Get More From Your Massage

I’ve found that too much pain during a massage can get in the way of its benefits. While learning to breathe & relax into the pressure tends to lead to better, longer-lasting results.

When is a massage too hard?

People often come in for a massage with a “no pain, no gain” mindset. They might say “the pain helps” or “I’ll just talk through it” so they don’t have to feel it.

Those instincts aren’t wrong – but here are my beliefs around pressure in a massage.

It might be too much pressure when:

• It crosses the line from pleasurable pain into pure pain.
• You’re tensing up or resisting the pressure.
• You clench your jaw, fists or other areas to get through it.
• You can’t relax your face.
• You hold your breath or breathe shallowly.

If you experience any of the above, try breathing and relaxing into it as described below.

But if that’s too challenging, just ask me to ease off slightly so that you can.

How to get the most of your massage.

A bit of chat & banter at the start is normal. And if having a chat the whole massage is your jam, that’s fine too.

Otherwise once the conversation naturally settles. Feel free to let it go.

I’ll also get the message if you start giving shorter responses. Or you can let me know that you want to focus on your breath.

Then:

• Focus on your breath.
• Breathe slowly & fully through your nose.
• On every exhale, let your body relax into the table as you exhale fully.
• Soften your jaw, shoulders, arms, legs, face – whatever’s holding on.
• Be present with the massage & let the muscles I’m working on relax into the applied pressure.

This way we’re working together.

My job is to help your muscles & tissue to relax. When your body resists, it slows that relaxation down.

When you breathe & soften like this, there’s less resistance – so we can get deeper, faster and release more tension.