If you have never had a massage before, looking at a full menu of massage options might seem kind of intimidating. Or maybe you’ve just always had “a massage” and didn’t really consider the benefits beyond relaxation. Here are some short descriptions of the types of massage I offer, and what I feel we can accomplish during specific appointment times.
Chair Massage
You may have seen this type of massage at any assortment of locations, from offices to sports events. A specially designed chair allows you to sit relaxed and fully clothed, leaning forward into a cushioned face cradle. From that position, the massage therapist can work on your back, shoulders, arms, hands, neck and head. In some instances, it’s possible to turn and face the other way in the chair for work on legs and feet.
How Long Should I Schedule?
At events, most chair massages average around 5 to 10 minutes. Even just a few minutes can be helpful in improving circulation, loosening stiff muscles, and relieving pain. In my office, or traveling to people’s homes with my massage chair, longer sessions are possible, averaging 15-30 minutes.
- 5 Minutes: Great for a quick pick-me-up, relieving work related shoulder and neck tension, focusing on one problem area, like sore shoulders, a stiff neck, achy upper back, or even just forearms and hands.
- 10 Minutes: You may be surprised at how much better a 10 minute massage can make you feel! Great for working on shoulders, neck and upper back, or the entire back down into the low back area. If you do a lot of work with your hands, 10 minutes working from your shoulders down to your hands can be wonderful.
- 15-20 Minutes: I like this length for doing some deeper work on shoulders and the entire back. Clients with chronic back pain who maybe can’t afford weekly full massages may benefit from coming in for shorter sessions in the chair to work on those tight back muscles.
- 20+ Minutes: Lots of time to pay more attention to multiple problem areas. It’s a little easier to get the full back, neck and shoulders in, work on arms and hands, even get a little scalp massage in. If a client has a problem laying down on a massage table due to vertigo or breathing issues, etc, a longer session in the massage chair may be well suited to them.
Relaxation (Swedish) Massage
For a relaxation massage, I use the long, flowing, and soothing strokes of Swedish massage, adjusting the pressure of the strokes to suit you. When you just want to relax and let go, this is the massage for you. We don’t focus on a specific problem area, nor poke and prod at “knots” or tight spots. At most, I may adjust the timing of the massage a little bit so I can spend more time on tired feet or achy shoulders, but nothing intense. This massage is just about relaxing, reducing stress, and improving your outlook on life.
How Long Should I Schedule?
- 30 Minutes: It is possible to leave a 30 minute massage feeling relaxed and refreshed. However, given the shorter appointment length, I recommend focusing the massage on the upper body so that we aren’t just speeding through your massage to get to all the parts.
- 60 Minutes: This is an average length relaxation massage. We have time to get the full body from head to toes, and you can really sink in to the relaxation.
- 90-120 Minutes: A long massage session allows for deep relaxation and restorative rest. One hour of massage equals three hours of restorative sleep, so with a two hour massage, you’re getting pretty close to the effects of a full night’s sleep. In addition, I have time to really slow down those slow, soothing Swedish massage strokes, allow you the full benefit of their positive effects on your nervous system.
Therapeutic/Deep Tissue Massage
With this type of massage, while we’re not completely ignoring relaxation, we’re focused on it less. There’s a bit more “poking and prodding”, as I seek out “knots”, tight muscles, and sore spots and spend time on those areas. We’ll talk more as I ask you to let me know when something hurts and when it starts to ease up. I might include stretches for your arms or legs, or ask you to move a body part against resistance, or while I put pressure on a specific muscle. This massage is about improving your mobility, releasing tension and relieving pain.
How Long Should I Schedule?
- 30 Minutes: While it’s possible to get some good therapeutic work done in 30 minutes, we’d definitely want to limit it to just a particular focus area, such as neck/shoulders.
- 60 Minutes: In an hour, we can get most of a full body massage in, but due to the extra time I like to take doing some stretching, range of motion and deep tissue work on problem areas, we should consider focusing the therapeutic work to a particular problem area, such as neck/shoulders, or hips/glutes.
- 90-120 Minutes: In 90 minutes, we can get in full body deep tissue massage and still get some stretches and range of motion work to both hips and shoulders/neck. Two hours is perfect for doing some nice, slow, detailed work on all problem areas, including hip and arm stretches, deep work on particular problem muscles, and some finishing soothing Swedish massage to relax and relieve pain.
Signature TLC Massage
This type of massage is geared primarily towards relaxation, but if there is a particularly painful problem are, most often the neck or upper back/shoulders, we can put a little extra focus or deep work into that area.
How Long Should I Schedule?
- 30 Minutes: As with other types of massage, it is really not possible to get the full body massaged in 30 minutes. However, if you’re on a budget, we can get in an upper body massage with a little extra focus on your problem area and still give you a chance to relax a bit.
