The BODYHARMONICS® Centre of Oriental Medicine was founded by Maria Mercati in 1992 to provide treatment and training to the highest possible standards in the traditional Oriental healing systems. She did this by drawing on three of the world's most ancient, powerful and alternative medicine and complementary therapies - Traditional Chinese Medicine, Thai and Indonesian soft tissue massage and joint manipulations. Her aim has been to integrate the most effective bodywork techniques She also specializes in combining Acupuncture with Tui Na to create some of the most powerful medicine in the world today. Maria Mercati is the leading exponent of these in the West.

Qualifications:

BA (Hons) ITEC, MTI, Diploma Shiatsu, Member of British Register of Complementary Practitioners (BRCP), Cert. Tui Na (Shanghai College of Traditional Medicine)
Cert. Acupuncture (Xiangshan Hospital of TCM Shanghai), Cert. Acupuncture (Weihai Hospital of TCM) , Cert. Acupuncture (Xian College of TCM). Accolade for teacher and practitioner Maria Mercarti a leading teacher of Tui Na massage based in Cheltenham, England, has been nominated by the European Union of Women:

Those chosen receive the European Women of Achievment Award. The awards are given annually to three or four women in each European country. Previous recipients have mainly been from large companies, universities and the media. Congratulations to Maria whose work in promoting Tui Na massage and complementary medicine has been
recognised.

Facts on how Maria's philosophy came about:

Maria is the first person to develop a system of integrated bodywork based on Chinese, Thai and Indonesian massage and manipulation. She is the world leader in combining oriental therapies and acupuncture in a unique and powerful fusion for the control of pain and the promotion and maintenance of good health. Maria Mercati is the most
authoritative and innovative teacher in this field today.

Maria's method is unique. The methods she uses and teaches have been developed from her many periods of study in China, Indonesia and Thailand working with the leading experts in their respective fields.

She furthered her knowledge and refined her techniques under several prominent Chinese doctors at the famous Yue-Yang hospital in Shanghai, and hospitals in Weihai and Xian. In Thailand she studied at the sacred Wat Pho temple in Bangkok and at the massage hospital in Chiang Mai.

Indonesian massage became part of her life during her four year period in Bandung where she was taught massage by traditional and blind experts. She brings a wealth of practical experience to her courses, having achieved outstanding results with thousands of patients.

Maria trained the rest of the family and they all became involved, on a professional basis.
The family massages each other; often at the end of the working day.

Maria is the originator of BODYHARMONICS, an integrated approach to therapy, which blends Oriental therapies - Chinese, Thai and Indonesian Massage and Acupuncture with Perceptive Listening in a unique fusion to promote health and harmony.

Maria is a best selling author. Her books "Step-by-Step Tui Na" published by Gaia Books and "Thai Massage" published by Marshall are definitive texts. Her third book "Tui Na for a Healthy Brighter Child" presents Tui Na for babies (0-6 years) in a uniquely understandable format for Western
mothers. Her books have been translated into 12 languages.

She has produced and directed a series of videos (filmed by professionals) to accompany her books.

Maria has demonstrated on television. BBC1- Pebble Mill's Good Morning programme, GMTV on ITV, Cable Live TV and on Granada Breeze and has been interviewed for radio programmes.