02/02/2026
For a long time, we’ve been taught that if something hurts, it needs to be pushed through, broken up, or released.
But the body doesn’t create tension randomly.
Muscles tighten when the nervous system perceives threat — not just physical injury, but overwhelm, instability, or past stress.
That tension is protective. It’s the body saying, “I’m holding this together for you.”
When we apply pressure without safety, the tissue might soften for a moment…
but the nervous system stays guarded.
And the pattern returns.
This is why deeper work doesn’t always lead to deeper change.
In my sessions, I don’t avoid depth —
I wait for the moment the body is ready to receive it.
Because when the nervous system feels safe:
• breath deepens
• tissue becomes receptive
• pain softens without force
Release happens not when we overpower the body —
but when we listen well enough that protection is no longer needed.
If you’ve tried massage that left you sore, guarded, or unchanged…
your body didn’t fail.
It was protecting you.
✨ Save this if you’ve ever felt confused by pain
✨ Share this with someone who thinks massage has to hurt to work