There are few things more revitalising than sinking into a massage table and having the tension in your muscles and mind worked out. Whether you’re looking to reduce strain and stress or aches and ailments, or you just need some well-deserved rest and relaxation, a good masseuse can deliver.
Massage therapy is all about feeling better physically as well as mentally – and so is CBD. So, why not combine the two?
Ben from Massaggi is one such therapist who’s done just that. He’s a London-based massage therapist offering his clients the invigorating experience of CBD massage. Here is the story of how he got into massage, how CBD has improved his practice, and why his clients are in the right hands.
A lot of trips to the massage table are triggered by an unfortunate injury, and Ben’s journey into becoming a sports massage therapist began the same way, after injuries to his knee and back left him unable to work.
Refusing to let his life be derailed, Ben chose a new track to follow when he attended a massage course, studying the whole spectrum of therapies from detoxification to energy-based treatment.
The main goal was to heal himself, starting with his injured knee and back, but he found that massage helped him heal emotionally as well. Speaking about the debilitating injury, Ben says, ‘The pain is in your head, not just your body,’ and he believes the emotional effects of being in pain or discomfort following an injury can weigh you down immensely.
Ben wanted to pass this life-altering positive experience on to other people so he could help them heal physically and grow emotionally. So, after a headfirst crash course in the world of website- and brand-building, he launched Massaggi.
For Ben, the most important part of building a business isn’t simply to expand the company but to develop trust with his clients. He wants Massaggi clients to feel relaxed as soon as they walk in the door before the massage even begins.
Empathy is an important part of therapy, and as Ben is someone who has travelled through the journey of injury and recovery himself, he is in a unique position to understand the customer’s needs from a personal perspective.
‘I wanted to leave an imprint,’ he says, speaking of the relationship he has with his clients and the lasting benefits he wants them to get from their therapy. He sees empathy and understanding as tools of his trade as much as the technical skills he uses such as neurostructural integration, sports massage and deep tissue.
Because offering a memorable experience is at the heart of everything Ben and the Massaggi team do, he is always looking for new ways to improve the service he offers his clients.
So, when Ben had a revelatory experience with CBD back in 2008, he knew it was something he wanted to share with his clientele. A friend of Ben’s was suffering from issues with her neck and had seen various specialists for help, from chiropractors and osteopaths to physiotherapists.
But when all of these failed to help her, she tried CBD oil and the pain completely disappeared. Some studies have shown that this type of neuropathic pain, while typically unresponsive to conventional painkiller treatment, could be eased through the use of CBD and without the side- effects often associated with conventional painkillers.
Ben likens this switching off of a pain signal to a micro-point stimulation technique he uses in his massages and other treatment modalities. The technique involves touching the affected point on the body – a micro point smaller than an acupuncture point – that can alleviate the pain within a single session, without the need for repeated therapies over the course of weeks or even months.
Having already tried a few different CBD creams from other companies, Ben was drawn to EthicaCBD. He says he has an ‘instinctual awareness’ when it comes to making business decisions, and after speaking to the EthicaCBD team he realised the brand culture of improving people’s lives and the planet as a whole was akin to his own.
Much in the same way that he can empathise with his clients’ injuries from personal experience, Ben wanted to ensure he had a good understanding of the CBD experience he was to offer his clients.
In his personal life, Ben says that EthicaCBD provides him with, ‘Energy, clarity; something that is different but normal.’ He explains that when you go for a massage you feel enriched afterwards – but this is how people should feel. It should be normal to feel good.
He says that CBD has helped with his journey in life to feel more himself, expand, evolve, and overcome limitations that the world shows him every day. It’s all about mindset and seeing the obstacles in life as hurdles to be hopped rather than blockades to stop you from moving.
Ben draws parallels between the relaxing properties of CBD and the tranquillity felt by sitting at the beach and watching the waves as they lazily roll in.
Taking time to look after our bodies and minds through both massage and CBD treatment can help us get back to optimal health physically and mentally. Only then can he help to heal others, or as Ben puts it, ‘When we heal ourselves, we also heal the planet at the same time.’
Wishing to share this enlightening experience, Ben has been incorporating CBD massage oil into his treatments, as well as selling oral CBD oil drops at Massaggi so that his clients can take the experience home with them.
Ben sees massage oil as ‘preparation for the physical work’ and says it helps his clients to relax as well as providing a warming aromatic scent. ‘Different oils have different textures,’ Ben says, remarking that EthicaCBD oils are a light texture that absorb into the body well and don’t leave his clients feeling oily afterwards.
He feels that using both CBD and massage in conjunction with each other gives people the best results, and his clients have also benefited from the oral drops in the same way that Ben has, telling him that CBD has helped them get more restful sleep at night while feeling relaxed and refreshed in the morning.
Ever-wanting to improve the experience for all that walk through Massaggi’s doors, Ben is looking to take a more ritualistic approach to his massages, offering a unique cocktail of CBD sports gel, massage oil, and oral drops for a holistic approach with a lasting impact. He’s already been coined the “best massage in London”, so it would come as no surprise to see Massaggi earning the title of “best CBD massage in London”. However things might develop, we are happy to have Ben working alongside us to promote healthy living for all.
Looking for your nearest CBD experience? Click here to check out our Stockist Directory, where you’ll be able to see Massaggi along with other like-minded independents who work with us to provide plant-based care.
EthicaCBD, Unit 7 Bude Business Centre, Kings Hill Industrial Estate, Bude, Cornwall, UK, EX238QN.
