Mat-Based Appointments

I have made the decision to change the wording on my website and booking app for Thai yoga massage appointments.

I love this way of working and will continue to offer it but will from now on be calling it simply a Mat-Based appointment.

Why is this? Well, many reasons;

Firstly because I believe all massage is simply different ways of interacting with another persons nervous system via touch, and as such I am trying as much as possible to minimise labelling specific modalities and instead tailor each appointment to the individual person and their goals.

Secondly because traditional Thai massage has some belief based elements to it that I don’t personally adhere to as an evidence informed practitioner working in healthcare. It for some also has connotations of being quite painful which is not how I work. And because the appointment can be very different for each individual, it can be nothing more than a lovely way to chill and relax but it can be also used with more interaction, facilitation of interoception, feedback and active movement to bridge the gap between massage and rehab which is not perhaps realised with the title Thai massage.

So why book a mat-based appointment?

Well mat-based work lends itself well to the integration of assessment and treatment of pain or injury within the context of the massage. Because you are fully clothed and on the floor it’s much easier to explore more movement, (nothing’s going to be exposed and you can’t fall off the floor!), using the slightly firmer mat gives great proprioceptive feedback, and being on the floor means I can use different positioning, bodyweight and footwork than on the table. Clients who have benefited from mat-based work include runners, people wanting to improve mobility, those with shoulder and neck pain and yes, those who simply want to chill and relax too.