THE TREATMENTS

Deep tissue and holistic bodywork, Structural Rebalancing and pregnancy massage in a warm, personal setting in Tunbridge Wells.

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Not Your Average Massage…

This isn’t your average massage; treatments at The Zen Den are pretty unique. If you’re new to massage therapy or you’re accustomed to receiving bodywork in spa settings or clinics (eg sports massage), it’s important to understand the way I work so you can determine in advance whether or not it’s for you (spoiler: it probably is). Read on!

“… but aren’t all massages just, you know, massages?"

Nope. There are countless different styles and modalities of massage therapy/hands-on bodywork. Treatments at The Zen Den are pretty unique, and I regularly receive feedback from new clients that they’ve never had a massage like this before (we can thank my tutor/guru Michael Gibbons for that). I refer to my work as ‘bodywork’ rather than ‘massage’, because I find the latter a little limiting and reductive in comparison to what I actually do. Allow me to explain…

Simply put, the bodywork I offer is about making space.

The body knows how to heal. In any healing modality, the intention is for the practitioner to create the conditions in which the body can heal itself. Any sort of constriction in the body, whether it’s a result of injury, repetitive movement, postural habits, emotional stress (conscious or subconscious) requires space around it to breathe. My work is not about chasing symptoms around the body, or identifying which particular muscle or tendon or vertebrae is hurting; rather, it’s about making space around the entire area so that the body has room to heal. We’re aiming for your body to allow a state of softening and surrender, which I will often describe as a sensation of melting, where it is usually in a state of doing, gripping, and holding on. In order to make space, you have to let go.

“WHAT SORT OF MASSAGE IS THIS?”

I get this one all the time! I don’t offer one specific “style” of massage; all of my treatments draw on a number of techniques from many bodywork modalities, including “classic” massage (effleurage, pettrisage, etc - you’ll probably be familiar with this style if you’ve had massages in spa settings) and more advanced, remedial techniques. I combine these techniques with my massage therapist’s detective skills and intuition to work out what you and your body need on the day. Think of it as a pick-n-mix as opposed to one big bag of the same sweets.

The bodywork pick-n-mix includes “classic” Swedish-inspired strokes, deep tissue work, myofascial release, soft tissue release, and passive stretching/mobilisation techniques. The combination encourages deep relaxation and postural realignment, eases tense muscles, relieves stress and anxiety, and improves mobility. Ultimately this will help you to move and use your body more effectively, and to feel more connected with yourself, which is great news no matter why you originally wanted or needed to receive massage.

HOW DOES IT FEEL?


The pressure applied and the “vibe” of the treatment is completely determined by you. Simply put, the aim of my bodywork treatments is to make space. I use slow, deep strokes to gently encourage the soft tissue to ‘melt’ under my hands. When I say ‘gently’ I’m referring to the way we encourage your body to open, rather than the pressure. The treatment will be firm (tailored to your personal comfort level) without causing pain; it will be relaxing and remedial at the same time. Honestly, you’re going to love it. Find more detail in the menu below.

  • Deep tissue massage focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue. It is especially helpful for chronic aches and pains and congested areas, such as a stiff neck and upper back, low back pain, leg muscle tightness, and sore shoulders. The movement is slower, the pressure is deeper and concentrated on areas of tension and pain. 

    During a deep tissue massage, firm, steady pressure is applied mindfully to encourage the soft tissue to soften and ‘melt’. From there, we can access deeper structures and realignment. This can’t be achieved when the body has triggered a stress response to pain. Which brings me to…

  • Don’t be fooled into thinking that treating deeper layers of muscles means the work should hurt. Deep tissue does not mean deep pressure! I don't believe that massage should hurt. Sometimes you will have sore or tender spots, but there is a difference between tenderness and pain.

    Many people approach massage with a "no pain, no gain" mentality and believe that the more pain they are in after a massage, the more beneficial the treatment must have been.
    This simply isn't true! Human tissue doesn't respond well to this kind of massage. The more you push, the more the tissue pushes back; so when a therapist works harder, they are actually less deep in the tissue and doing less productive work. This type of massage is more likely to leave you feeling pain and soreness, which is your body reacting negatively. It is normal to feel some soreness after a massage, but to be in pain or hardly able to move is not a healthy response to body work.
    Some modalities will leave you feeling more sore than others, but none of them should leave you in pain.

    During my deep tissue work, firm, steady pressure is applied mindfully to encourage the soft tissue to soften and ‘melt’. From there, we can access deeper structures and realignment which can’t be achieved when the body has triggered a stress response to pain.

    This means that the depth we can reach is actually determined by you, the client, and how open you are to softening and receiving the work. If your muscles are activated; if you’re tensing underneath my hands or attempting to control the movements, I can’t sink down into the soft tissue.

    The aim is to be just on the edge of discomfort; at most, we want you to be in “pleasant discomfort”, or pleasure-pain: that sweet spot where you can feel that a tender or tight spot is being released, but it still feels good. If you start to hold your breath or brace underneath my hands, that’s your body saying ‘nope’.

  • Rebalance postural habits, make space in the joints, address the root causes of chronic pain/impingement, and come back to your natural alignment with this subtle, advanced bodywork.

    Structural Rebalancing a system that supports the body to heal and rebalance itself through the application of gentle manipulation techniques and therapeutic massage techniques.

    This treatment taps into the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems, creating space in the joints and muscles so that the body can settle back into its own natural alignment. Techniques used include gentle mobilisation, myofascial release, soft tissue release and breathwork to create space in the body and stimulate blood flow to congested areas, thus creating the conditions in which the body can heal and realign itself.

    This is a holistic approach to bodywork that is especially effective at addressing acute or chronic pain. Recommended for conditions involving muscular or skeletal issues, recovery from injury caused by trauma or physical activity, or as part of an ongoing preventive treatment plan to alleviate stress and rebalance postural habits.

    Particularly beneficial in addressing:

    • Sciatica

    • Lower back pain

    • Tight neck & shoulder conditions including ‘frozen shoulder’

    • Chronic tension

    Structural Rebalancing can be offered as a stand-alone treatment as well as being incorporated into a deep tissue/holistic massage. In fact, I use a few SR techniques in all of my treatments.

    Multiple, frequent sessions are recommended to feel the full benefits of this work as we work to unravel postural habits and patterns that have built up over years.

    First treatment: 75 mins / 90 mins (recommended)

  • Also known as pre-natal massage, pregnancy massage promotes relaxation and bonding, soothes nerves, and relieves strained, tired muscles in expectant mothers.

    The body undergoes fundamental transformations during pregnancy, including postural changes, an enormous influx of hormones, weight gain, enlarged breasts, increased plasma and blood volume and the shifting of organs.

    The Zen Den pregnancy treatments are a bit special, so they have a special page of their own: PREGNANCY TREATMENTS

BOOKINGS

Appointments are available Tuesday - Saturday.

If you’d like to book in or simply ask some questions, please contact me and I’ll be happy to help. You can find clips and demos of my work on my instagram page.

Request an appointment here.

Rebecca
contact@zendenmassage.co.uk