Two very different treatments, two very different reasons to book. Here's how to pick.
Two treatments, two different jobs
People often book by name rather than by need, then wonder why the hour didn't do what they hoped. The simplest way to choose: relaxation massage is for your nervous system, deep tissue is for a specific piece of tissue that isn't behaving.
Relaxation massage
Long, flowing strokes at a consistent, moderate pressure across the whole body. The pace is deliberate and unhurried, and the aim is to shift you out of a stress state — slower breathing, lower heart rate, a genuinely quiet head. You should feel calm and slightly floaty afterwards, not sore.
- Best for: stress, poor sleep, general tension, first-time massage clients.
- Pressure: light to medium, steady throughout.
- After: no soreness; most people feel sleepy and relaxed.
Deep tissue massage
Slower, more focused work into the deeper layers of muscle and fascia. Your therapist spends most of the hour on the areas that actually need it — usually neck, shoulders, lower back, or hips — using sustained pressure, friction, and stretching to release adhesions and chronic tightness.
- Best for: recurring knots, desk-posture neck and shoulders, training loads, old restrictions.
- Pressure: firm and specific, but never past what you can breathe through.
- After: mild soreness for a day or two is normal, like the day after a good workout.
Which should you book?
If you can point to the spot with one finger, book deep tissue. If you can't point at anything but you feel wound up all over, book relaxation. If you're honestly not sure, book relaxation first and tell your therapist where things feel tight — they'll adjust pressure in the areas that need it and you'll learn what your body responds to.
Deep tissue should feel like productive discomfort you can breathe through — never sharp pain.
Getting the most from either one
Speak up about pressure at any point; adjusting it is part of the job, not a complaint. Drink water afterwards, keep the rest of the day gentle if you've had deep work, and if you're maintaining rather than fixing something, every four to six weeks keeps most people ahead of the tension instead of chasing it.
