Gentle Massage
Gentle (sometimes called ‘Swedish’) Massage is the Western-world standard and is, arguably, the most popular modality of massage today.
This modality is rooted in Western practices of anatomy and physiology. Your therapist may apply a multitude of varying pressure styles that include stroking, kneading, striking, rubbing, and vibrations. Using massage cream and/or oil to help their strokes glide, they focus the pressure along the muscles that run the length of the body.
The light-to-medium pressure is ideal for relieving muscle tension – like the kind that builds up from hunching over a computer all day! This tension can sometimes result in knots: trigger points of extremely tense muscle fibers that form tiny nodules. Massage therapists are trained to feel for these knots, and this massage technique is ideal for gently coaxing them away.
Gentle Massage is also a stress-reliever, which is a benefit unto itself. Plus, it can improve blood flow, delivering more oxygen to cells.