One of the questions that comes up the most for us at the front desk is, "What is the difference between Relaxation and Deep Tissue?" These are our two most popular massages, but many clients who are relatively new to the service aren't sure which one is right for them. My typical response is that a Relaxation is a basic Swedish massage with a light to medium pressure, and a deep tissue provides a medium to deep pressure. But recently, when I had the extreme pleasure of having my first massage with Pavia's lovely and talented therapist Chelsea Boyer, I got some valuable insight.
I opted for a relaxation massage, but asked Chelsea to help me identify the difference between Swedish and deep tissue techniques. She told me that deep tissue involves putting strong concentrated pressure into the hot-spots--where a client has the most tightness. The therapist holds the pressure on the muscle fibers until they feel them release. This process can be used in just about any area but is needed most frequently on the back, shoulders and legs.
I knew that massage itself is very detoxifying for recipients, because it moves impurities from your muscles and tissues and assists the lymphatic system in carrying away toxins. (This is part of why we always recommend that clients drink lots of water after a massage, to help their body cleanse). But Chelsea let me know that using deep tissue techniques on a client's entire body could flush out impurities TOO quickly and cause discomfort. So the Relaxation massage and the Deep Tissue both contain elements of the other, depending on our guest's individual needs and preferences.
For me, I have some crazy knots in my back, between my shoulders. I refer to them as my "hazelnuts." Unfortunately, hazelnuts go much better with chocolate than with scapula. But Chelsea blended her stellar deep tissue techniques into my relaxing massage and really got those knots to give it a rest. All evening I couldn't stop saying,"I LOVE massage!"
Thanks again, Chelsea!
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Haha Claire, I am glad you "solved" the mystery. What Chelsea explained to you as Deep Tissue IS the technical way they teach it in the massage schools (the sink-in method). However, when we say "Deep Tissue" at Pavia, we really mean a firm Swedish massage, because that is what our customers mean when they think of Deep Tissue.
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