How We Differ

We place equal emphasis on therapeutic and relaxation work.

Therapeutic work—most often found in clinical environments—mostly treats the musculoskeletal system, helping us overcome the discomfort and restrictions that acute and cumulative injury can leave us with. Manual therapy can address these issues, but often leaves us feeling sore and wanting care, because it is often applied too quickly, without enough attention given to the nervous system and how the work is received.

Relaxation work—most often found in spa environments—mostly treats the nervous system, helping us relax, destress, and reconnect with the signals our body is giving us. While this can be soothing, it can also leave us wanting more because in reconnecting us to our bodies, we become more aware of problem areas in need of therapeutic support.

We believe that in combining therapeutic and relaxation work—in applying manual therapy with the slower speed and nurturing attention to detail that spa work provides—we are functionally treating whole bodies. We also use heated flaxpacks and hot stones in problem areas to increase the effectiveness of our work, and offer postural education to those who want it. The overall effect is that of a deeply soothing tune-up that gives our clients the relief they need to more joyfully engage their lives and the knowledge they need to make more informed decisions about their care and how they use their bodies going forward.

What does this feel like?

We use a variety of fascial techniques—often in the form of hand traction, gliding with oscillation and deep gliding pin and stretch—to help access thinner cross sections of muscle and more thoroughly treat muscle attachments. We also use neuromuscular techniques and mobility work to help reprogram your range in areas you may be feeling restricted. So you know what to expect, this translates into a style that, while relaxing and flowy, often involves moving limbs and the head, and can feel more active than other manual therapy or spa massage.

Here is a visual example of our work

Why 90 minutes?

While we find that 90 minutes is generally about how long it takes to provide therapeutic care at an appropriate speed (and that is what we book, almost exclusively), 120 minute sessions may be available upon request at the discretion of your LMT.

Is this appropriate for me?

Whether you are an athlete trying to get more release out your maximum pressure depth, someone needing gentler care that can still release problem areas, or somewhere in between, these techniques work and feel good.

We deliver therapeutic work slowly, with heat, and with a rhythm and care that makes the work both mechanically effective and deeply soothing. While our LMTs each shine most brightly in their areas of special interest, we can all address anything from complex conditions like frozen shoulder or post-surgical recovery to simple soreness, and dial up or down our pressure to accommodate a wide range of populations, from athletes to those in need of more gentle care.