Massage & Acupuncture
“Touching hands aren’t like pharmaceuticals or scalpels. They are flashlights in a darkened room. The medicine they administer is self-awareness.”
from Job’s Body by Dean Juhan
Smiling Dog is proud to offer acupuncture and massage therapy from highly-trained and experienced professionals with appointment booking available at your fingertips. Our treatment room has a nestled, cozy feeling inside, yet it’s conveniently located in downtown San Luis Obispo. You can relax before or after your appointment at our lovely courtyard cafe. Click here to proceed to our online scheduler and book an appointment now, or read on about our programs.
About Our Massage Therapy Program
Like yoga, quality therapeutic massage is preventative medicine, a practice that renews tissues and helps to restore our body/mind complex to balance and is truly nurturing. Smiling Dog massage therapist Randie Terese is a certified massage therapist with more than 800 hours of training in the healing arts and a soothing, eclectic style.
Possessing an intuitive touch and 9 years of practical experience, Randie is able to call upon a diversity of healing modalities. (including, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Reiki) uniquely tailoring each session for maximum restorative benefit.
We are proud to use the highest quality, hand-blended massage oils from Diamond Way Ayurveda, selected on the basis of your skin type .
Click here to use our online scheduler and book an appointment with Randie
(Important Note: Call the studio at 805-546-9100 for same day appointments.)
Menu of Treatments, cost and duration
Swedish60 $65 (1 hour)
Swedish90 $85 (1 .5 hour)
Prenatal Massage $80 (1.25 hour)
Foot Reflexology $55 (1 hour)
Hot Stone Massage $105 (1 .5 hour)
Stop by the studio to take advantage of our Spring Massage Madness promotion:
Purchase a 20-class card and receive $30 off a massage treatment of your choice.
Purchase a 10-class card and receive $15 off a massage treatment of your choice.
About Our Acupuncture Program
Pain-free living is possible. Acupuncture is an ancient method of healing used by the Chinese for thousands of years. It involves balancing the body’s energy (qi) flow by stimulating channels (meridians) affecting the various organs of the body. It is often used for chronic pain and fatigue, but can also be used for almost any physical or emotional problem as an adjunct to traditional medical treatment.
Our acupuncturist Dr. Steve Pittelli is a board certified psychiatrist by trade and works at the California Men’s Colony prison in that respect. Through his practice of yoga he developed an interest in the concepts of prana and qi, and the potential benefits that alternative health modalities can provide. This eventually peaked his interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine, culminating in a specialized course in acupuncture for physicians. He plans to practice acupuncture with an open heart, in a collaborative manner with clients and hopes that it will expand the horizons of both, while providing the client with a lasting benefit to his or her health and well-being.
The two types of sessions offered are initial intake and ongoing treatment. The initial intake involves completing a brief questionnaire, clinical exam and a computer diagnostic assessment of the health and balance of your qi and meridian system. Treatment begins with an auricular treatment using electric stimulation, followed by needle body acupuncture, addressing specific complaints and overall meridian rebalancing and qi restoration. Traditional Chinese herbal remedies will also be recommended. Ongoing treatment sessions include discussion of the treatment to date, with an assessment of your progress, including a follow-up computer diagnostic assessment of your qi and meridian system each session along with continued auricular and/or body acupuncture treatments.
In the spirit of offering affordable methods of self-care, our acupuncture sessions are priced at just $44 for the initial visit and $35 per visit after that.
Click here to book your acupuncture appointment online now. (Important Note: Call the studio at 805-546-9100 for same-day appointments).