I am often asked if I offer deep tissue massage. I answer, "Yes, and more than pressure, I provide Presence." Pressure is not necessarily what makes a treatment "deep." Some of the deepest work I do requires very light pressure, reprograming the brain and body through the nervous system and fluid body, causing a shift in tonicity of the musculature that other techniques with their pushing and digging can never achieve.
More important than the actual pressure is the skill to meet the the body with Presence--a state of mindful awareness and open hearted listening to what is actually Present on the table. What is present is not just the state of the body in that instant, but all of the time the body of that beautiful person has been living up to that moment. With something as simple as touch, great complexity is present, and it is this complexity, met with the understanding and experience of knowing how to touch all this information in the moment, that creates the distinction between a mediocre massage and a truly great masterful treatment.
This is what one of my client, Celeste Tell, in Seattle, had to say about my Presencing deep work:
"Google search after google search had yielded hundreds of massage therapists doing "deep tissue" work, yet each visit to these massage therapists--while they felt nice in the moment--still left me still in constant pain. A year ago, I was in such intense pain in my neck, shoulders and upper back that I didn't think I would be able to enjoy my upcoming vacation. That is how I showed up on Anahata's doorstep in Poulsbo hoping against hope that she could help. After two hours she poured my back onto the ferry with advice about posture, direction on exercises to maintain the work and an appointment two weeks later. Since then, not only do I not have any pain, but through regular appointments she has slowly and carefully been unwinding years of bad habits, stress and life that takes its toll on body structure and mechanics--and can impact overall quality of life. Anahata's work is deeply healing--both physically and emotionally. A session can range from gentle cranial work to intense soft tissue work to movement retraining with deep, rhythmic breathing. Somehow, she seems to always know exactly what is needed and I always leave feeling more aligned and grounded than when I arrived. But the true test are the changes to my body over time. While I still have a long way to go on my healing journey, today I am completing a 4 week long fitness boot camp, working out intensely 3-4 days per week. This would not have been possible a year ago. She's the best!"
Deep is a presence--not a pressure. If you are really tired of that deep, confronting work that leaves you sore for days afterwards, come try a different approach.
Patricia Anahata Little, BS LMT
You get one brain, one body. Treat them well.™