To deep? Or not too deep?

That is the question. And the answer is not always straightforward. It depends on the client and it depends on the therapist. As a client I don’t like extremely deep massage. Pain, whether intentional or not, causes my body to tense. And that is the opposite of what I want a massage to achieve. Other people crave deep pressure when they are in pain and can’t relax until they feel the massage therapist’s elbow reach their soul itself.

Neither style is “wrong,” but it is important to find a therapist who works in a way that is helpful to your body. I don’t do painful massage, so I am going to talk about gentle massage. It is important to know that gentle doesn’t mean soft or boring. You are not doomed to a life of massages that don’t address your pain because you can’t handle a classic deep tissue massage. Depth is often confused with effective in the massage world. But they aren’t the same.

Gentle massage can be effective if the therapist takes the time to sink slowly into the tissues. Gentle massage can be effective by using myofascial techniques to stretch the tissues instead of digging into them. Gentle massage can be effective if pressure is applied to an area while another area is purposefully manipulated (ex. pressure is applied between the spine and shoulder blade while the whole shoulder is slowly lifted up and down. Contented sighs all around.)

Because I prefer massage that is relaxing over painful I am drawn to continuing education that enhances my ability to be effective while providing relaxation. Myofascial, Maya abdominal, lymphatic, and even Thai massage are styles I have studied that are gentle in nature. While they are gentle, they have a deep impact on the recipient. I rarely do a massage that doesn’t combine all of these styles into one magical, gentle effective massage session.