The Magic Of Touch

Massage at an accessible price point? Sign us up! Yomassage combines therapeutic touch and restorative positions in a group setting. Find out how it goes hand in hand with your Pilates practice.

- Amanda Altman

In my early twenties, I’m embarrassed to admit, I worked out six , sometimes even seven, days a week , at the gym.

I’d mostly engage in intense cardio like spinning, with a Pilates and yoga class thrown in here and there, thinking of those as my “rest” days. Then I progressed to half-marathon training, doing very little Pilates, until I eventually tore my labrum in my hip. (Insert shocked emoji.)

Nowadays all I can do is shake my head at my younger self, wishing I’d known what I know now: that a balanced body requires rest and recovery (and yes, a hell of a lot more Pilates). But what I’m only starting to learn is that R & R doesn’t just mean time off from working out and just doing a few extra minutes of stretching at home. It’s finding something that allows you to release both physical and emotional tension on a regular basis.

So when I heard about Yomassage, a group class that incorporates massage and restorative yoga poses, something I often crave but don’t always have the budget for, I couldn’t wait to sign up. Especially since, according to cofounder Tiffany Ryan, PhD, MSW, OR LMT, who began her career as a social worker before training as a yoga instructor and massage therapist, the goal is complete relaxation. “We’re creating an experience where you can become so deeply relaxed,” she says of the method she created with fellow yoga teacher and Yomassage cofounder Katherine Parker in Portland, OR, “where people can incorporate touch into their self-care routine.”

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A CLASS