Arriving:
Park anywhere you find a spot on 17th Ave. When you arrive at Alternative Therapy Center, walk past the main office entrance and look for the lilac door on your right. I will be waiting for you there. You’ll enter my treatment room directly.
We will talk before the session to discuss your answers to the questions on my intake form, anything that is currently bothering you, and my notes from previous sessions. I will find out what you need help with, and use this information to tailor your session to meet your specific needs. I may ask about your preferences, and to elaborate on any vague comments so that I may gain a complete understanding. This informs how I will approach the session, and what techniques I decide to include and exclude.
Undressing and Draping:
Chavutti Thirumal works best if you undress completely to receive it. Removing underwear, and all jewelry allows me to apply the long connective strokes that characterize this massage, and allows you to take maximum benefit. If you have long hair, it should be bound up securely. You receive a much better treatment if I do not have to work around hair clothing and jewelry. Of course, your comfort is the most important thing. If you feel more comfortable leaving your underwear on, you are welcome to do so. Just be aware that my ability to massage clothed areas will be limited.
My draping is very secure, but it is less conservative than conventional massage. I will communicate about your options related to the different degrees of coverage. Massage to the hips/glutes, chest and abdomen is a key feature of chavutti thirumal because so much stagnation accumulates in those areas of the body.
It is best to receive massage on an empty stomach.
The treatment itself:
I will leave the room and allow you to undress and situate yourself on the memory foam treatment mat. Most sessions start face down, face in the face cradle, your body covered with a sheet or dhoti cloth. I use this time to thoroughly clean my hands and feet.
When I return, I will ask you about your comfort and attend to anything that needs to be adjusted. Then I will begin to apply warm oil to your body. I perform the entire massage with my feet, holding a bar above for balance. The pressure is heavy, and the strokes are long, each crossing multiple joints on a pass. I will re-position your legs and arms at times to put muscle groups into a lengthened position, and then apply lengthening strokes to free adhesions and restore mobility to the large joints of your hips and shoulders. There is a section of the treatment that involves pulling you into a side-lying position and working into your lateral lines. The massage can include as much or as little extra stretching as you prefer.
A long session typically includes thorough massage to: the whole back of your body, including legs, guteals, back, and arms; the front of your body, including front, inner, and outer thighs, lower legs, anterior and outer margin of the hips, side ribs, lateral neck, full arms, abdomen, chest and front ribs (excluding breast tissue), hands and feet, neck and head.
This massage may be intense at times, but it should never be painful. In fact, despite the heavy pressure and thorough nature of the treatment, it is a very gentle approach that will leave you feeling completely relaxed, comfortable in your body, and deeply aligned.
The treatment ends with you lying face up. I set a meditation tool to play tones for 3 minutes before I leave the room. You should use this time to feel in, be still, and notice the effects of the massage in your body. When the tones stop, you may start to move and slowly get up. I provide hot towels for you to wipe off any excess oil before getting dressed. It is best to leave some oil on your body for at least a few hours before showering if possible. Once you are dressed, open the door and have a seat in the room to indicate that you are ready for me to come in to talk with you and settle up.
After the Session:
I will ask specific questions to follow up on the status of the complaints you came in with. I note any issues that are not fully resolved and craft a treatment plan based on this information. I will make recommendations on how we should proceed with follow up appointments and provide homework for results maintenance and self-care.
Clients often feel 100% better immediately after the massage. It is very common to see appreciable improvements to mood, sleep quality, and athletic performance after only one session. However, the benefits of regular massage therapy are cumulative. People gain FAR more from receiving massage at regular recurring intervals, rather than waiting until they’re in a crisis to schedule.
I will follow up with you after a day or two. I am interested to hear about anything you noticed related to the bodywork you received, including what you loved about it, and what you didn’t love. I value your honest feedback and will not get offended if you didn’t like something I did—I really want to know! I will use any information you give me to make sure that every session you receive from me is even better than the previous one.