Business: Massage therapist goes mobile

Your Massage

Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday

Phone: 360-670-7461

On the web: yourmassagesequim.com

If you’ve ever had a massage, you’re familiar with that delicious limp-noodle feeling. Imagine continuing that pure state of relaxation by crawling under your covers only a few steps away.

Personalized care in the comfort of your own home is what massage therapist Cheryl Powell offers with her new mobile business, Your Massage.

A great fan of massage herself, Powell decided she wanted to share the bliss with others and graduated from the Port Townsend School of Massage in June 2016. She is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and after receiving her license, began practicing in August.

“For this community, there are a lot of elderly that don’t get out so I thought I’d offer in-home services,” Powell said. “People just need to have a 4-foot by 6-foot clear floor area for the table or 4 square feet for the chair.”

She stressed that anyone wanting to relieve pain or just be pampered without leaving the privacy of their home is a candidate for massage therapy.

Services and techniques Powell provides include Swedish massage, soft massage as pain relief treatment for cancer patients, deep tissue massage, muscle energy techniques for stretching, myofascial release and lymphatic drainage.Hydrotherapy and spa treatments of salt scrubs or mud wraps also are available.

Powell said her favorite technique is deep Swedish massage, which is moving tissue down close to the bone, and praised the Port Townsend School of Massage for its “well-rounded and balanced” curriculum.

“I think I have the quality of touch that someone working for a long time has,” the friendly 57-year-old said. “I get goosebumps — it’s wonderful to help people.”

Powell said her appointments are set at the client’s convenience between 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday. From her large van, Powell brings in her massage table and/or chair, bolsters, sheets, a towel warmer and other supplies. She does a health history intake on each client and asks that they not have a fever because massage can make the fever worse. She discusses the client’s goals, areas to be focused on and avoided, and has the client disrobe to a comfortable level, always with proper draping.

“The minimum is 30 minutes — most of the time it’s an hour — but I love to receive 2-hour massages, so I love to give them,” Powell said. “After the fifth one, the sixth is half-price.”

The best part of her job, Powell said “is seeing the change in people, the healing aspect and how good they feel. What kind of better job can you have than making people healthy?”

Powell said she’s learned that the perception of massage has changed.

“It should be included in your health regime because you would experience less pain. Most people are hunched over and need to get those muscles to release,” Powell said. “Massage can be an alternative to hip or knee surgery if the doctor recommends it.”

During a 15-minute chair massage, Powell’s powerful fingers flew, loosening rock-hard neck and back muscles to the relief and delight of their owner.

Powell’s upbeat attitude and technical skills are the perfect match for an in-home massage.

“Why wouldn’t I be happy to make somebody to feel better?”