A new ‘spotlight’ topic each month to introduce more of what we love to do at Wild Fern Wellness, LLC . . . Quick introductions & deep dives on each ‘spotlight’
October 2026 – ‘Membership Plus’ monthly treatment subscription
With all the choices out there when it comes to massage, even scheduling your self-care can feel overwhelming. Endless “menus”, upgrades, service style selections, and more can turn what SHOULD be a straightforward and rewarding experience into just another stressful to-do list task. Having a membership means that every month your massage is automatically billed. Same day, same(discounted) price, same length of treatment- Every time.
That means no worrying about choosing what type of treatment before walking through the door into the studio. What if you change your mind? What if what you need worked on changes after you schedule? What if the concerns you have are complex and need a combination of different massage styles? What if you have no idea what half these things on a long spa menu REALLY mean? IT DOESN’T MATTER! Your time is your time, and part of seeing a licensed massage therapist here means that you don’t have to jump through hoops in scheduling. You don’t have to worry about extra costs-you pay for the experienced professional, NOT a ‘menu item’ that constantly changes.
Let’s talk service length of time, pros vs. cons, common questions, & more . . .
60 minute massage
An absolute classic! If you want a fan favorite, and the most common ‘comfort zone’ for clients of all backgrounds, this is it. There is a whole other discourse around the “spa hour” approach where an hour becomes 45 or 50 minutes of treatment time but we’ll “put a pin” in that for later.
90 minute massage
Think classic, but BETTER! This has everything the hour treatment provides, with more opportunity to work in detail. Keep reading below for my summary below – if you’re interested in the more scientific ‘white paper’ approach with references to studies(nervous system, anatomy, psychology, and specific to massage as well) PLEASE let me know! This is one of my favorite sort of things to share, but alas . . . also where many of us tend to lose attention at times.
30 minute massage
Short and sweet- if you need more frequent, targeted treatment this often overlooked half hour session may be just the thing. Also a wonderful way to adapt treatment for complex medical conditions, or just to work in some meditative relaxation when you need a break from stress.
What’s the big deal about 90 minute massage anyway?
The session time for each client can be a pretty involved personal decision, or could just be the first appointment type to catch the client’s attention. Sometimes we rely on our service providers to assess and suggest certain service times or types of work – and that’s okay too! No matter where you go for massage, your massage therapist should never give you a hard time for disagreeing or choosing a different service than what they recommend.
WHEW!! Now that we have got *that* out of the way . . . why do massage therapists offer this longer than usual session time? Take a look around at the world we live in, it is a beautifully busy & oftentimes practically BUZZING existence that is constantly connected, manically moving, and seldom slows down to give us a chance to recover. That is one of my favorite parts about extended massage service times – the chance to slow down and recover without rushing. I know so many people who look forward to their time swimming, running, driving, cooking, listening to music, getting massage, doing skincare, or even folding laundry(hey, don’t knock it until you get a chance to make laundry time your quiet mental ‘fortress of solitude’)! Why do we get so excited for these things, especially the seemingly mundane ones? The chance to slow down is one that doesn’t come around as often as we might like, and that slowness is pretty critical for our recovery.
Physically, slowing down gives our bodies a chance to take a break from working as hard as our habits and efforts want us to. It is a chance to not just DO, but to internalize and FEEL all the incredible feedback our bodies give. The refreshment of being hydrated, the discomfort of various aches and pains, the smooth movements and the fumbling ones too, the power of our breath, the way our jaw sits after a long day, the way temperature or touch make us feel – all of this and so much more! If slowing down on our own can open these incredible doors for sensory feedback that help us feel that much more at home in our bodies . . . just picture the difference slowing down in massage can make physically.
Slightly different physical aspect that ties into our mental state – the nervous system! It’s hard for me to write about the nervous system without rambling and waxing clumsily poetic, so hang in here with me. I have written and rewritten this at LEAST four times now trying to pare down the context of Central vs Peripheral nervous systems, autonomic vs somatic nervous systems, voluntary vs involuntary processes, and more. If we look at involuntary internal functions(autonomic nervous system), we have the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Both with their own nicknames to describe what they do and how they do it. We have the sympathetic system that focuses on acting/reacting to stimulii(stress) and the parasympathetic system focused more on recovering and resting after the fact. Balance is important and so when we ask a lot of our bodies physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – we can’t just skip the rest and recovery. Sometimes we get so used to going and going and going and going and going and going . . . when we stop to rest, our bodies don’t always understand right away. So the point of all this chatter? More time and slower, more focused/detailed massage, more chances for calming and feelings of rest – a longer massage doesn’t just benefit you from physically having the massage therapist work the soft tissue for longer. That benefit is compounded by the increased opportunity to rest. The additional opportunities for your body to recognize a safe place, a quiet place without other interruptions or obligations on your time and mental load.
Sounds great doesn’t it? Just thinking about the chance to slowly unwind physically and mentally has me ready for a long massage myself. Wanna try a longer session time for yourself and see what you think? Click the button below to book.
