Bugabooo

Come into
Balance at
Bugabooo



"When life throws you a challenge, Bugabooo Massage Clinic is the place you can help restore yourself," Theo Lever said.

Mr. Lever and Sergio Espinoza own the Hillcrest massage therapy clinic, which specializes in integrated fusion massage.

"That's one of the values we have. We focus on helping people with their issues," Theo said.

"We want our clients to be centered in their mind, body and spirit. This is how I see health and wholeness. This is being healthy.

"We want to be a resource for our community ... to help them stay balanced in a busy life."




Theo Lever and Elizabeth Weber


Bugabooo, 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd., offers Swedish, relaxation, deep tissue, and sports massage. It specialty is an integrated fusion massage developed by Mr. Espinoza after he was involved in a high-speed auto accident.

After about three years of non-stop, agonizing pain, and no relief from pain medication, he developed his method of fusion massage, concentrating on what gave him the fastest relief with long-term effects. Sergio practiced the method in California for about four years before moving to Arkansas.

He taught the method to Theo and to Caroline McDanial, a massage therapist at Bugabooo.

Theo said fusion massage works well for their clients, because many of them are experiencing extreme pain, just as Sergio did after his accident.

"A great many people who come to see us have issues with pain, with very stressful jobs. The majority seek something a little more than relaxation," Theo said.


Sergio Espinoza, Caroline McDanial, and Theo






















Dr. Wolf Heberlein, a Little Rock physician, began therapy at Bugabooo about a year ago after experiencing back and chest pain.

"I stand in an awkward position for quite some time," Dr. Heberlain said, adding that it was a problem common to many physicians.

But massage therapy by Sergio and Theo gave him needed relief, he said.

"They took care of me. It was really helpful."

Wolf continues his massage therapy at Bugabooo and has recommended the clinic to others. He likes its therapeutic approach versus "the American approach where you take a pill and everything is hunky dory." And he likes the idea that the client is sharing in the healing. "You still have to do stuff yourself."

Tracey Campbell, a Little Rock police officer, is a big believer in Bugabooo.

"I carry her cards ..."

"I read about Bugabooo in Shoppe Talk," Ms. Campbell said, referring to an August 2010 story.

"I had shoulder surgery in April, and before that, I had five knee surgeries. I was always hurting, my shoulder and my knees. I had 10 weeks of physical therapy, but it was still hurting.

"After I read Shoppe Talk, I called Caroline who got me right in there. She worked on me an hour and a half that first day. It hurt so bad when she was doing it, but afterward that day I felt better than I had prior to my surgery. So, I am a big believer," Tracey said.

She continues to do fusion massage therapy with Caroline.

"I recommend it to everyone, and I carry her cards with me now."

About three weeks ago, Tim May of Little Rock, who is training for the Little Rock Marathon, went to Bugabooo for the first time with the goal of shaving 30 minutes off his running time. He'd had a conversation with Theo, who had told him about another runner who successfully reduced his race time by that much.

"I don't keep time when I train, but I can tell a difference in stride and the looseness of my muscles."

In addition, Mr. May went in one day after experiencing hip pain while running. After Theo's massage, he ran the next day with no pain.

"I am a believer," Tim said. "And I will be more of a believer when I qualify for the Boston (Marathon)."

Theo said serenity and joy are involved in helping people in pain come into balance.

"Then they are able to engage their lives with ease. All awareness is not taken up by pain. We can help them find a sense of ease again.

"When you finish with a massage, often you feel a profound sense of clarity, so the effects are more than just physical effects.

"I've always been interested in the mind-body-spirit connection.

"I've done martial arts and I did energy work - techniques to affect the body on emotional-spiritual levels. Massage therapy was the next step."

And working in Africa and France helped shape his attitudes about health, wellness and balance. He worked in the Peace Corps for two years in Burkina Faso, an impoverished nation in west Africa.

"At that point in time, I really wanted to go to Africa and do some type of humanitarian work. The Peace Corps seemed like the best route. The type of people I met in the Peace Corps, I really connected with. I wanted to serve Africa, and at the same time, serve my country, to be an ambassador and let them see there are many types of Americans."

He went to help them, and they helped him in turn.

"I learned the value of taking care of myself and the value of good health. In the village, if you are having a problem, they say, 'as long as you have your health, everything else will fall into place.' That's something that really grabbed a string in my heart, and I always think about.

"It really opened my eyes to what's real and what's important. I really enjoy the life and the privileges we have in this country. We are very blessed to live with the abundance we have. But I got the opportunity to live a very simple life, and during that experience I learned the value of relationships and community and friendships. These things are truly important in life ... the value of simplicity. It's happiness."

Then Theo moved to France for a year, where he taught English in elementary to post high school classes. He said his experiences there continue to influence him and his work. "The French, they value a balanced life - family, work, friends, recreation. This is a core value of their country.

Bugabooo opened in Hillcrest in November 2009.

"The Hillcrest area is an awesome location," Theo said. "A lot of people are healthy and into taking care of their minds and bodies, so they are very open to this kind of work. It seems like a good fit."

To schedule an appointment or for information on discounted massage packages, call 663-7333.

This story was written by Bobbi Nesbitt and appeared in the March 2011 edition of Shoppe Talk .