When I first started massage school, I initially thought I’d be entering into the spa industry. However, before I was even finished with my training, I discovered that I had a therapeutic bent in my style. I took my time, paid attention to details, investigated, and geeked out on anatomy and physiology. During my advanced training, I had to do case studies in my practical work, witnessing and documenting the effects of consecutive bodywork sessions.

After starting my private practice, I declared to myself that I never wanted to work in a resort, a spa, or live in a tourist town – because I didn’t want to work primarily with people who I would only see once. I wanted to help people rehab injuries, alleviate chronic pain, and support them in wellness lifestyles. Although I intentionally create an environment for relaxation, I can’t help but focus my attention on the therapeutic outcome.

I take time and effort during an initial intake with a new client – getting to know what’s going on and what the client’s goals are. During an initial session, I am just getting to know a person’s body, health history, and wellness goals. It’s a lot for only seeing them once.

See: WHY THE FIRST SESSION WITH SOMEONE IS MY LEAST FAVORITE.

Fast forward a couple of decades (and most certainly by divine design) …HERE, I find myself now living in a tourist town. The Almighty has a sense of humor, aye!

The joke’s not on me, though. What an incredible place (Pagosa Springs, CO) to get bodywork! Quiet, calm, forests, hot springs, rivers, lakes, mountain views, nature galore.

Now, I find myself figuring out how to do what I do best and still serve tourists. Embodiwork Studio is not a spa with multiple therapists on duty. We are a boutique private practice that offers a high-quality therapeutic experience.

Unless you come for more than a couple of hours, we won’t be able to complete a full-body massage. Not the way that we work. If you have an injury, you will need at least two sessions anyway.

It’s even more of a bummer if the two of us really hit it off. You liked our approach and the environment provided; I enjoy helping. Then, GOODBYE! It was great working with you! Have a wonderful life! Never to see you again. It happens more than I like.

So, if neither of us is getting the most benefit from working together, it’s a LOSE/LOSE situation and I can’t do it any longer. I’ve decided to change the way I work with tourists. Not to exclude them but to work together most beneficially. In a way that serves us both. My usual caseload of local clients that I work with provides limited availability, so proper notice is required.

Working together in the way I am proposing will give you better results, and those results will last longer if you come more than once as long as you don’t go un-doing it having too much fun…or work. Massage isn’t a magic bullet, but it sure can contribute to wellness and graceful living.

My apologies, if you just got to town and decided to try and get a massage at the last minute. We do our best to accommodate our clients with times that work well for them and we tried for a while to work loosely with tourists. It wasn’t an ideal situation. But if you are passing through again in the future, please keep us in mind when you are planning your trip! We hope you enjoy your visit to our beautiful mountain town. 

Starting September 1st, 2023, if you are a tourist (and a new client) who would like to receive bodywork at our studio, these are our new requirements:
 
#1. You will need to plan on booking 2-3 sessions while you are visiting (depending on the length of your stay).

# 2. You must make your reservations ahead of time (a minimum of 7 days, preferably more) – NO LAST-MINUTE BOOKINGS ALLOWED.

 # 3. If you only have time for a single session, it must be a minimum of  2.5 – 3-hour session. See page for details. {Tourist Page coming soon!}

If you are interested, click on the Book Now button and fill out the form. Thanks! And may we all embody health. Cheers!