Key Point

• Whether it’s pressure-filled moments during our first years as practicing bodyworkers or the question of how much pressure a client wants during a session, gaining perspective is a handy tool.

Is pressure a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Can good pressure be bad? Can bad pressure be good? Oh, how I love a deeply metaphysical question. Especially if that question symbolizes what it’s like to work with other humans for a living. These quandaries are perplexing, with layers, twists, and turns that signal any good, thought-provoking concept. I have answers to these questions, but first, I want to direct your attention to tennis.

Consider the (Metaphorical) Angle

Coco Gauff won the US Open women’s tennis championship in September. She was asked how she handled the pressure of performing at such a high level, and her answer was exquisite. “I realize, in a way, it’s pressure, but it’s not,” she said. “I mean, there are people struggling to feed their families, people who don’t know where their next meal is going to come from, people who have to pay their bills. That’s real pressure, that’s real hardship, that’s real life. I’m in a very privileged position, I’m getting paid to do what I love and getting support to do what I love. That’s something that I don’t take for granted.”

I love this answer for many reasons. Mainly, I appreciate that it speaks to perspective. Whether we are talking about the pressure-filled moments during our first years as practicing bodyworkers, when the weight of all the newness becomes particularly heavy, or we are highlighting the question of how much pressure a client wants implemented during a session, gaining perspective is a handy tool. It’s not a groundbreaking science that requires an advanced course to understand; it’s a basic truth that most of us know but might have forgotten somewhere along the way. It’s too easy to get caught up in the details and forget the foundations we can lean on to make progress. 

The Principles of Pressure

Making decisions about how much pressure to apply to soft-tissue issues—a trigger point, an old scar, a recent injury, a tense muscle, a weak muscle—requires us to understand the difference between good pressure and bad pressure. This is a “pressure-filled” responsibility in and of itself; and recognizing we are fortunate to be in this position because what we do for a living is, well, awesome, can alleviate some of that. But also, as the implementor of pressure, getting to know when the pressure you apply tips from good to bad simply requires the understanding of basic principles.

Principle No. 1

Check in with your client. I know, I know. Duh, right? But to be clear, this is never a yes/no question. Ask pointedly if they want more or less pressure and if the direction of your pressure is accurate or if it should shift a bit. Your client is your best guide.

Principle No. 2

Check in with your client. Again? Yes, again. Pressure on the back can feel completely different from pressure on the shins. And pressure with your thumbs can feel worlds apart from pressure with your elbows. Never assume all pressure is the same.

Principle No. 3

Have your client check in with themselves. Give them some guidance toward changing their perspective. Once the session is over, have a conversation about how their muscles responded. Send them a text later that day or the next day or even the following week. Stay in communication with them. Offer a few reminders to drop in and feel how things might have shifted internally. This offers a lot of information you can both use moving forward.

Making Adjustments

You probably already know these principles. If you don’t, get familiar with them and begin harnessing their power today. If they’re already on your radar but you still crumble a little under the weight of it all, you need to put them into practice. This is all about getting your client to shift their perspective and helping us gain perspective at the same time. As Big Bird likes to say, asking questions is a good way to find things out.

Pressure is whatever we make it out to be. For your clients, the pressure on a sore or tense muscle can be eye-opening. Being in a session and feeling the work is one thing—stepping back into their usual routines and being able to observe their tissues is another. And for ourselves, the pressure to know everything about anatomy, how it might go sideways, and what we can do to help can also be bewildering. Pressure is about perspective, and perspective takes time to understand. Be patient with the understanding, with your clients, and with yourself. Like Gauff, we are so lucky to be doing what we love for a living.