Sierrawest's Personal Masseur Interview

Last Updated: Jul 06, 2023

- My first client was the one who convinced me that I should get into bodywork. I could hear and feel his pain. He had just come in from a hard day's work and really just needed to get away from everything and everyone else. When he was massaged, you could hear the stress coming out of him and his body was relaxing the more he was massaged. You can tell when a guy's scapulas are too rigid and not kneadable that there's a problem. The relief on his face after the session sealed the deal. I think I had been missing my calling up to that time, but am so happy I decided to take up the art.

- I would say what distinguishes me from other masseurs is a certain level of patience which is not common to find these days. That plus being in tune to what is really causing stress and tension in my guys, makes for giving a restful, relaxing and many times much needed massage that is enjoyable. Currently I am bilingual, English and Spanish speaking and working on French and Italian. Eventually, I hope to take on the challenge of learning a language from the Far East but haven't decided which one yet.

- I think it's very helpful to have. If not the training, then to at least have been exposed to working with those who deal with pains and stresses

- I love to travel and meet new people. Love exercising, reading and going to the beach.

- I would say so. I have had the privilege and pleasure to work on men from different nations and cultures. Some of those I have met have come from Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, Brazil, Egypt, Italy, Panama, Mexico, Venezuela, other parts of the Mediterranean and Middle East & Africa, and of course, the USA.

- Living in some of the largest cities in the country, I saw the need that guys have to have an outlet to release stress and tension. Sometimes just getting in traffic is enough to cause stress, but then guys take on a ton of responsibilities throughout their days, and with those responsibilities often come a hefty dose of stress and tension that doesn't easily leave. So, I wanted to offer a safe haven for them to leave the rest of the world out for an hour or 90 minutes or so where they could relax, de-stress and find time to focus on themselves.

- I would like for my guys to feel refreshed, elated, energized and most of all relaxed, whether they want to feel better to take on the rest of their day, relax or sleep deeply at night. They should be completely relaxed and happy when they leave. Many times, it has been a delightful, enjoyable surprise for many who have not taken a massage like this in quite a while.

- I would love for my guys to feel like they could go into a deep sleep after a session with me. The massage that I offer was originally used as a means to get babies and young children to go to sleep and sleep soundly. It turns out that the same massage works extremely well for adults. Thus, my motto "Call Rashard for a session today and sleep like a baby tonight." It's very much a compliment when my guys start snoozing in the middle of the session. That makes me happy because that's telling me that they enjoy what they're experiencing. I want my guys to feel completely relaxed, like they could just take a good stretch and feel good doing it with all stress and tension eliminated.

- Every chance I get as often as I can. Mainly anywhere west of the Mississippi River, but I'm looking forward to visiting the Midwest and East Coast soon. I will say that I keep a balance. Sometimes I am a homebody and other times I have to get away from the four walls.

- I have been a masseur for 24 years and actually got started with family members who were having issues with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. If possible, I would love to continue doing this for an eternity.

- I would like my clients to know that I am a patient person and patience is something that is rare these days. When I work on a guy, I want to make him feel like he can let go of time and just focus on himself. And to do that requires a ton of patience and attention to not only how that guy is feeling, but what he has to contend with that brings on so much stress and tension. That kind of attention isn't something that you can get out on a rush job. It takes a certain level of patience, care and concern for others. So really, it's a labor of love for others to help them to feel better afterwards than they did before.

- Absolutely. There is something that is addictive and at the same time calming about giving someone else time to de-stress and relax and knowing that you contributed to their relief.

- Being a masseur is definitely rewarding in my opinion. But the advice I would give to someone who wants to be a masseur is to not do it just for the money. Anything can be done for money, but if you decide to become a masseur because you have a concern for the welfare of others and you love being a masseur, then you will never really work a day in your life.