It’s time for another installment of know your modality! Today we’ll be discussing sports massage, a close cousin of deep tissue. These two modalities have so much in common the intention behind them can be what distinguishes a sports massage from deep tissue. Sports massage targets the muscles most utilized in an athlete’s given sport. It is intended to facilitate recovery, thereby improving performance. Like with deep tissue, the pressure can often be quite firm. A sports massage won’t necessarily be a full body session; we’re more focused on treating areas of injury or pain. Of course, you ..read more

Upper back, neck and shoulders are the most commonly requested areas of focus from our clients, followed by low back and hips. And doesn’t it feel good to have tension in those areas worked out! A good back massage can be life changing - okay, maybe not quite, but it can certainly feel life changing in the moment if your shoulders have been tense for a while.  Sometimes, clients will mention another area of tension in passing. “My shoulders feel like they’re up to my ears, and I’m grinding my teeth in my sleep, but you probably can’t do anything about that.” …Actually, we can totally hel ..read more

Getting a massage is vulnerable. We get it - a stranger is touching you and working muscles that might even be painful. Perhaps you’ve worried your therapist is judging or otherwise uncomfortable with your body. If this isn’t you - stop reading; you’re doing great. The last thing we want to do is introduce any unnecessary insecurity or anxiety to your next massage! But if you do identify with anything we’ve said so far, let us clarify things about your massage from your therapist’s perspective. We’re here to help you feel better in your body, not to enforce beauty standards and cause you anxi ..read more

Each massage therapist has their own way of approaching the work. If you have three deep tissue massages with three different therapists, you’re going to have three distinct experiences. Common threads will link these sessions together: targeted, detailed work to your areas of focus; firmer pressure; etc. But each massage will feel notably different - because filling the sixty or ninety minutes of a session is more than applying a uniform list of techniques until the clock runs out. Recently, a client asked one of our therapists how she determined what to do “next” in the massage. It’s a grea ..read more

We get calls almost daily asking if we offer prenatal massage. And the answer is: absolutely! We love supporting our pregnant clients, as the benefits of massage to both the pregnant person and even baby are well known. If you’ve ever been pregnant - or perhaps someone close to you has - you understand just how tough pregnancy can be. During pregnancy, ligaments of the pelvis loosen in preparation for childbirth. As the uterus expands, center of gravity shifts forward and stresses the lumbar spine. Muscles of the spine and hips tighten in response - hello hip and back pain. Hormonal changes i ..read more

This month, we are looking at Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). MLD is a series of light, gentle strokes intended to facilitate movement of lymph in the body.  What does the lymphatic system even do, anyway, and why do we care so much about lymph?  The lymphatic system regulates fluid levels in the body and fights infection. Lymphatic vessels, a network of tubes throughout the body, absorb lymphatic fluid (lymph) from the body’s interstitial space. Inside the lymphatic vessels, lymph is filtered through the lymph nodes, removing debris and pathogens. Eventually, lymph is returned thr ..read more

How many modalities of bodywork exist? Off the top of my head: Swedish, deep tissue, neuromuscular, trigger point, myofascial release, structural integration... and many, many more. What makes one modality different from another, and how can you decide which approach is right for you? Welcome to the first installment in an ongoing series in which we explain different systems of bodywork! To start, we are looking at two modalities from Asia: Ashiatsu and Thai massage.  Have you ever seen bars or straps suspended over a massage table and wondered what their use was? Ashiatsu is your answer ..read more

Cupping. Perhaps you’ve seen people sporting those tell-tale round, brownish-red marks on their shoulders and arms. Or maybe you’ve already tried cupping, but aren’t sure what it’s all about. Allow us to fill you in with a crash course!  Cupping is an ancient folk remedy hailing from China and the middle east, but it only gained prominence in the United States this century - Michael Phelps competing with visible cupping marks at the 2016 Olympics was the first time many Americans learned of the practice. The cups themselves can be made of glass, plastic or silicone, and they cause suctio ..read more

At Mantis Massage, we believe in easy to understand pricing - we don’t even offer add-ons to “upsell” your massage. Love cupping? So do we! If that’s a service your therapist offers, there’s no extra charge. Scalp massage? Yes, please. No need to pay for an extra ten minutes, scalp love is included. Want some tiger balm or peppermint essential oil applied to that painful spot in your back? We got you - and no, it doesn’t cost extra.  If only the rest of the healthcare industry could get on board with such a streamlined, no nonsense approach. We see clients with all kinds of aches and pai ..read more

“How often should I get a massage?” This is one of the most commonly asked questions from our clients. Well, it depends on what your goals are.  Are you looking for stress relief? Ah, stress. Muscle tension is a natural response to stress, a protective mechanism that’s not always helpful in modern life. Massage is known to lower cortisol levels - the body’s main stress hormone, and raise serotonin - a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. We may be biased, but we find massage to be a pretty potent wellness practice!  If you are living through a period of more-than-usual stress, star ..read more