Now I think I’m getting a bit cocky. Or maybe not. I did two massages today to regular clients. Both of them were freeform.
The first one was a 90-minute massage. Something was pushing me to drop the routine and just let the movements flow as I had in class several nights ago. It worked. It may not have, but it did. I opened myself up to whatever guidance was being offered, and just worked. My client commented that she liked it. it was different than she expected, but it was nice and I did hit all the problem points and get them worked out to her satisfaction.
You see, every time I do something like this with a regular, I take a chance. When one goes to a massage therapist for the first time, they see what that therapist can do. If they like what the therapist does, they keep coming back. And although the therapist may change movements in and out of their routine, they are still doing a lot of the things that they usually do. They are doing a lot of the things that the client likes, that keeps them coming back.
By changing that routine drastically, I take the chance that what I do might not be to the client’s likings (no matter how much guidance I’m getting). At that point, I could lose that client. So I am taking a big chance every time I change.
My second client also liked the different ‘routine’. He feels that when I am guided, as he feels I am most of the time, it is always a good session.
With clients like these that are open to new things because they either feel that I am very good at whatever I do, or that I am guided, it does make it easier to take chances and open myself to new possibilities.