How to Make Your Treatment More Soothing.

I’ve got a bit pf a reputation for going on the hunt for things – trigger points specifically – and that’s really detailed work aimed at getting to the source of pain.

It can also be a little intense. And sometimes your client wants something less intense – and more soothing.

Still somewhat trigger point focused, but more soothing than the usual deep investigation of the tissues I do.

This is where it pays to be versatile in your approach and really malleable to the needs of your clients – beyond even just the perceived needs of the tissues and inclusive of the other needs they might express, such as the need of a soothing treatment.

So how do you make your treatments more soothing than normal? This is another perfect instance where we can employ our understanding of the “slow it down” mantra.

If you take training with us at Navina, this is a phrase you’ll be very used to. If you haven’t yet had that experience, here’s one of the ways this mantra can be deeply purposeful to us.

Slowing it down can relate to:

• -> The literal pace of the massage
• -> One hand at a time then both
• -> Working towards the end-point slowly
• -> Joint articulation
• -> Pausing with pressure applied
• -> Application of pressure

You can use these to execute an extra soothing experience for someone with the following suggestions:

• • keep your pace really slow and include slow, long sweeps
• • Mostly approach your work one side at a time and probably don’t even work up to both at once
• • Use more repetition to approach the end-point and stay just short of that final end-point. It’ll still be great pressure, it just won’t be testing their relaxation abilities or their focus – they can stay off in dream-land.
• • Joint articulation is super slow and also just short of their fullest range. We’re talking a centimetre off their full range in something like a hip circle (so a small change but significant)
• • Our pauses are still there but less pronounced. Instead of a 2-minute second hold, go for a 1 minute hold. Add more repetition instead of more time at their full range.
• • The application of pressure is smooth and gradual, taking a good amount of time to get close to the end-point.

We always talk about slowing it down and how versatile that is, but I think this is the first time I’m giving you a written example of how you can implement that.

Remember that these intricacies can change the entire experience- even when they’re small changes. This is also a reminder that the details like this are where we continue to find inspiration – it’s impossible to get bored when you’re zooming in on such minute details and shifts.

If you want to try your hand at this type of thing, but you don’t want to commit to a full training yet, the Massage Club is the perfect space for you. Check it out by hitting the link.

Drew.

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For more everyday reads like this, check out:

“How do you know when you’ve got “the” spot when you’re massaging?”
and
It’s a millimetres game.