What is Myofascial?
What is Neuromuscular?
What is Deep Tissue Massage and how is it different from Deep Pressure Massage?
Why don't more people do this work?
and what got me into this?
To start; let's talk about awareness and gravity in relationship to our bodies.
Our bones are deeply woven connective tissue, and grow in density due to the compression they experience. Meaning, things like Yoga are not only incredible for the obvious reasons, but is one of the very few things that can help lead us back to our efficient state of functioning. Our bones are meant to 'hold' our structure. But furniture has led us to teaching our muscles to take on that job for our bones, since most furniture these days don't allow for the body to 'relax' as we seek 'comfort'.
All of the connective tissue that would ordinarily be coating our system with awareness of how we feel, or compounding into our structure gets displaced by how we hold ourselves at the fulcrum in our joints. So many centers of mobility we end up locking up, in order to make space for the mind to exist without having to 'think' about what our body is doing.
Deep Tissue Massage is a huge part of what I do, but how I look at it anymore isn't about working with the muscles directly, it is a matter of 'freeing' the tendons and joints, and elaborate webbings restricting our muscles to allow for healthier access to movement and function. Our muscles are the things meant to make us move, not hold us in place. So there is a lot of work to be done in retraining the muscles, but before we do that we have to free them, which could often be the bulk of the work we do together.
Deep Pressure Massage means exactly that, it doesn't mean its getting down to the deeper underlying issues in the tissues. It means lotion and deep pressure, and mostly circulation, with maybe some aid to unbinding restrictions. It is minimized when lotion is involved, because friction is required in order to access and break down connective tissue. I call my practice Unwinding Potential, because I look at connective tissue as the physical manifestation of potential energy stuck in the body, and 'PAIN' as an acronym for "PAckaged-INformation".
There is a lot that can come up during this work, memories and disassociated sensations may be unlocked and experienced as we work, or may even days or weeks after a session. It is always good to hydrate yes, but it is also good to have a self-care practice at home and in life. And I am here to talk about what that can look like with what you're already doing, in both rest and activity.
Neuromuscular work, is what I largely consider to be what I do. As I have learned and traded from Structural Integrators like Rolfers, Cranio Sacral experts, and people who specialize in advanced Myofascial therapy, Manual Therapy, etc. The nervous system I consider to be at the root of our process, in how much we can do at a time, and to what's available currently and moving forward. I see it as our battery, we can't create change from a work out, or learn new information when our battery is low. And is similar to receiving this kind of work, if you are exhausted, then the session will be adapted to ensuring you are able to decompress and restore, before diving deeper into the chronic issues.
I will also remind you, that I work in a building with a lot of incredible people who offer many different kinds of modality to help bring you ease in these moments of transformation that would be more suited to helping you if you are exhausted, or overwhelmed by life or things you're feeling. I will always do my best for you in any situation, but I am also here to be practical and honest, knowing that no one person will ever fit all your needs. It takes a village, we are all in this together and deserve to receive from the many kinds of gifts each of us at the "Goose Hollow Healing Collective" have to offer.
https://www.goosehollowhealing.com/