What is AUVO?
The word ‘auvo’ describes happiness, safety, and stillness – that blissful state when you are fully balanced, relaxed, and present in the moment. This is exactly what the AUVO® Method offers.
The method uniquely combines the healing power of touch and music. It brings a profound experience of relaxation and safety, helping the body and mind recover from strain.
Developed in Finland by Auvo Academy’s Jouko Kivimetsä, the AUVO® Method was born from the desire to create a treatment experience that unites the healing force of touch with the calming influence of music. It emphasizes the importance of touch and genuine presence.
A unique combination of therapeutic touch, music, and presence
Experiences show that the AUVO® Method helps regulate the nervous system, strengthen the sense of safety, and support the mind-body connection. Clients also report measurable positive changes in resting heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, and recovery levels when using devices such as the Oura ring or Firstbeat wellbeing analysis.
The goal of the method is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system through multiple senses, enabling deep relaxation and recovery. While clinical studies on the method itself are not yet available, experiential feedback suggests that treatments activate the parasympathetic system and calm the stress-related sympathetic system.
Touch
The carefully defined movements and precise touches support the release of pleasure- and relaxation-promoting neurotransmitters such as oxytocin, while balancing stress hormones like cortisol.
Music
Specially selected music enhances relaxation and focus. Clients describe music as an essential and impactful part of the treatment, providing a new and deeper dimension of relaxation.
Presence
Continuous gentle touch and the therapist’s presence create a deep sense of safety, allowing the client to fully let go and experience holistic relaxation.
Want to know more about the AUVO® treatment itself and its benefits? Read more here >
Science-Based
Grounded in decades of research on the wellbeing effects of touch and music.
Standardized Method
Every practitioner delivers the same safe, reliable, and deeply relaxing experience.
Holistic Impact
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reduces stress, and supports recovery.
Growing Community
Hundreds of trained practitioners in Finland and Europe, building a supportive network.
A method rooted in scientific research
The AUVO® Method is based on extensive research on the wellbeing benefits of touch and music. Although no clinical studies have yet been conducted specifically on the AUVO® Method, efforts are ongoing to initiate such research.
The treatments are not intended to cure illnesses or conditions, nor do they promise healing. Instead, they aim to relieve chronic stress and support the body’s natural capacity to heal, which may indirectly ease various symptoms.
How does the AUVO® Method differ from other relaxing treatment methods?
“Pain drains mental strength and causes low mood… In my work as an AUVO Practitioner I have been able to ease pain so that customers haven’t needed pain medication, their mood has improved and a smile has appeared on their face.”
“In the Auvo treatment, the first thing I fell in love with was finding a way to create a good feeling for someone without saying a single word – a perfect counterbalance to the rest of my work!”
“The feedback has been entirely positive. At times I still find it hard to believe that such ‘powerful’ effects can be achieved with something so light and effortless.”
The Story Behind the AUVO® Method
The AUVO® Method was created in Finland by innovator Jouko Kivimetsä, who began exploring the power of touch and music more than 30 years ago.
In the late 1980s, while working in the high-pressure world of advertising, he discovered shiatsu and saw how simple touch could ease stress better than any quick fix. Later, when his young son suffered from anxiety after school bullying, nightly gentle treatments helped him sleep again – a personal proof of the quiet power of touch.
Over the years, Jouko explored therapies from lymphatic treatment to reflexology, always searching for what truly restores balance. A turning point came when his father-in-law survived a severe car accident: in the ICU, the family witnessed how slow touch and calming music shifted his vital signs on the monitor. Presence, sound, and touch together clearly affected the nervous system.
From these experiences, Jouko began shaping a method that combined oxytocin-boosting strokes, supportive music, and a calm, grounded presence. AUVO® gradually grew into a complete method – safe to practice, easy to learn, and powerful in its effects.
When Anna Jalava joined, bringing her expertise in pedagogy and holistic wellbeing, together they built not only a training pathway for practitioners but also a strong community. Today, AUVO® is more than a treatment method – it is a growing movement of professionals who support each other and share a vision of healing through touch and presence.
“As a psychophysical physiotherapist… In Auvo treatment these two combine, which is why I now use it as one of the methods in psychophysical physiotherapy.”
“As a brief therapy practitioner, I feel that AUVO treatment complements therapeutic conversations well. In the training, I learned the power of touch and ways to help beyond words.”
Are you ready to experience the AUVO state of being?
Discover the unique relaxing effect of the AUVO® Method for yourself. Each experience is individual, and the holistic impact of the treatment is best understood through personal experience.
Embark on a journey toward deep relaxation and wellbeing.
