Muscle mobilisation Slow, steady pressure,
Jonathan calls it muscle mobilisation. The pressure goes into the deeper muscle, not just across the surface, and slowly enough that the muscle relaxes instead of tensing against it.
This is what people mean when they say their last massage didn’t touch it. Firm isn’t the same as painful. The pressure stays at a level you can breathe through, and he adjusts it as he goes. You’ll feel parts of it, but you should never have to brace yourself.
If you have a specific injury or an event to prepare for, sports massage is the same length of session with a narrower focus.
Why the two cost the same →I had a lovely deep tissue massage with Jonathan and his pressure and knowledge were exactly what i needed ... highly recommend him , very skillful therapist, thank you .
Great experience today with Jon he really knows the anatomy and worked Deeply on My problem areas which most masseuse miss. Came away feeling untangled for the first time in ages
How hard is it? Here’s a scale instead of a promise. Drag it: three is where most of the session sits, and four is the same pressure held on one spot instead of moved across an area.
Long, gliding strokes with oil that warm the skin. Pleasant and genuinely relaxing, but it never reaches the muscle that’s actually tight.
Lighter than this work. If a massage has ever left you thinking it never reached the problem, this is usually what it was.
Real pressure, but across the surface, not into the muscle. Firm, but still not the same as deep.
Lighter than this work. Most people who come in have had this and assumed it was as deep as massage goes.
Slow, steady pressure into the deeper muscle, slow enough that it relaxes instead of tensing up.
This is where the work happens. You’ll feel parts of it. The pressure stays at a level you can breathe through, and he adjusts it as he goes.
Pressure held still on one spot until the muscle lets go, instead of moving across an area.
Deeper than the rest of the session, and only where it’s needed. Not the whole session, and not every session. If one tight spot is keeping the rest of an area tight, it gets worked on its own, with the same rule: never more than you can breathe through.
Not harder. Slower, and deeper: pressure held long enough for the muscle to let go, instead of rushed across the surface.
What makes this different from a firm massage is mostly speed, not strength. A massage can be really strong and still never reach the muscle that’s tight, which is why people come in having had plenty of pressure and no result.
That doesn’t mean anyone can map your muscles from a website. Which muscle is tight, and whether massage is the right answer at all, gets worked out in the session, hands-on.
What myofascial release is, and when he uses it →The same three steps, whichever session you book. There’s one therapist, so it always works the same way.
The intro call is free, and it’s the quickest way to find out whether this is right for you. If it isn’t, he’ll say so, just as he would if you needed a diagnosis, a scan or a prescription.
Shorts, and a vest or t-shirt if the problem is in the upper body; come as you would to train. It’s just you and Jonathan for the whole session. There’s no team and no handover.
He’s working on stiffness and tension, not one injury, so the session usually moves between a few connected areas.
Neither of you can know before you start whether one session will be enough. Something that has been there for years usually takes three to six (weekly at first, then spaced out as it improves), and at the end of the first session you’ll get a straight answer, not a package sold up front.
Prices are per session. There’s only one therapist, so there’s only one price. For the other therapies Jonathan offers, get in touch and ask.
Jonathan works in Kingston on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and in Esher on Monday and Friday.
Want the whole body gone over? The Full Body MOT is 90 minutes, £250.
Both lengths are the same person and the same room. The longer one is more of the same session, not a different one. If you’re not sure, book 60 minutes and say so on the call.
Book deep tissueNot sure which you need? The first session will sort that out. Or start from where you are: something already hurts, or nothing hurts yet.
Firm, but at a level you can breathe through. You’ll feel parts of it, but you should never have to brace yourself, and if you do, he eases off. Firm isn’t the same as painful, and bracing isn’t a sign it’s working.
No. The difference is speed, not strength. The pressure is held long enough for the muscle to let go, instead of moving quickly across the surface. That’s why people come in having had plenty of pressure elsewhere and no result.
Then sports massage is the better choice: same length, same price, but focused on the injury. Deep tissue works on stiffness and tension across a few connected areas, not one spot.