- 60 Minute: Probably the most popular type of massage, you can get full body relaxation, with a little extra TLC on shoulders, neck, or even feet.
- 90-120 Minutes: As with a pure relaxation massage, in 90 to 120 minutes, you will have plenty of time to sink into the massage and get deep relaxation. I can work really slowly into tight muscles and significantly reduce the pain response sometimes felt in deeper work.
Reiki has been steadily growing in public awareness in recent years. Chances are, you’ve at least heard the term, or seen it and wondered how to pronounce it (Ray-Key). In a nutshell, Reiki is a simple, safe method of natural healing and self-care that anyone can learn to use.
The name Reiki comes from two Japanese Kanji, Rei and Ki. Rei is generally defined as meaning “universal” and representing body, mind and spirit. Ki is life energy, and you’ll find similar concepts throughout the world, such as chi, prana, qi, or ti. It is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. Therefore, Reiki can be generally translated to “universal life force”.
Reiki is a powerful, yet gentle healing method. Because its source is that of spiritual or universal consciousness, it is believed that this spiritual consciousness always knows what a person needs and will adjust the healing for each individual person. As a result, it can be complementary to other forms of treatment, including medical and psychological care.
Anyone can learn Reiki. You don’t need any particular education level or spiritual belief system to use it. It doesn’t even take years of practice to be able to use it successfully. Once a student receives the attunement, they have Reiki and can use it.
What is Intuitive Bodywork?
Maybe taking the time out for a massage DOES feel decadent. We have busy lives, we have other financial obligations, and many of us have gotten horrible at self-care. The human race needs to stop shaming people for taking care of themselves. I’ll keep saying it until I don’t need to anymore… What you give to all of your obligations and the people you care about is only as good as what you allow back in. When your body finally gives out, who will take care of all of it then?
Most licensed massage therapists are members of a national organization such as the American Massage Therapy Association (
The stones commonly used for hot stone massage are usually basalt, a volcanic stone that retains heat well. The stones used for cold stone massage are typically marble or marine sedimentary stones, which hold cold longer. Basalt stones are often naturally smoothed from the river water or waves where they’re found, while the marble usually needs to be hand cut and smoothed.
I had so many ideas for homemade scrub for the summer season. I like to offer two different “personalities” for the scrubs, to try to appeal to different people’s likes and dislikes. I finally managed to settle on two. Choice one will be cucumber mint sugar scrub, with real pureed cucumber, peppermint essential oil, coconut oil, and granulated sugar. The second option is a mixture of Dead Sea salt, sweet almond oil, and lavender essential oil.
You’ve scheduled your massage and you’re eagerly awaiting the moment you can lay down on that warm, comfy table. How can you get the maximum benefit from your 60 minutes (or more!) on the massage table? Here are a few ways you can help ensure you get the most out of your massage appointment.
If possible, try to skip the perfume, cologne, or aftershave on the day of your appointment. You don’t want your scent-sensitive massage therapist sniffling their way through your massage. It can also drown out the effects of aromatherapy.
Maybe you start to feel it as the days get shorter, or it really kicks in when it’s getting dark out at 4:00 in the afternoon. You might be dreading the dark, cold days of winter for more reasons than just having a lot of snow to shovel. You’re not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a subtype of major depression that the National Institutes of Health estimates affects 6% of the US population, primarily those living in northern climates. Another 14% of the US adult population suffer from less severe form of seasonal mood changes, sometimes referred to as “winter blues”.
While the exact causes of SAD or Winter Blues are not know, it’s believed that changes in the amount of sunlight can throw off your internal clock (circadian rhythm) and leave not sleeping well, or feeling tired and depressed. Reduced sunlight levels may also decrease your body’s production of serotonin, a chemical that affects mood, and melatonin, which also has a role in mood and sleep patterns.
Do you wake up with stiff, sore fingers? I have had several people mention fears of early arthritis (without confirmation by a doctor). You should of course see a doctor if you’re concerned about your health, however there is a possibility that it is not arthritis.
While November’s flavor claim to fame is pumpkin spice, December is all about chocolate peppermint! At least to me, it is!
The thought of baring our stomach to a massage therapist might have its own share of discomfort. It’s the part of our body least protected by sturdy bones, or for many of us, strong muscles. We instinctively curl inward towards a fetal position when feeling stressed, in danger, or defensive, protecting our center.
You don’t need to be self conscious about your belly. A professional massage therapist is not going to judge you or your body. They are thinking about the muscles underneath, how they are held, and what they can do to help them back into the proper tone and ease your discomfort. We see all kinds of bodies during the course of our practice, and we kind of think they’re all a miracle of chemistry, cells and maybe a little magic that makes you a beautiful human being.