The short answer is no, but I’d like to give a more detailed answer because this is an important question and there are nuances to it.

The truth is that there may be some discomfort but it depends on your goals for the session. If you are seeking a relaxation massage to soothe your anxiety and replenish your energy, the massage will be fully centered around that. If, however, you are in physical pain and would like to have it addressed, there may be points during your session that feel not quite “relaxing”.

It's important to note that ‘pain’ and ‘discomfort’ are two different sensations.

Signs you are feeling pain include: a sharp or shooting sensation that makes you want to recoil from the touch, holding your breath when the area is worked on, clenching your teeth or hands, and tensing the area as a means of protection (also known as guarding). As the massage therapist, I will be on the lookout for these cues and will check in with you to make sure we are respecting your body’s boundaries—and I encourage you, the client, to notice these reactions and speak up as well.

Discomfort, on the other hand, doesn’t feel great but it's manageable. You can easily breath through it and stay with the sensation until it’s over (and you don't find yourself tensing or guarding the area while it's worked on). 

And, don't worry--Each massage is customized to your specific goals for that session, so you can rest assured that you (and your muscles!) will be treated with care and respect.

What I mean by this is that I am very conscious of a person's nervous system state. For example, are they stressed out, speaking rapidly and having trouble sitting still? Maybe they seem lethargic with their movements and mentioned they've been having a difficult time recently.



These are signals to me that highlight the state someone's nervous system might be in. If someone is in a state of go-go-go and I start the massage with suuuuper slow movements, this may have the opposite effect. Rather than feeling a sense of calm, the person may have an internal experience of urgency or frustration.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what I mean when I say I work with a person's nervous system. In short, I aim to have the most therapeutically effective session with each client and to do this, I am constantly aware of how open their body is to receive the bodywork.

I could speak for days about this but I hope this clears it up a bit!