Estelle Harford brings Ki-Hara to Atlanta!
Many of Atlanta’s top fitness fiends and pro athletes have a secret training weapon: They rely on Estelle Harford of Stellar Strength, a wellness professional. When she moved to Atlanta eight years ago from Chicago, she brought two unique techniques: Ki-Hara and myofascial release. Here, she discusses what they are and how she uses them to eliminate pain and gain strength without causing injury.
How did you get your start in wellness?
I have an art degree and started a high-end decorative wall finishing company out of college. I did that for a long time. It was super labor-intensive! I had been working out a lot, so I decided to become a personal trainer in Chicago. I’d see people get hurt while training and go to physical therapy, and the injury wouldn’t get better. A personal training client had experienced Ki-Hara, a way of strengthening muscles that I hadn’t heard of, and told me I should look into it.
What is Ki-Hara?
There are two types of muscle work: concentric and eccentric. Typically, when people work out, they’re only working on the concentric movement when the muscle is contracting, not while it’s extending. Ki-Hara is unique in that it works on the muscle in both directions. This significantly reduces any chances of potential injury because the muscle is contracting while it’s being lengthened. It also allows for great increases in true flexibility and range of motion because you are never forcing the body into a position it cannot go into. You also have to be balanced. You can’t just work half of the body. By working with me, you are also getting a safer, deeper, longer stretch leverage that you would not be able to produce nearly as effectively on your own. I love how I can help eliminate pain, increase flexibility and range of motion, and strengthen the body at once.
Is Ki-Hara certification rare?
I’m the only person in the state certified in Ki-Hara at a master level. It’s an involved process to get certified, and I have been for 15 years.
You also specialize in myofascial release, a type of massage.
I am trained in the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release method. He’s the authority. Fascia is a three-dimensional web of connective tissue that is everywhere throughout your body. If it gets tight, or there is trauma or injury, you need to release it so it can work properly. If you have dense fascia, that area of your body feels locked up like a straitjacket and needs to be released.
How is it different than a regular massage?
I use gentle, specifically directed pressure on the fascia until it loosens, sometimes three to seven minutes in one area, depending on what I’m feeling. If I force it, it won’t create lasting change. Ki-Hara and MFR are a great complement to each other. One picks up where the other leaves off.
How can someone find you?
I mostly do in-home sessions in the Buckhead and Sandy Springs areas. I get a lot of referrals from current clients, including pro athletes I train. A lot of times, I’m someone’s last resort, and they find me because they have heard myofascial release might work for pain. I can help them thanks to my diverse background in these modalities.
STELLAR STRENGTH
630.730.1410
stellarstrength.com
@stellarstrength
PHOTO: Erik Meadows
