March 30, 2011

Under Construction

I've tried not to leave too much lumber in the yard, and to keep a clear path to the front door, but I've been remodeling practically everything about this site, so let me apologize in advance if there's dangling links or things that don't quite match up. I will always answer email promptly, if you have any questions about my practice, or about the site!

I plan to add a page of massage resources, with a global section and a section local to Portland. And also to start reviewing massage books here on the blog, at least one per quarter. Any suggestions for any of these things gratefully entertained. I won't post a link to anything I haven't looked into myself,though, so don't expect me to slap up a link or a reference right away on your say-so. Raw information is more a curse than a blessing, in the age of the internets, and anyway, that's what Google and Bing are for.

March 15, 2011

Why More for Two or More Massages?

Sometimes people want to split the $90 two hour massage between two (or even more) people, which is a perfectly reasonable thing to want. As you can see from the rates, I don't do that. Massage isn't a by-the-hour thing for me. Doing two one hour massages takes a lot more out of me than doing one two-hour massage. If I do two back-to-back massages usually I've pretty well shot my bolt for that day. Plus I don't really like doing massages that short. So that's why the pricing for multiple massages stands where it does. I'm still figuring this one out, so it may change.

I also get people asking about three or even more. Jury's still out on this, and I don't really know what to charge. It turns into something less like individual massage and more like a party, which is fun, if tiring. Just a different thing altogether. I don't know. Make me an offer.

Why the Pregnancy / Toddler Special?

Well, for one thing, I love doing pregnancy massage. (I've written about this elsewhere). In short, for two reasons: one, because the body needs it so much, and two, because it's so effective. Most of the muscular pain and stresses of pregancy are new -- not old, deep-seated problems -- and the body's primed, hormonally, to repair itself especially rapidly. So it's particularly satisfying work.

In Nepal, I'm told, pregnant women get massage daily, as a matter of course. That seems to me like the obvious thing to do.

For Americans, who do so much sedentary work (and even when they sit, usually sit slumped in chairs, so that they're not accustomed even to holding their own upper bodies upright), raising babies and toddlers puts an enormous strain on unprepared backs. Lots and lots of people begin a lifetime of chronic back trouble during this time. I don't think that in America we support child-rearing nearly enough, in general, and in this way, in particular. So you might call this my pro-bono work.

Why No Tips?

I appreciate the generous impulse. And it's not that I don't like money. But I have a couple reasons for not accepting tips. One is that it doesn't feel entirely professional to me. Another is that it seems a little dubious ethically to take money from someone when they're (hopefully, anyway) floating on a nice endorphin-high.

But the main reason is quite self-interested. People tend to tip too much, and then to feel that they can't come back unless the tip what they tipped before, and they end up pricing themselves out of their own market. I know I did that, when I was a massage client. I'm delighted that you want to tip me: but channel that impulse into getting massage more frequently, and we'll both be happier.