Bodywork with me

How I Approach Massage

If you got here from my landing page, you know I’m not here to fix or heal you. Why do I say that? Well…I don’t think there’s actually anything wrong with you. Your body is simply voicing its needs in a way you don’t quite understand- yet. And your body heals itself, always. It’s designed to.

So rather than a fixer or even a healer, I see myself mostly as a translator & a teacher. What do translators do really well? They LISTEN. And then relay their best interpretation of what’s being said. Listening in the sense of the body is simply paying attention to how it feels.

Working with me means I’m going to ask you to pay a lot more attention to your body regularly so that we can work together to figure out what it’s saying.

It also means you’re gonna get a lot of compassion & invitation to more self-compassion because your body is probably not actually broken- it’s just asking to get its needs met. Sometimes very loudly.

Working with me also means listening to your needs more deeply and doing your best to meet those needs without adding on shame or self-judgment.

Massage with me is not a service like waxing where you show up once a month, I do all the work & then you cruise along until the next time I see you.

I can almost guarantee that I’ll give you homework to help you listen & attend to your needs and your body.

Because like I said- I’m also a teacher- I’m gonna teach you how to recognize what your body is asking for & how to answer it so you don’t need to rely on me to feel good.

This is YOUR body we’re working with after all —and you’re only seeing me ~1% of the time— it would be a ridiculous disservice to you if I didn’t show you how to take care of yourself! This means you gotta put in work in the interim.

The way I practice massage is that I look for patterns of movement or being that are doing a disservice to your quality of life, and then we address them together. I offer muscular decompression, nervous system regulation, and a feeling of being held during all of my massage sessions. After our session time, I will almost always have suggestions of actions you can take that will benefit your being (body, mind, spirit). Most often, they are movement suggestions that will help counteract or prevent pain or consistent, unproductive discomfort you’re feeling day to day. Sometimes, they may be energetic in nature, like a suggestion of trying to be less hard on yourself, or to ask for help when you need it because I can feel that you don’t.

I’m very holistic in my approach to work on the body- sometimes our muscles are tense from overuse or imbalance, and sometimes they’re tense because unconsciously we believe we’re not allowed to let go without dire consequences. Both are valid and important to talk about, and this is also why I call my massage “intuitive;” sometimes I can just feel you are holding grief in your body, sometimes I can just feel that you take the weight of the world and never ask for what you need. And I make suggestions about what you can do at home because we’re not going to get very far if the only progress being made is 1 hour once a month, in my massage space, whether the issue is muscular or not. When you work with me, I see you as a whole human, not just a body. My space is not a clinical space, despite my being a body science NERD, but a space for you to fully BE. All of you, all parts working together.

When you choose to work with me, you choose to work TOGETHER to help you figure out how to better tend to your being. When you choose to work with me, you commit to paying more attention and devoting more time to really being with and in your body. When you choose to work with me, you really choose YOU in a big way.

If this sounds like a YES, then read on!

My Goals For You As my Client

My goals for you as your massage therapist are essentially to help you understand your body and its feedback (and any sensation you feel is feedback) so you can:

-Increase your awareness of your own bodily sensations and presence to them so you know how your body feels in the moment, at any given time. I’d like to be able to ask you “when do you feel __ ?“ and have you be able to track your body sensations through your day and answer. Often “I don’t know” means “I haven’t been paying attention,” which is absolutely okay AND won’t help you much with changed behavior- all change starts with awareness of what we’re doing first!

-Increase your capacity to receive. Western culture has encouraged us to always be Doing something. My massage space is a place where we work on simply Being. No need to help me move you, no need to do anything (unless it’s beneficial for myofascial release). Just receiving touch & allowing yourself to be held & moved, both literally and figuratively/emotionally. My office is a practice space for reception.

-Increase your capacity to allow sensation aka help you breathe through productive discomfort & acknowledge that it is sensational without trying to ignore it, avoid it, or stop because it isn’t within your preferred sensation range (as distinct from un-productive discomfort or pain)

-Deeply connect with your body- understand your body’s specific tendencies, patterns, & communication and how to be present with or address them on your own so you can meet yourself with kindness + compassion and know what tools you need for treatment or prevention -even when you’re not in my office

Bodywork Styles

Thai Massage

My specialty & favorite style is still Thai massage, because it allows for ease of movement in its full range and expression for both parties, and uses gravity to its full advantage. But please be aware that I practice Thai Massage for Western bodies. If you’ve had a Thai Massage before, you may note some differences in how I practice: I am much gentler in stretches- I will not push your joints past their end range, and I don’t believe you should ever be wincing in discomfort or pushed into pain. Also, I will not put you into passive back-bends on the floor because I don’t believe that to be beneficial for your low back- it’s compromised in that position passively, without muscular support.

Thai Massage as I practice takes place on a mat on the ground, fully clothed; with rhythmic movements, gentle compressions + passive stretching. Rather than oil being used to knead muscles, I’ll use my hands, elbows, feet, and knees to stretch, pull, and rock different parts of your body. I may even sit on you to stretch you into certain positions or to compress larger muscle groups.

All of this is designed to help remind you that you’re whole- your muscles, mind, nervous system and soul, are all working together, and when they’re all addressed together, we heal holistically.

Floor Thai is simple, nourishing, + incredibly effective at helping with increasing range of motion and lessening stress - relaxing AND effective.

Table Massage

My other modality is best described as intuitive neuron-emotional sports massage, with a Thai-Lomi fusion. Table massage with me is practiced on a massage table, using oil, and is a blend of deep tissue techniques with Hawaiian Lomi Lomi head-to-toe strokes that simultaneously get real work done on the muscles WHILE calming the nervous system. I tend to combine these Lomi-style strokes with Thai Massage-type stretches, nurturing positions and pace to create a truly multi-dimensional experience unlike any other. My table work often transcends massage, moving into full physical surrender, and ultimately bringing you back to yourself in the most gentle, loving way.

Wondering where to start? If it’s your first time with me, I suggest starting with whatever draws you to it more. I trust your inner knowing.

Still unsure? Try Thai massage- it’s a great way to ease into bodywork with a new therapist, since being fully clothed with a stranger is always a little more comfortable.