Relax with a massage at Glowy's:
Every Thursday you can enjoy relaxing massages from massage therapist Vanessa at Glowy. In today's interview, she provides insights into her work and experiences and explains the treatment process in our beauty bar.
Where did you train to be a massage therapist ?
Massage came to me very early on and very naturally. Friends and family always told me I had a very good touch and knew exactly where to press to release tensions.
I always thought everyone had this gift and didn't take it very seriously until I traveled to Australia. I knew then that when I would come back to France, working in an office would'nt make me happy.
After 1 year of traveling I took 1 last month in Bali to think about what would I love to do that could help people feel better and contrbute to their well being. I then remembered how natural it is for me to massage people and provide a relaxed space for them.
After this realization I came to Berlin and did several healing certifications plus a massage therapist accreditation at Medios Akademie.
I now combine massage and healing techniques and my intuition to give my clients a very personalized moment.
Describe what the client should expect at their first visit :
During the first visit we will have a brief talk and I will ask you about allergies, health issues and what your specific wishes are for our session together.
I will then leave you time to undress and lay face down on the massage table while I'll bring the warmed towels.
I then proceed to the massage therapy starting with an inhale / exhale to help your body be present and relax while my hands lay on your back to feel your body and energy.
At the end of the massage you will have a moment alone in the room to slowly wake up and dress up.
Discuss the physical impact of a specific activity (football, gardening, sitting at a desk...):
Most of my clients are working in an office or using a laptop most of the time.
A few impact can be seen if the person doesn't have a regular sport practice or stretching / breathing / yoga...
Starting with the hips who are weaken and shorten when sitting to long in the same position. This then leads to lower back pain, stifness and inflexibility.
Of course the neck and shoulders are the #1 reason why people book a massage.
We all forget at some point to have a proper posture and this leads to hunch our shoulders which affects our back in general but also our breathing pattern.
Many of the people I massage have a short and stressed breath. When shoulders are rounded it provokes a restrictions of the expansion of the ribcage, diaphragm rise (which can relieve or cause stress) and lung volume.
Overall, the static posture is the big problem of working in the same position.
Try to move, to stretch at least 10 mins per day and pay attention to your back position.
The therapy I provide is effective for : anxiety, insomnia, back and neck pain, digestive problems (on request) headaches and overall stress feelings.
Talk about the ailment you most effectively treat:
On a physical level it mainly helps with relaxation and stretch of the muscles.
It also helps on a mental level to reduce stress, anxiety and improves sleep.
At a soul level, massage and touch is a very grounding & healing practice to incorporate on a regular basis.
Touch has been proven to heal and release hormones that will help regulate the nervous system.
How often should I get a massage?
This depends on how often someone practice sports or other types of relaxation activities.
For someone practicing sport very regularly it should be once a week to once every 2 weeks and this would be more a sport massage.
For someone sitting at a desk with almost no activity, once a month or 2 months would be great.
In general I would say a minimum of once every 3-4 months and if you can afford it once a month is perfect !