On a business level I'm taught to 'target a specific market audience' and yet I've never taken this approach when advertising my work. I love that the people who come to me for treatment are of all different ages and demographic groups; each client bringing to the massage table, a life and everything that that entails.
For massage isn't just about working on the muscles and physical body; it's also about what's going on in the clients life at the time, their state of mind, their past, their personal story and everything that they're carrying whether that's physical, mental or emotional.
No two treatments within the same day are ever the same because we're all so different and no two sessions with the same client are ever the same either because what we bring to the massage table in terms of what's happening in our lives, how we're feeling and what's physically happening with our body is constantly changing from week to week, month to month and so session to session; and this is why having regular massage/bodywork is important for our overall well being.
What we bring to the massage table
Perhaps since your last massage you've been doing some heavy lifting or have spent too long sat at a computer; maybe you've been practicing an instrument, gardening, decorating, training for a marathon, working out more in the gym or maybe just not moving enough. As you bring your achy and sore body to the massage table, the session will be more focused on those problematic areas of your body.
Or maybe life has been getting on top of you and you come to the massage table feeling tired and emotionally fray; you just want to press 'pause' for an hour or so to feel nurtured, rested and restored. Perhaps you're crazily busy and your family are driving you mad; you can feel the stress and tension in your body and you just need a really good massage to 'get in there' and release it.
So whether it's physical, mental or emotional, regular massage/bodywork is a great opportunity to just dump everything that we've been carrying and leave it on the massage table!
As well as physically releasing muscular tension, aches and pains bought about by what ever we're doing with our bodies on a day to day basis; the techniques used in massage such as stretching, kneading shaking/vibrating are all aimed at getting the body to 'let go' of emotional stress (some of which we've been carrying for years) because holding on to that **** is not good for us!
Sometimes just being in the treatment room alone can feel like a little retreat away from the world where we can feel safe. Clients often open up about what's happening in their lives and their problems because it's healing to let it out without the fear of judgement of that it will go any further. I've had many clients who after the massage just burst into tears and this is really powerful and healing because there's a sense of release, that they're able to move on in some way.
After a massage session we leave the table feeling lighter as if a weight had been lifted. We feel more at peace with ourselves and with the world around us; and as one of my clients recently said 'that's a pretty good place to be!'
What I bring to the massage table as your therapist
It's a real honor to be a massage therapist because out side of my little treatment room I'm actually quite shy; but I must have treated hundreds of clients over the years and I feel so privileged that I've been able to help so many people with my work.
Whether you're just passing through, having had just 1 or 2 sessions with me or whether I've been treating you for years; it's my intention to try and tune in the best I can to whatever you're bringing to the table in that particular session; and use my experience and the skills I have learned (and continue to learn) to creatively provide the best massage I can.
For me giving a massage is an opportunity to be fully present in the moment; it's like a meditation where I completely loose myself in what I'm doing and hope that the client looses themselves too! Beth Jenkins and all that she personally carry's is left outside of the treatment room.
I'm not performing a cookie cut out massage whilst thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner; instead I'm tuning into how much pressure to use and to which techniques are needed in order to bring about balance and help with whatever you've brought to the table.
I offer a tranquil space in which to escape the world for an hour or so, a really good massage (!) and the opportunity for you to just drop everything you've been carrying and leave the session feeling lighter in body and mind; and more at peace in your life.
