Why I Don't Offer Mobile Massage (And Why I Probably Never Will)

People occasionally ask whether I offer a mobile service, and whilst I completely understand the appeal of having someone come to your home, since I've had the cabin, the answer has always been "no". Not because I can't, and certainly not because I don't want to make life easier, but because over the years I've become more and more convinced that your wellbeing deserves so much better.

We live in a world where everything is expected to be instant and convenient. Groceries arrive at the front door, films appear at the touch of a button, and we're encouraged to cram self-care into whatever tiny gaps are left in our already overflowing diaries. Habit-stacking is also a sneaky phrase, where a peaceful morning walk can turn into listening to a podcast, doing the online shop and calling the school...But I've quietly rebelled against the idea that looking after yourself should simply be another item to squeeze between the school run and putting the bins out.

That's a huge part of why I built the cabin.

When you come to see me, you're not simply booking a massage. Oh no! Its more sacred than that, and not because of any particular skills I have! Actually, it's nothing to do with me at all... You're stepping away from the endless list of jobs waiting for you at home (You know, the laundry basket glaring at you from the corner, the emails that need answering, and all the other things that nag incessantly for your attention). For a little while, you get to leave all of that behind and enter a space that has been created entirely with you in mind.

There is something rather lovely about physically going somewhere for yourself. In many ways, the treatment begins long before you lie down on the couch. The drive over gives your mind a chance to slow down, and the journey home provides a gentle transition back into everyday life. Rather than jumping straight up to empty the dishwasher or answer the front door, you have time to absorb the experience and enjoy that delicious post-treatment feeling before returning to the real world.

Of course, mobile massage sounds wonderfully convenient in theory, but having been a moble beauty therapist for 10 years (In what feelsl ike another lifetime, now!), I know all too well that the reality is often rather less glamorous.

I would spend my days wrestling a massage table in and out of the car, sitting in traffic, setting up in spare bedrooms and living rooms where there's never really enough space, and hoping the family dog doesn't decide that joining in would be fun. (Inside info...dogs are lovely animals, but having the family pet whining, jumping up at me, and shedding hair all over my couch covers is not fun!!). Meanwhile, you'd still be surrounded by all the things your brain associates with work, the kids, your responsibilities and all the jobs you think you really ought to be doing.

After more than twenty years in this profession, I've also learned that I don't have to run myself ragged in order to help people. Shock, horror!! Somewhere along the way, we've absorbed the strange idea that caring professions should involve sacrificing ourselves at the altar of convenience, and I simply don't buy into that. Protecting my own peace means I can show up fully present, calm and focused for every client who walks through the door, and I think that's a far better experience for everyone involved. You get a far better treatment from a therapist who is calm and ready to work, than you would from one who has just put her back out carryting a couch and a suitcase of sheets, pillows and blankets up 2 flights of stairs. Don't ask me how I know...you'll need to just trust me on this one..!

So no, you won't find me hurtling around West Sussex with hot stones in the boot and a sat nav permanently shouting directions at me. Instead, you'll find me in my little garden cabin, with the heated couch on, the oils ready, incense burning, and a peaceful space waiting for you.

I think one of the most rebellious things we can do is stop trying to fit self-care around life, and start allowing life to pause for self-care instead. What do you think?