Massage style

Many massage therapists offer a "restaurant menu" of styles, based on an original philosophy that is translated into a technique, such as Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, Medical, Shiatsu, Thai, and others.  My style is best described as a blend of Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, and Medical, and that mix varies with your goals and what I find happening with your body.  I do not offer a menu, like a restaurant, but instead ask, “What are you looking for, and what is your body telling me?”

If your intent is relief from muscle aches in a specific area, general anxiety, relaxation, or any kind of unspecific discomfort, I would adjust my technique to suit you, and “communicate” with your body to sense what is going on.  Your posture, breathing, muscle texture, temperature, muscle response and other clues tell a tremendous story of what is happening with you.  My massage is adjusted to address what I find, in an attempt to achieve structural balance and a relaxed and comfortable state. 

If relaxation is your goal, Deep Tissue work might be lighter than usual, and Swedish style strokes would be more helpful.  If unusual tension is found in an area, stretching might be included, but not if relaxation is primary, since the stretching takes clients out of their relaxed state.

If emotional issues are involved, I will follow as you lead.  Many times I have had clients come in asking for a relaxing massage to relieve neck and back pain.  In around 10 minutes into the massage, a client, while chatting, will mention, as though offhand, that someone in their lives abandoned them that day, or they were diagnosed with a serious illness, or that they were informed that a critical surgery was imminent, a job was lost, or that some earth shattering revelation occurred, all while speaking in a casual, matter of fact tone.  Sometimes people are just looking for human touch, caring and warmth. 

Some clients comment that they don’t want Deep Tissue work, because they had it before and it hurt.  If any massage hurt, it was done poorly.  Massage should never hurt, unless the therapist made a mistake and misjudged the location of a nerve or attachment (they are slightly different in everyone) or went too deep too fast.  Deep Tissue work involves addressing the muscle with light touch, going deeper as the muscle allows, causing a melting sensation.  If you force quickly, the muscle “guards” itself, in a clenching type of reflex, and it does hurt.  Try it with cold butter.  You can allow your finger to melt into it, or you can push into it and what happens? The butter cracks and splits, and if butter could say OUCH, it would.

If you feel generally sore and achy, massage may feel tender at first, but clients also remark that it “hurts so good’, in that it aches at first but has a relieving sense to it.  Communicate your feelings with me so that I can take care to apply the correct pressures to make sure that I remain in the relieving mode.  Words are not necessary, as I read groans and grunts perfectly well too.  I will not ask, every few moments, :is this OK?, is this too much?, is this too light?  I will be reading your breathing, your muscle texture, muscle tone and other subtle cues.

Massage Benefits

Massage can benefit you in many ways, some obvious, but many are very subtle.  Listed are a few that have been scientifically studied. 

·        Relaxation and release from fatigue and stress.

·        Release from pain and muscle tension.

·        Reduction of post-workout muscle aches.

·        Improved joint range of motion and breakup of adhesions from prior injuries.

·        Improved cardio vascular and lymphatic circulation.

·        Improved immune system response.

·        Improved and accelerated healing.

·        Improved sleep quality.

·        Improved posture.

·        Improved body image and sense of self.

·        Attention deficit disorder clients report an ability to think clearly and plan projects while being massaged.  This affect is only during, and does not continue after the massage.

·        Improvement in test scores by students, when getting a massage before an exam, due to improved memory and recall when relaxed.

·        Improved athletic performance and recovery after an event or competition.

·        Release of withheld emotions, such as grief or fear.

·        Improvement in symptoms of depression.

·        Improvement in hormonal profiles that support fat loss and muscle gains.

·        Perceived as an wonderful and caring incentive, gift or reward.

The Zone

“The Zone” is a common term used to describe the sympathetic neurological state.  Like art, it is easily understood when experienced, but hard to describe.  It’s like sleep, but isn’t sleep.  You might dream, but you are still aware.  Your sensation is generally one of floating.  It sounds wonderful, but it is much more than that.  Your body is in a state of intense repair and recovery when in “the Zone”.  When you sleep at night, you get some of the same affects, but more slowly.  Clients remember all of the massage while in the zone, yet remark that they really felt like they were away in a dream.  Your hormones shift, your metabolism changes and your body is in an intense process of which you are unaware.  Many of the benefits of massage come from being in this state, called “the Zone”

Some therapists grant clients permission to go to sleep.  I keep you awake by manipulating my technique to keep you in “the Zone”, aware and in the dreamlike state, but not asleep.  If you actually fall asleep and I can’t bring you awake with higher stroke intensity or rhythm, I will jostle you awake.  Clients that actually fall asleep miss the massage entirely, and may even joke that it never happened.  My reason for not allowing sleep during massage is due to something called “muscle memory”.

I don’t know what is in your memory.  It may be wonderful, or it may be traumatic.  Touch, while asleep, can trigger traumatic memories, bringing a client awake in the middle of a nightmare.  It’s rare, but I’ve had a clients experience it; and it requires professional expertise and care that is beyond my scope of practice.

At the end of the massage I use a very light touch, called “feather stroke”.  It is amazingly effective at bringing clients gently back to  awake awareness.

Clients that are nervous or new to massage may have trouble relaxing and falling into "The Zone" the first time, so don't worry.  The next time you'll know what to expect and have no worries, and will drift off quickly.

Quality Touch

Massage therapists and frequent massage clients know what quality touch is.  When I’m being tested by a client for touch, I can tell.  The client will reserve an hour, seem a little guarded and in the first three minutes of the massage will seemingly melt onto the table and say “can we boost this to an hour and a half?

Clients have all remarked that I have excellent touch.  I communicate with my hands, and manipulate as well as sense the muscles and the body processes.  I am exchanging energy, reading and directing the client gently into a state of supreme relaxation that allows the maximum amount of healing in a short time.  I have several special techniques for making the massage flow seamlessly, and together, with a sensing touch, I am able to maintain quality touch to my massage.