What To Expect > FAQs

How should I know what technique to ask for?
If you have received bodywork before, you will already know what you like and what you don’t based on how you experienced those sessions.

It’s hard to know as a layperson without any prior experience what the different techniques (aka modalities) mean and when one would be preferable to another.

I am proficient in quite a few techniques and will integrate whichever ones seem to be the most appropriate in each situation. You might need more pressure and deeper work (Deep Tissue massage) in some areas (e.g. upper back) or less pressure (myofascial release, Swedish massage, etc) in other areas (e.g. areas that are painful to the touch, recovering from an injury, etc) or no pressure at all (CranioSacral Therapy, polarity work).

Based on your feedback (pressure is too much or too little) and your body’s feedback (does the tension release or not?), I will adjust the work and strokes accordingly.

What I was taught is Conscious Bodywork which is an approach to bodywork that emphasizes the importance of being tuned into your body (a living body, not an object) and how it responds to the work. There’s no agenda, there is no routine or sequence of strokes.

All work and no relaxing?
Depending on what we discussed at the beginning of the session as the goal for this session, it might be a little more “work” than just passively lying there and zoning out.

The “work” part would include muscle testing that’s part of the NeuroMuscular Reprogramming work that I do. It’s easy and light but your engagement is needed. It would/could also include participating in some stretching moves to get a better release.

Clients have reported that they can relax really well even though they are participating. The tension that we are able to work out this way will make the body relax and make you feel more relaxed, too.

The agreement with you as my client is always that if you feel it’s getting too much, you can tell me and I will adjust my work approach. The session is your time and you are in charge for how you want to spend it.

Do you know best or do I know best?
You are in your body and you know best what feels good and what doesn’t. Don’t let any practitioner ever tell you that they know better and this is just how it feels. I pride myself in listening to my clients and making them feel heard and respected. This is very important!

How many sessions before I feel any improvement?
Whenever a client asks me that, I will counter with the question of how long have they had the discomfort or pain they came in with. Often times, you will feel improvement (e.g. in the range of motion of a joint that had felt constricted before) during and/or after the first session. Further improvement will happen over time. When you consider how long you might have already had this discomfort or pain and how long your body has already dealt with it one way or another, you will need to give your body enough time to incorporate the positive changes that the bodywork will bring about.

Could it get worse before it gets better?
Yes, it can. Bodywork is structural work with focus on soft tissues (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue (= fascia)). The body doesn’t like changes that feel too much, and how much is too much is sometimes hard to tell. In my work, I try to err on the side of just enough or a bit too little rather than trying to achieve a big change in order to give your body the chance to adjust/adapt comfortably.
At the end of each session, I will point out to you that you might feel a little worse and/or sore within the next 24 – 48 hours, but as long as this discomfort clears up after that time period, it’s ok and just your body’s way of integrating the changes we made.

A warm bath or – better yet – a hot Epsom salt bath can help alleviate this.

If after 48 hours you don’t feel any better at all, please call me at 510.828.3441.

Should I drink lots of water – before and after the session?
As you know, water is the largest component of our body: it makes up almost 60% of our total body mass. So you can imagine how important adequate hydration is for keeping all of our body’s systems in a healthy balance.
Did you know that our brain is composed of 95% of water? Inadequate water intake can cause shrinkage of the brain, which can affect neuromuscular coordination and the ability to concentrate. Dehydration causes in imbalance of minerals, sodium and potassium, which are needed for proper muscle and nerve function. Our body is an electrochemical organism, and proper hydration is essential for conducting nerve impulses and for transferring information between cells.
You feel tired during the day? Try drinking some water. It’s estimated that 75% of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration, a common cause of fatigue.
When you are physically active, your water intake needs to be adjusted upward to ensure that dehydration doesn’t affect your performance. Dehydration can reduce endurance, affect strength, cause muscle cramping and slow down muscular response.
Adequate hydration can contribute to relieving chronic muscle tension.
Water is also essential for energy production in your cells and for your overall metabolism.
When you receive massage and bodywork, making sure you are hydrated before and stay hydrated after your session will help your body flush out those stored up waste materials from muscles and tissues as they relax and blood circulation as well as lymphatic circulation is increased.
NeuroMuscular Reprogramming is most effective when the communication between your brain (specifically the Motor Control Center) and your muscles works at its best, which is when your body is properly hydrated.

Make it easy on yourself to stay hydrated by carrying a water Bobble, a reusable water bottle with an activated carbon filter built right in that filters as you drink.

One of Bobble’s carbon filters represents three hundred plastic water bottles, filters typically last up to 2 months/150 litres.

Bobble bottles are made from recycled material and are recyclable; they’re also BPA, Phthalate and PVC-free.

Now available at my office for $10 (incl. tax).

How often should I come back?
That depends on various factors such as

• the issue we are working on and how quickly you would like to see improvement
• your schedule
• your budget
• how your body reacts to the work

Consider investing in your body by receiving regular bodywork sessions, and reap the cumulative benefits such as pain relief, eased anxiety and depression, strengthened immunity, enhanced sleep, and reduced fatigue, to name just a few.
Whether you choose it for a luxurious treat, stress relief or pain management or whether you consider it to be pampering, rejuvenating or therapeutic, bodywork can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.
An estimated 90% of disease is related to stress – physical or emotional. Bodywork can help you manage stress, relieve physical tensions and provide a way to achieve emotional balance.
Getting a bodywork session can do a world of good, and getting one on a regular basis can do even more! You will benefit from the cumulative effects and get an amazing return on the investment in your health and well-being.

Do I have to get undressed?
Most clients prefer to get undressed, but it’s everyone’s individual choice. You would be appropriately covered with a sheet throughout the session.

The key is that you need to feel at ease and comfortable to receive the most benefit from the work.

What kind of products do you use?
I use Sacred Earth massage cream and massage oil. All organic and fragrance free. Clients always comment how they don’t feel all greased up after a session, and they really like that.

Will you give me advice on stretches, exercises etc?
Yes. I have extensive experience with stretching, weight training techniques, pilates, yoga, running, swimming, cycling, etc to be able to come up with just the right stretch and/or exercise for you to prolong the effects of the bodywork session. Typically, I give fewer (one or two) rather than several to increase the probability that you’ll actually find the time to do them.

I have foam rollers and The Stick available for purchase in my office. These are my favorite and most effective self-care massage tools.