the brain linked to emotions and self-perception (Löken et al., Nature Neuroscience, 2009). This is one of the reasons why a slow, present movement brings a feeling of wellbeing and connection that speed cannot replace.

Several mechanisms add up. According to the “gate control” theory (Melzack and Wall, 1965), tactile information can dampen the transmission of pain messages at the level of the spinal cord. The brain also modulates pain according to context: a sense of safety, attention, relaxation and the quality of the relationship play a real role. Pain can therefore ease without the area having been mechanically “repaired”.

Fascia is a connective tissue that wraps and connects muscles, organs and bones, like a continuous web. It is rich in sensory receptors, which partly explains why some areas are so sensitive. Research on its role in tension and mobility is advancing quickly, but is still taking shape: the idea that fascia can be lastingly “stretched” or “released” by hand is currently debated. What is better established is the effect of touch on perception and the nervous system.

It is a common misconception. The elimination of metabolic waste is handled by the liver, the kidneys and the lymphatic system, and no study shows that a massage “releases toxins”. If I advise you to stay well hydrated after a session, it is simply for comfort and to support relaxation, not to “drain toxins”.

Firmer work on tense areas can leave a slight tenderness for 24 to 48 hours, a bit like after unusual physical activity. Fatigue, on the other hand, often reflects the release of a nervous system that has long been under tension. These reactions are temporary; if any tenderness bothers you, tell me: the pressure is always adjusted to your body.

Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the small variations between two heartbeats. A high HRV is generally associated with a good adaptive capacity of the nervous system. Slow breathing, around six cycles per minute, increases it markedly, and several studies observe a rise in HRV after a massage. It is one of the most widely used indicators for measuring relaxation objectively.

The body has no memory in the literal sense, but the nervous system learns. Experiences, especially repeated or intense ones, can leave implicit traces: protective reflexes, postural or breathing patterns, automatic reactions to certain contexts. These learned patterns can evolve, particularly when the body repeatedly experiences safety, which respectful touch can encourage.

Interoception is the ability to perceive your internal sensations: heartbeat, breathing, tension, hunger, emotions. It is linked to the insula and plays a key role in emotional regulation. Massage, meditation and body practices train it: feeling your body better helps you notice stress earlier and take better care of yourself.

To date, no controlled study has demonstrated the existence of an energy field transmitted by the hands. The benefits felt can be partly explained by deep relaxation, caring attention, the quality of the relationship and the warmth of the hands. That is why I present magnetism as a traditional wellbeing practice, complementary to medicine and never a substitute for it, and I prefer to speak honestly about what we know and what we do not.

A few studies, still preliminary, observe a reduction in tension, anxiety and fatigue after a singing bowl meditation, as well as an improvement in mood (Goldsby et al., 2017). The proposed mechanisms combine relaxation, attention to sound and the body’s perception of vibrations. The evidence remains limited, but reports of deep relaxation are very consistent.

By encouraging parasympathetic activity and lowering the arousal level of the nervous system, massage prepares the body for a state conducive to falling asleep. Several clinical studies report better sleep quality, particularly in people who are stressed or in pain. The effect is all the clearer when you allow yourself a calm moment after the session.

Yes. The four-day energy massage course starts from the basics: postures, movements, rhythm and anatomical reference points, in a small group of six people maximum.

Magnetism is a capacity we all carry, and it can be cultivated. The two-day introduction lets you feel energy in your hands and learn to bring relief, with no prerequisites.

Mentoring: two days one to one, fully built around your practice, with a tailor-made booklet. To become more professional, create your signature treatment or learn a new technique.