Stretch & Release Therapy

Your therapist starts by asking how you move: what you ride or run, where you feel restricted, and what your body is training for or recovering from. The session then alternates between two modes. Targeted massage warms and softens the muscle groups that need attention; assisted stretching then takes each one through ranges you cannot comfortably reach on your own.

Here is the part guests are most surprised by: you do no work. In assisted stretching, you stay relaxed on the table while the therapist guides each limb into position, holds the stretch at the productive edge, and eases it back. Because the muscle has just been massaged and you are not bracing, it releases further than solo stretching allows. Wear or bring comfortable clothing that moves; athletic wear is perfect for this session. Most active guests fold a session into their recovery week every two to three weeks. Note that we do not recommend Stretch & Release during pregnancy; our Swedish Balance Massage is the better choice while expecting.

A typical session works through the body's usual suspects: hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves for riders and runners, plus the chest and shoulders that fold forward over handlebars and keyboards alike. Your therapist sequences them so each stretch builds on the release before it.