Frequently Asked Questions

Payments, Scheduling, Accessibility

1. How does scheduling work?

   Please call or email us. Together, we’ll determine whether this work is a good fit for your needs and set up session times convenient for you.

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2. How do I pay?

   Please pay online if possible; we’ll email you an invoice. Call or email us if you prefer to pay by check, cash, or credit card offline. Payment is due at or before the time of your appointment.

   Holders of our bodywork gift certificates and prepaid sessions are welcome to use them for therapeutic yoga and breathwork.

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3. Do you accept gratuities?

   We appreciate clients who want offer gratuities. Please “tip” us by recommending us to others, posting about us online, completing our feedback form with quotes we can use, and rescheduling with us.

   We donate monetary tips we receive to Vermont Companion Animal Neutering, Inc., a nonprofit spay/neuter clinic with a stationary clinic in Middlesex, and MASH clinics serving seven Vermont counties. We also use gratuities to subsidize Massage Vermont’s fees for people who need, but cannot afford, our services.

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4. What if I miss my appointement or need to cancel?

   We ask 24-hour notice of cancellation. You can leave us a voicemail or email us 24 hours a day.

   We value your time and ours. We reserve the right to charge clients or void gift certificates for missed appointments when we’ve received no notice. We understand that occasionally something unavoidable comes; we are flexible with emergencies.

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5. How is the accessibilty?

   Therapeutic breathwork can be virtual or in person for maximum ease of accessibility.

   For in-person bodywork and breathwork: We are located 1 mile north of the intersection of Elm Street and State Street.  It’s a flat walk from downtown with sidewalks the whole way on at least one side of the street.

   The level driveway offers parking close to the building entrance. The building entryway is wide and flat with no steps up or down. Our treatment areas are ADA-compliant.

   We understand this may not address all needs.  We may be available to travel to homes and healthcare settings for clients who cannot come to us.  Please contact us for more information.

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In-Person Bodywork Sessions

1. Are you offering in-person sessions during the pandemic?

   For in-person sessions, please review our pandemic protocols. Here’s a little more discussion about that.

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2. What should I wear to my treatment?

   For virtual sessions, wear loose, comfortable clothing. Have extra layers ready to put on in case you feel chilly.

   When we resume in-person services . . .

   • Craniosacral Therapy clients wear loose, comfortable clothing.
   • Massage Therapy clients disrobe in private (underwear may be left on if that’s more comfortable) and remain covered by sheets and blankets.
   • Foot Reflexology clients wear comfortable clothing that’s easy to adjust for access to the feet and lower legs.
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3. What if I’m too cold/warm?

   Please tell us if you could be more comfortable at any time. You can request additional blankets and heat, or a lighter cotton sheet and no blanket.  A comfortable temperature is necessary for relaxation to occur.

   One of the primary functions of your muscles is to keep the body warm, which they do by clenching to generate heat – most likely the opposite effect you want when you work with us.  Please let us know if you are too cold or too warm.

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4. What should I do during my treatment?

   A client may relax and drift off during the session. Another may tune in to the work and the body’s responses to it. Some clients sleep. Occasionally, a client likes to talk. It’s your time. It’s up to you.

   If you’re not sure what to do during your session, we invite you to tune into your breathing, observing it without trying to change it. Tune into the sensations of your body. Gently direct your attention to wherever we’re working, and experience each moment.

   Many people are sleep-deprived. Sometimes falling asleep during a session yields the deepest sleep a client will get that week. We’re grateful to be able to offer that space and time to someone who needs it. Your snoring is a compliment to your practitioner.

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5. Can I have a "deep tissue" or "sports" massage?

   No, we specialize in gentle massage for nervous system soothing and general relaxation. Clients seeking especially firm, deep bodywork will probably prefer a different practitioner. We will refer you to the best of our ability.

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6. Will my treatment hurt?

   Our work tends to be gentle to medium pressure, not firm.

   You are in charge of the level of pressure and the techniques used in your treatment. If you feel discomfort, please tell us right away.

   Some bodies respond best to very gentle work. Others benefit from pressure at the edge of discomfort, sometimes called “hurts good.” However, therapeutic pain never creates the urge to pull away, clench your jaw, or tell your therapist to stop. If you feel those urges, please say something.

   Your body tells you when the work is right for you and when it isn’t. Please tell us – it’s the only way we’ll know.

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Breathwork and Online Sessions

1. What will I get out of doing sessions?

   Therapeutic yoga and breathwork benefits occur in several dimensions.

   1. During the session: You’ll feel more relaxed and supported. This feeds your brain easeful moments. Your system remembers how to feel that way and sees the promise of more.
   2. Throughout your life: You’ll take away skills and practices that give you access to ease and alertness anytime you wish, and others that let you continue progressing in respiratory wellness.
   3. Better automatic behaviors: Behaviors become habits. Replace less productive habits, such as overbreathing and overthinking, with breath and mind habits that build your stress resilience and support cardiovascular health.

   The essence of this work: We can’t change what already is, but if you can breathe and think, you have the power to affect your attitude what is and make more mindful choices about the moments to come.

   Sheryl and Chris rely on this work for our own well-being and feel honored to share it with you.

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2. What am I signing up for?

   Whether virtual or in person, you’ll have gentle breath-awareness, and guided-relaxation sessions tailored to your needs and goals. You’ll learn practices you can do on your own, and you’ll get as much out of them as you put into them. These practices will help you abide in what is while adapting your mental and physical activities to improve your stress resilience and comfort for whatever is to come.

   We’ll meet as often and for as long as it takes for you to ingrain new habits and see the improvements you want and feel ready to continue on your own. If meeting more frequently or over a longer period supports your goals and gets you better results, that’s what we’ll do.

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3. Can this help me when I'm in crisis?

   Our work is not crisis, urgent, or emergency care. We urge anyone in crisis to contact a qualified practitioner, such as a licensed medical provider or mental health professional.

   Our work is palliative: We’ll work together when you’re in something like a routine daily mode. Doing this work could raise the threshold on conditions that lead to crisis, and might leave you more resilient when difficult times arrive.

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4. Who is this work for?

   Anyone who is breathing on their own and reading these words is able to safely benefit from breathwork. The way you breathe now is a result of habit, state of physical and mental health, age, current circumstances, and more.

   When Chris and I began training in the Buteyko method and Buteyko-inspired Restore Your Prana work, we’d been doing mindfulness practices for decades. Yet were amazed by these simple exercises that are resulting in more natural breathing that contributes to our health and well-being.

   Many exercises are subtle enough to do at work, at the grocery, in social situations, and wherever you are. In fact, they can enhance your ability to stay calm and focused during activities and interactions.

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5. Do I have to do homework?

   Our brains learn what we do repeatedly.

   You breathe 10,000 to 20,000 times a day. Your body moves you through life, performing activities you barely need to show up mentally for. Your brain is well-trained to continue the breathing habits you’ve established. Good! Making change as fundamental as breathing should take time and effort to ensure you stay safe and have time to adjust.

   Daily practice retrains the brain and shifts your nervous system responses to all kinds of stimuli. The idea is to repeat healthy behaviors until our brain begins acting that way implicitly. The more you practice, the more your habits will change.

   If you prefer to spend sessions having us guiding you in soothing breathing and relaxation, that’s okay too. Practice with us enough times and change will start to happen.

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