MannBodywork's Massage Interview
Do you remember your first client ? Tell us something about that first day when you decided to be a Masseur!
I was pretty nervous to get started. I'd gone to school for this, but this was the first time I was getting paid! Was my price too high? What if he doesn't like the massage?
I remember having a hard time telling if my client enjoyed the massage. I asked a lot of questions about what he liked and didn't like. He said it was good, and had a couple things he wanted more of in the next session. About a week in, I caught my stride, and it has been easeful ever since. Now, I'm excited to try new moves on my clients, and so periodically, I'll take a class in a new style of massage or from a new teacher in order to keep fresh. I think my clients appreciate not having the same massage time after time, so I'm glad to keep evolving.
Some people say that being a Masseur is addictive. Would you miss your Masseur days ?
I really appreciate the connection I have with my clients. I think most people are starved for physical connection, and I get to touch people every day with care and affection. It's not only a job, but a way to stay saneāIf I go too long without touch, I get on-edge. There's a particular magic to bodies getting in sync, and this happens all the time on my table. Such an honor!
Do you consider yourself a successful Masseur?
I think anyone who gets to do what they love to pay the rent is successful, for sure. I'm also happy to have a little extra to pay down my student loans, so I'd say I'm doing well enough business wise. I'm also lucky to work in a space that I share with some colleagues, so there's another level of success here too; we support each other, and that feels right, or fulfilling or something.
Tell us a little about yourself, if you were to pick something what would you like your clients to absolutely know about you?
I'm actually here for you, and I want to know how to maximize our time together. If something isn't working for you, I want to know! If you loved the leg work last time, I want to do more of it this time. I love feedback, the positive and the "negative". There's always some area I can improve in, and many times I need my clients' help to find these edges of my ability.
How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?
I want my clients to leave feeling 1000% better than when they arrived. I want them to be pain-free, relaxed yet invigorated, and humming away to conquer their next dragon. But mostly, I want them to feel connected to themselves and the world around them: to feel light on their feet and deeply rooted in the earth at the same time.
What are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I find a lot of magic in the simple things. I pour tea a lot, and I love the simplicity and earnestness of that ritual. Probably for the same reasons, I like to cook, too.
By mindfully attending to my food and drink, I support myself in my yoga practice. I do a mundane, simple kind of yoga that is repetitive and meditative. If I can bring the right mindset to the yoga mat, the same moves I did yesterday are fresh and exciting, even novel. Same with tea and cooking: the same stuff is made with a different journey each time.
Why did you become a Masseur?
I always liked massaging my friends, but I had never considered it as a career before I had a sweetheart who did massage. He told me how special it feels to be so intimately involved in people's process of healing, and how seriously he takes his job. I was really inspired, and signed up for a couple of massage classes a week later. That's where I caught the bug, and have been fascinated with the intricacies of anatomy and the spirituality of healing ever since.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Masseur?
Any time you are touching someone with care and intention, you are doing invaluable work. Stay receptive to how this body wants to be touched, nurtured, and healed, but go with confidence; we evolved to sync our bodies up with one another, and we have a lot of innate skills before any massage education. Remember how good it feels to be lightly caressed, or for someone to push even slightly on that sore spot. Take what your body already knows about physical connection, and add to it some more knowledge of what's beneath the skin, how those sinews move with one another.
And treat people with affection. Look your clients in the eye, and listen with intent to what's going on in their bodies. Half of the work of massage is making your client feel comfortable, trusting in your presence; your work is amplified if the body you're touching is able to rest.