artsandrituals's Personal Masseur Interview

Last Updated: May 18, 2016

- I am very passionate about my work. I aim to provide an experience that involves deep relaxation of Mind, Body and Soul. A true holistic experience that involves not only body work but also energy work in the form of Reiki. Ever since I was a kid I've been interested in metaphysical experiences, and Reiki was one modality that I could attain. It became my foundation for healing work. I also believe that ambience is a big deal when conducting a treatment. Select playlists of relaxation music are always present during my sessions (unless requested not to, some clients prefer total silence). Comfort is another element: whenever I have an out call I bring a set of special cushions that transform any bed or mattress into a working space that feels just as comfortable as proper massage table. When doing in calls at my home/studio in Shibuya, a very special light set up with lamps and candles are presente, as well as incense and the sound of running water from a water feature.

- The starting point in my career as a Massage Therapist was Jan 1, 2011 when I moved to Tokyo in order to try my luck. It involved a lot of hard work, learning a new language (I'm originally from Brazil) and getting new customers. The first year was challenging, specially considering the Tohoku Earthquake that shook the foundations of all of Japan. My idea was to get as many local customers as possible but little by little my client base shifted towards international visitors on business who needed an English speaking Massage Therapist in need of jet lag relief after a long flight. Over these 5 years I have been very successful in a way that my clients tell me to look for them whenever I'm in their cities. This often takes me to New York, San Francisco, Singapore and Hong Kong.

- Definitely! I feel I'm on top of my shape at the moment and I'm able to perform several sessions each day, even though I try to keep it at 1 or 2. However we all grow old and one day my body will no longer be able to handle the hard work anymore. I workout frequently, recently started practicing Capoeira and as much as possible lead a healthy lifestyle here in Tokyo (I don't really like drinking which to me sounds like a blessing, on the other hand I often get late night requests for massages so my sleeping cycle is not the ideal). By the time I retire from massages I'll still be able to perform Reiki and continue with my passion of using my hands to improve people's lives, but I'll definitely miss the physical, solid aspect of it.

- The first client was a very nice guy from DC visiting Osaka, Japan, in 2010. I had recently completed my studies in Shiatsu/Foot Reflexology in Nagoya and was visiting Osaka as well. He found me through Gaydar and in my profile he noticed I was into massages and healing. He contacted me and asked if I would be interested in massaging him in exchange for a fee. I wasn't very experienced at the time and took forever to find his hotel (Google Maps was still very incipient). He was very understanding and welcomed me to his room. We set up his king size bed with pillows and towels, I took a deep breath and started working on his body from head to toes. It felt very natural to me to follow the energy lines I learned in school. I also noticed my intuition was enhanced with the natural flow of Reiki, a technique I had known for 10 years at that point. He enjoyed the session immensely, said that I have a gift and told me to look for him whenever I visit his home city. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to visit DC with enough time to offer massages but hoping we'll find each other again at some point.