Massage, Reflexology or Reiki: Which treatment should I pick?

This is a question that I get asked a lot and is quite a tricky one to answer, as really there is no one thing that suits everyone!

Massage, Reflexology and Reiki all help you to feel deeply relaxed and are good at reducing stress, anxiety and tension. They usually help you restore good sleeping patterns, lift low mood and they’re all great for helping you improve your overall feelings of wellbeing. So as you can see they all lead you to a very similar outcome.

Personally I love reflexology – so if anyone asks me which to pick I’d probably say reflexology as it offers that all over body effect without having to take any clothes off other than your shoes and socks!

But that may not be the best option for everyone, and some people hate having their feet touched, or feel self-conscious of their feet not being very pretty to look at. Or people worry that their feet are normally very ticklish and don’t want to feel uncomfortable!

Those who know me well know that I don’t ‘care’ whether you’ve got pretty feet with neatly trimmed toenails and/or neat, unchipped nail polish or not! As an experienced and professional reflexologist chances are I’ve seen it all before, and things like a bit of leg hair or hard skin doesn’t bother me. I adjust the pressure I use to suit you so reflexology should NOT tickle.

Honestly. So please don’t let anything like that put you off!

Which treatment is best?

It can come down in the end to what you’re most comfortable with and what else is going on for you. 

Best treatment for muscle aches and pains

If you’ve got lots of muscle aches, pains and muscle tension, you may want to have that tension worked out directly using massage. Massage is also good for getting your blood flowing, improving circulation, improving lymphatic drainage, helping nutrients be carried around your body effectively and for nourishing and moisturising your skin. During the cooler Autumn and Winter months I also offer hot stones massage which is wonderfully warming.

Massage is something that most people have some idea of what to expect where as Reiki and Reflexology may be a little harder to visualise unless you’ve had them before.

Massage – What to expect

My massage style is more gentle, flowing and soothing at a slightly lighter pressure and slower pace than other types of massage you may have experienced. Some of my clients need a lighter pressure due to having a chronic condition like Fibromyalgia and I can adjust the pressure to suit what you need on the day. That said, if you like a very deep pressure at a fast pace my massage will likely not be what you’re after!

The bulk of my massage involves aromatherapy (unless you specifically ask for me not to!) you also get the added power of the essential oils that I use. These can help to calm you down, wake you up, ease aches and pains, lift low mood, or help you sleep as a few examples. I hand blend them to suit what you need on the day.

One of my most popular treatments is my take on an Indian Head Massage – what I offer is a combination of an upper back, neck and shoulder massage using essential oils if you wish, followed by a scalp massage, hot towels and facial massage. Indian head massage is great for clearing the head, easing tired neck, shoulder and back muscles and for relaxing your face, releasing any tension you may have been holding in your jaw or cheeks.

Often therapists do this with the client seated on a dining chair but I use my massage couch as it is so much nicer for the client. This way you can sink into the couch and drift off to sleep if you wish!

Best for feeling rebalanced, refreshed and revitalised 

If you feel a bit out of balance and are in need of being ‘clicked back together’ try Reflexology. The whole aim of reflexology is for you to be brought back into a state of homeostasis or balance. Reflexology helps to reset everything back to factory settings, so if something is running a little sluggishly or too quickly, hopefully reflexology will bring it back into balance.

Facial reflexology in particular can leave you feeling refreshed and more focused and your skin feeling radiant and supple.

Reflexology – what to expect

I use hot towels to refresh the feet to start, followed by massage and specific pressure points on the lower legs and feet. It normally feels deeply relaxing. The pressure can be adjusted to suit your taste (within reason!) Like I said earlier, if you’ve got ticklish feet don’t worry, reflexology doesn’t tickle! 

Best for clearing energetic blockages

If you’re feeling ‘stuck’ or have low energy, reiki can be just what you need. It is great for soothing ruffled feathers, calming tired and frazzled minds, easing anxiety and just getting the energy flowing again. Reiki is very gentle and is suitable for more or less everyone.

Reiki – What to expect

Reiki is great as it is done fully clothed. You don’t even have to take your shoes off if you don’t want! (Although I recommend that you do!) Hands are held either over a particular area like on the photo above or hands are placed onto the recipients body where appropriate. Reiki usually feels warm and comforting, like the feeling you get when you fall over as a child and place your hand on your own knee.

Reiki is one of those treatments which is hard to describe, really the best way to find out whether you like it or if it is helpful for you is to book a session or course of sessions

To Book:

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/book

To conclude:

Massage is great if your entire body aches or is tense, it’s also good for improving circulation and getting nutrients around the body.

Reflexology is great if you need clicking back together so you feel refreshed, revitalised and ‘almost normal’ again

Reiki is great for unblocking any stuck energy and for getting flow back in your life, so great for the spirit.

If you STILL can’t decide, it’s ok I do bespoke and combination treatments so you can build your own ideal treatment to suit own needs on the day. As long as I know whether to bring the massage couch or my reclinable chairand how many hot towels I need you can pick and mix elements of treatments.

What treatment will you pick?