There are over 100 different types of massage, so which one is best for relaxation? It often depends on what’s keeping your body from relaxing.
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The most popular massages in the United States are arguably Swedish and deep tissue. The difference, generally speaking, is pressure. But how do you know which one you need?
I will usually recommend starting with Swedish to test how much pressure you need to penetrate through your skin and get into muscle. Muscles are layered, so if you present with problems in your superficial layers, Swedish will do the trick.
Also, if your goal is better sleep, boosted blood circulation, lowered blood pressure, or just a general relaxing massage, that’s screaming “SWEDISH!”
What if Swedish is too light?
Every therapist’s Swedish is going to be different. Some are overbooked, meaning they literally have to ration out their energy to last the day. Sadly, that means their Swedish is a featherweight pressure and doesn’t yield any results.
To be honest, it takes more energy out of me to hold myself back from applying pressure. If you want an application of oil for $120, I’ll take your money, but I won’t enjoy doing your massage.
All the way back in massage therapy school, my instructor insisted on applying pressure. No fluff n buff, as he called it. My Swedish pressure is gentle, but still pretty firm.
If your concerns are in deeper layers of muscle, then deep tissue massage should be considered. I say considered because even though your problem is stemming from a deeper muscle, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can tolerate the pressure needed to get in there. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the pressure you want for that session.
What’s a proper deep tissue?
I approach deep tissue the way I was taught. Warm up the muscle, layer by layer. Start superficial and work my way deeper and deeper.
I take it slowly, which often turns out to be quite relaxing for my clients. It tends to surprise them. “I never knew deep tissue could be that way!” they say. “No one has ever relieved my pain like that. It was so relaxing and I feel amazing!”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not afraid to cause clients discomfort if the goal is therapeutic results and discomfort is called for. I won’t cause pain for the sake of pain.
Case in point, I have a client who curses at me in Spanish every session. By the end, I’m her favorite person in the whole wide world though. The massage can be pretty intense, but it’s because of three distinct things.
- Tight fascia puts up a fight and getting it to release – even at the superficial level – can hurt.
- When that much congestion and tension are restricting the fascia, it’s hard to get through it into muscle.
- With that much tension held in the muscle, the slightest touch can be unpleasant.
What’s fascia?
If you’ve ever had a steak, you’ve seen fascia. It’s that white, gooey, spiderwebby gook wrapped around the muscle bundles. Fascia wraps every muscle, every organ, every bone, and connects the body internally from head to toe.
Doctors aren’t sure what it does, so during autopsies, they discard it. However, in x-rays of people receiving acupuncture, the needles spin the fascia like thread. Fascia provides a dynamic sense of balance throughout the body.
But of course, I digress.
The thing standing in the way of your equilibrium could be mental duress. I don’t mean a mental illness. I’m talking about the multitude of stressors in any given day taking a toll.
Swedish massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Once your mind switches away from Fight/Flight/Freeze mode, it becomes much easier to think through a vexing problem with grace and calmness.
When you’re in need of stress release from your neck, shoulders, or lower back so that you can relax, talk to me during consultation. We’ll figure out together whether a Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone massage, or even a Joyful Rising signature massage will help you unwind.
During consultation, I’ll guide you through the customization options, as well. That way, every time, you’re very much involved in how your session proceeds. Every time, we journey together to your goal, whether that’s relaxation, pain relief, mental clarity, or the sense of well-being that comes with human touch.
In conclusion, you know your body’s signals, so the massage that’s most relaxing is the one you like best. If you’ve never had a massage, Joyful Rising is a good place to start.
Easily book your appointment: www.joyfulrisingspa.com
Call/Text: 754.777.9437
Follow me on Instagram: (@joyful_rising)
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