Yesterday I had the opportunity to learn that the service I am providing is finding it’s target audience. The conversation with my client after the session reinforced my belief (and let me know I am not crazy for thinking this way) that there is a large part of the population uninterested in the added “fluff” of spa treatments and are simply looking for a focused bodywork session to help them work out the kinks.
After the Deep Circulatory/Sports Massage I provided in room at the Westin Villas Ka’anapali my client thanked me and explained how he had found me (much gratitude to the Internet gods from me). First he checked out a couple of flyers of the various Lahaina Spas and read through the menus of scrubs, treatments, aromatherapy, flowers, candles etc. —- which are great if that is what one is looking for and enjoys.
Massage in Frankfurt, Germany (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My client, on the other hand was not interested in all the charges for that extra “(*^@#)” he said. So, he got on the internet and did a search for (he didn’t remember exatly what words he used) something like mobile therapeutic massage Lahaina and found me.
Once he read on my site that in order to be effective the therapeutic massage need not be bone crushingly painful he picked up the phone and dialed to make an appointment. You see, I myself am experiencing extreme difficulty finding massage therapists on Maui who understand and work with the following Physiology Law and how they apply to massage.
“*Arndt-Schultz Law
Weak stimuli activate physiological processes; very strong stimuli inhibit physiological processes
Applications – Use gentler methods that are slower or less stimulating to activate physiological responses. Doing deep tissue slowly and gently is more effective than using force. Tissue that is gently agitate will heal faster than tissue that is left alone. Weak stimulus activates tissue growth and wound healing.” Bodyworker.com
I call this riding the edge.
As my client said, you need to warm up the body first and then go deep to be effective. The body has a pain response for a reason and if it’s hurting too much then it can NOT be good for you. I agree. I try to work just below the level of “ouch that’s too much, can you go a little lighter please.” Unless of course the client is one of the few who feel that they need to experience extreme pain while receiving a Massage — which I will never understand. – Then hey by all means I can crush you, but work with you on a regular basis this way, probably not. As I told my client I don’t practice “Extreme Massage.”
He laughed and told me a story of how his stepson was trying to recommend a Massage therapist to him in Texas. The stepson was going on and on about how deep and painful the massage was and that when he went home he threw up after it. ”No Way!” My client told him, “That is ridiculous.” I agree.
