While you may have a flow for some services, it is important to remember that every body is different.  If you get in a “flow” does your client feel you are enhancing the experience or that you are phoning it in?

This was made apparent to me when I first started my practice, I was working on a client and I did all of the things.  When it came to the hands, I rubbed the hands and wrists and each finger until… there was one missing!!!

Seriously, the client was an amputee and I did not notice until I went to massage the missing finger and it was not there.

It was in that moment that I realized I was in a “groove” that did not include my client.  It was a routine that I did, regardless of who I was working on.

From that moment on, I began to be more present with my clients and my practice exploded.  Clients went from having a great massage, to having a great massage experience.

I made sure each client felt heard in their requests and I adjusted my service to fit their needs.

Learning to listen to what the client wants does not just mean doing what they ask for, it means helping them get to their desired outcomes.

When a client says their neck hurts, sure it feels good to rub their neck, but if you do a little more assessment, you might find that they work at a desk and their tight shoulders & pects are causing the neck pain.  Then, by working the contributing muscles, you give them relief from their pain that lasts the week and not just the day.

Next time you are working on a client, check to see if your routine is routine!