How Shawna's Massage is More Gentle Wave and Less Valley
Recently after receiving a massage, a client described my style by making a wave movement with their hand and it felt so exactly right. There’s a lot that goes into offering a massage. My first priority is always consent and safety. My second priority is comfort: how warm is the table, how does your neck feel in the face cradle, how are your muscles and nervous system reacting to my work? Clients and I always chat briefly about pressure and mainly how much pressure they might like or need today. This is a tricky question because every single massage therapist has different training, ability, body mechanics and strength that can impact their version of “light, medium or deep.” I used to explain to clients that I will warm up the muscles and fascia of a particular part of their body first before seeing if they were open to me going deeper. To explain it I’d use the image of a valley. As they were open I could go lower into the valley. But in reality I think my client was exactly right. My massage is more like a wave. It vacillates between lighter and deeper pressure throughout the session. My aim is to introduce many different stimulus to your body, while always remaining in a relaxing flow. Whatever old belief of “No pain, no gain” could not be farther from my massage style and belief.