Open the door to the therapy room nestled in a corner of Gale Prouty's eclectic Marysville home and you're immediately transported deep into a peaceful forest landscape, complete with woodland flowers, gentle filtered sunlight and fluffy white clouds.

The four walls and ceiling are completely covered with a dimensional forest scene created by Snohomish artist Chris Cole, also known as the "Stencil Lady." This mural, however, is certainly no stenciled design.

Cole and Prouty worked on the lifelike scene for more than 60 hours, creating a tranquil environment in which Prouty, a licensed massage therapist, can use her unique skills and training to improve her clients' overall health.

"We are tactile beings," Prouty explained. "Human touch calms, soothes and cleanses the body."

A vibrant woman who also exudes a quiet calm, Prouty was trained in massage therapy in Spokane at the Inland Massage Institute more than 20 years ago. She had built up a thriving practice in her hometown of Colfax, Washington, but in 1996 she she left the eastern Washington community to join her college sweetheart, Mark Hibbert, at his Marysville home.

"It was tough to move away from Colfax and difficult to leave my clients, who were also my dear friends," said Prouty. "But Mark was certainly worth it," she added with a smile.

Once settled, she started to establish a clientele in Snohomish County. After more than 20 years in the profession, Prouty began to notice that the results she was so anxious to provide to others were beginning to take a toll on her own body.

"Deep tissue massage is very physical," she said, "and I began to notice signs that the work I was doing was affecting me negatively."

Determined to find a way to continue to provide a full range of massage services for "another 20 years," Prouty started investigating alternative techniques and discovered Ashiatsu, known as Oriental bar therapy, in a magazine article in 2002.

After learning more about the practice and benefits of Ashiatsu, Prouty began taking classes in the discipline early this year. She will undergo additional training in Portland this June, and plans to continue to learn more about the ancient massage method as classes are offered.

Ashiatsu is similar to deep tissue massage, but it's delivered by the therapist's feet instead of hands and elbows. However, Prouty doesn't "walk" on her clients' back. Rather, she has installed sturdy bars above the massage table that support her weight while she strategically presses the heels and soles of her well-manicured bare feet into the deep tissues of the back.

"The heel is much less invasive than the elbow," she explained. "Instead of this knobby, hard bone pressing into those tender areas, the heel is soft and rounded while still powerful."

The deep but gentle massage technique of Ashiatsu is especially good for construction workers, athletes, truck drivers, grocery cashiers and others who use their bodies in ways that may lead to muscle imbalances.

Massage therapy offers real physical benefits, and is often combined with chiropractic care for optimum physical health. By stimulating the circulatory and lymphatic systems, massage can lower blood pressure and pulse rates, help cleanse toxins out of the body, break down adhesions, enhance muscle tone, and even increase red and white blood cell counts.

There can also be emotional reactions, Prouty warned. "Because this is such a safe and trusting environment, clients are sometimes surprised by the flood of emotions that can be released with massage therapy. It's as if the emotions are locked in a clenched muscle group, and when that tightness is released, the feelings flow out with the pain."

Like other licensed massage practitioners (LMPs), Prouty is skilled at delivering basic Swedish massage, hydrotherapy and cryotherapy (adding heat or cold strategically), and deep tissue massage. She offers specialized treatments for athletes, pregnant women and the elderly, as well as aromatherapy and "energy work."

"Over the years, I've learned to open my own sensitivity and let my hands get to know my client's body each time," said Prouty. "By hovering just above the surface, there's an energy that's received and transmitted."

She laughed and continued, "I'm not claiming to be a miracle worker. I don't have any special powers of healing. I've just worked hard to understand and recognize that innate electrical charge all humans emit, and it can sometimes offer amazing insights."

"Besides, all this rubbing has worn down my layers of skin, so the nerves of my fingertips are at the forefront," she explained.

Prouty is committed to providing a comfortable environment for her clients, and urges them to design their own experience by controlling the music, lighting and room temperature. She works gradually, allowing the client's self-consciousness to melt away slowly as she maintains as much modesty as the therapy allows.

"I will continue to try to provide the care my clients need, knowing that we all have different needs on different days," said Prouty. "Whether they're looking for relaxation, stress relief, injury treatment or care for muscle aches, I want to be able to help coax out what the world has put in."

To speak with Gale Prouty about the benefits of massage therapy, including Ashiatsu, phone (425) 345-2356, or e-mail galeprouty@verizon.net.