The Portal Massage

The Power of Noticing in Bodywork 👀

Lately, I’ve been drawn to a simple question during sessions: *“What are you noticing?”* 🤲 It’s an invitation—an opening for curiosity, for connection, for meeting the moment as it unfolds. Sometimes I ask it of the person on the table, and sometimes it’s a quiet check-in with myself. What do I feel? How does the body respond? Am I holding tension, or can I soften and adjust?

People respond in different ways. Some use metaphors 🎭. Some describe textures—*sticky, crunchy, fluid, dense* 🌀. Others hesitate, as if there’s a “right” answer. When that happens, I might offer my own noticing first—not as a correction, but as a way of exploring together.

This kind of noticing isn’t about getting it perfect; it’s just a starting point. A way in. The words are always a little imprecise, but they help shape our awareness. And with awareness, new possibilities tend to emerge. 🚪🌿

What do you notice right now? How do your words shape your awareness? Feel free to share—I'd love to hear your experience.

# # # **Coaching During a Massage Session: A Thread 🧵 (Updated)**

**1/** Coaching during bodywork is a delicate balance. Mindful cues can unlock deeper awareness, but too much talking risks pulling the client out of their embodied experience. Here's how I navigate it…

**2/** The body already knows how to heal. Coaching is less about giving instructions and more about inviting awareness, offering guidance when helpful, and getting out of the way when your body takes the lead.

**3/** I aim to give clear directions by using *physical cues.* Rather than talking at length, I’ll give you something to physically meet and respond to.

**4/** For example, I might say, *“Meet me here,”* while gently pulling your arm in a particular direction. I’m feeling for restrictions in your tissue, but I’m also inviting you to *feel* them too.

**5/** One of my favorite moments is when you discover something in your own body — and I get to *follow* your process as you unwind.

**6/** I love taking the supporting role in these moments. Your body innately knows how to release tension; my job is to create conditions that make that process easier and more effective.

**7/** Sometimes that means offering gentle resistance for your body to push against. Other times, it’s about softening and holding space so your system can reset on its own.

**8/** I think of it as a shared, responsive conversation between two bodies. I’m not leading the session so much as following your body’s wisdom — adjusting and responding in real time.

**9/** These moments of discovery are the heart of the work for me. When both of us drop into the process together, we move beyond technique into something deeply intuitive and relational.

**10/** Coaching isn’t about fixing or teaching. It’s a process of noticing, adjusting, and learning from what your body already knows how to do.

Would love to hear your thoughts! 🧵

**🌟 Rethinking Relaxation in Massage Therapy 🌟**

Have you ever been told during a massage that you're "doing it wrong"? Maybe you've been told to just relax, let go, or stop helping so much. It's a common experience—one that a client recently shared with me—and it got me thinking about the expectations we place on ourselves during a massage.

So here's a question: What if there isn’t just one right way to experience a massage?

Many of us have absorbed the idea that relaxation is synonymous with passivity. That during a massage, we should completely surrender, let our bodies go limp, and let the therapist do all the work. But what if that’s not the only pathway to healing? What if your natural instinct to move, to help, or to actively participate is just as valid and potentially beneficial?

Think about it. Have you ever felt more engaged or even invigorated when you were allowed to participate during a session? Maybe you felt more connected to your body, more aware of what was happening. Techniques like **Active Release Technique** (also known as pin and stretch) or **contract-relax techniques** rely on your active participation, and they can be incredibly effective. These methods show that your involvement isn’t just okay—it can actually enhance the therapeutic process.

Imagine massage as a dance 💃🕺, where sometimes you lead, and other times you follow. There’s a rhythm, a dynamic between activity and passivity, where both have their place. Instead of seeing your desire to help as something to be corrected, what if we embraced it? What if we found ways to harness that energy to move you closer to your goals?

This isn’t about rejecting relaxation. Far from it. It’s about expanding our understanding of what relaxation can look like. It’s about honoring your natural responses and working with them, not against them.

So, the next time you’re on the table, and you feel the urge to move or help, know that it’s not necessarily wrong. It’s just another way of engaging with the process. And if that’s where you’re at, let’s explore it together.

**What do you think?** Have you ever felt conflicted about how you should be during a massage? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Let’s start a conversation about what it really means to relax and how we can create a massage experience that’s uniquely yours.

Massage is primal. Make sure you’re pickin’ the bugs out of your friends fur on a regular basis and if you need someone to pick the bugs out of *your* fur I’m hear for you!

Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a fish Thai massage and he’ll swim through life with less tension, more fluidity, and a deeper connection to his aquatic friends.

Experimental massage fishbowl coming soon

When was the last time you did some spontaneous Thai massage in the park?

Acro stuff!