Please ring the buzzer for room 11 when you arrive.

Bicycles

Cycle parking spots are available nearby, at the bottom and the top of Park Street (by College Green & across from Eat A Pitta), please make use of these as there is no cycle parking at the studio.

Car Parking

There is on-street parking on St George Street and Park Street – payable at the machine or via the RingGo app.

Trenchard Street long stay car park

1 hour: £2.70. 2 hours: £5.40. 3 hours: £8.10 4 hours: £10.80 Over 4 hours: £19.60

Maximum stay: no limit

College Street short stay car park (behind the council buildings)

1 hour: £2.70. 2 hours: £5.40. 3 hours: £8.10 4 hours: £10.80

Maximum stay: 4 hours

Timing Your Arrival

As there is no waiting room at the studio, I kindly ask that you do not arrive before your appointment start time as I will not be able to attend to you and also do not want to keep you waiting!

Loose clothing is best for feeling optimum comfort after the massage.

Please showe before arrival. Scalp massage may leave oils as I run my fingers though your hair, however I will always check in to make sure this is okay for you on the day.

The choice is always yours. Please undress to the level that feels comfortable for you. Most people choose to undress down to their underwear, which allows us to work with oil on skin. I will leave the room whilst you get changed, and can add extra blankets or open a window for your comfort. You will be covered by the drape (an opaque, brushed cotton sheet) throughout the massage, apart from the area I am working on.

If you do not feel comfortable undressing, I am happy to work through clothing, however this will affect the range of techniques that I am able to use.

A single massage can be profoundly restorative, however the cumulative benefits of regular massage are best. The body learns slowly and it takes care and attention over time to re-calibrate the postural and emotional habits which cause tension and pain. Luckily, you are equipped with incredible neuroplasticity and capable of great change. Regular holistic massage supports this, helping you to build and strengthen the neuronal pathways for relaxation & move beyond deep-seated tensions that take time to release.

Receiving massage every two or four weeks sets this rhythm of self-care.

There are also benefits to having a consistent therapeutic relationship. This allows us to explore different techniques and find what works best for you. When in familiar company, you’ll get more comfortable with saying “ah, going over that spot on my shoulder felt amazing, could you do that again?”, or “ooh I can feel my calf’s a bit tender there from running” and that’s when massage is most effective beause we can directly adress your bodys' needs. Each appointment becomes part of an ongoing conversation, allowing your massage experience to deepen and adapt as your needs change. The more comfortable you are with your therapist, the greater the results of your massage will be.

I use Jojoba oil because it has the closest consistency to skin’s natural oil, sebum. I also have hypoallergenic, unscneted wax produced locally by Songbird.

Health Shield recipients can book massages here which are fully covered by the insurer. For other cases please consult your health health provider. Coverage may be based on Modality or Training, for example, Deep Tissue Massage and Professionals Trained by MTI would both be coverd in this case.

It is common to feel blissed-out after a massage, however, if you have been under a sustained period of high stress, you may feel tired after your first massage, and some people experience an emotional ‘slump’ later on in the day. This is because when your nervous system shifts from stress & hypervigilance towards safety, relaxation & regulation, the cortisol and adrenaline which had outstayed their welcome in your system leave the body. This is a good thing, as initiating this process of recovery means your body will be able to return to improved immune function, digestion, and a sense of greater ease.

Interestingly, this is the same phenomenon that makes you ill when you finally take that overdue break from work/your daily stressors - chronic stress suppresses the immune system, and when you take time off and your stress levels decrease, your immune system kicks back into action. The illness symptoms are the effects of your immune system fighting off of pathogens which had built up in your system but couldn’t be overcome during the period of chronic stress.

*Please know that massage does not need to be painful to be effective. In fact, pain during massage causes muscle guarding, which is detrimental to releasing patterns of tension in the long term. I work within your tolerance range and communicate clearly when working deeply for maximum benefit. My massage will never leave you “covered in bruises” or '“hurting for 3 days afterwards”.

No, I only offer platonic touch.