Jayne Grogan and Carole Martinson, new owners of Sonoma Holistic Health Center.
james golway/special to the Sun
If the new owners of the Sonoma Holistic Health Center weren’t so earnest and sincere, with such impeccable credentials, one could easily dismiss the TurboSonic as just another new-age fitness fad. According to Jayne Grogan and Carole Martinson, the machine has been known to banish cellulite, build muscle mass and even cure early-morning grumpiness.
“I first learned of the TurboSonic from the therapists at the Sonoma Mission Inn,” said Grogan. “I was skeptical at first. It just seemed too good to be true.”
According to Grogan, several therapists at the Inn used the TurboSonic as a means to relieve the aches and pains suffered after working long hours at the massage table. She decided to give it a try. A few sessions on the shaking machine, as it is often called, made Grogan a true believer. After taking over the Sonoma Holistic Health Center in March, she and business partner Carole Martinson decided to add TurboSonic sessions to the host of body therapy treatments offered at the center.
“We’re the only ones offering TurboSonic sessions in Sonoma Valley,” said Martinson. “The machine is a perfect addition to all the body work treatments we offer.”
The development of the TurboSonic can be traced to the Soviet space program. In an effort to prevent muscle degeneration due to weightlessness in space, Russian scientists came up with a machine that would vibrate the body. Later, researchers in Korea, in collaboration with Chi Kung Masters, enhanced the vibration experience by using non-audible sound waves that allowed for more precise adjustment.
Using the TurboSonic is as simple as stepping on a treadmill. In fact, the machine resembles a treadmill, but with the TurboSonic the user just stands there and lets the machine do the work. Each session lasts for ten minutes; a maximum of three sessions per week is the recommended usage.
Theoretcially, the vertical motion created by the TurboSonic machine stimulates the growth plates, improves circulation, activates the lymph system and helps eliminate fatty deposits. Similar to weight training, the vibrations cause muscle fibers to contract and relax repeatedly, thereby enhancing muscle strength.
“It works by exciting the cells,” explained Grogan. “This accelerates the body’s natural healing responses and increases cellular oxygen uptake. The TurboSonic has been shown to naturally release beneficial hormones, like serotonin, testosterone and human growth hormone.”
Besides the services offered by a dozen skilled, licensed practitioners of therapies such as acupuncture, deep tissue and Swedish massage, Pilates, neuro-muscular reprogramming and BodyTalk, the Sonoma Holistic Health Center is offering (for a limited time) free TurboSonic sessions.
“The Sonoma Holistic Center offers something for everybody and everything for somebody,” said Grogan, who has been a massage therapist since 1993. “By offering a free introductory TurboSonic session, we hope more people in the community will discover what a great resource we are.”
The Sonoma Holistic Center is at 525 3rd St. W., Sonoma. Call 707-548-5350 for information and appointments.
