We need to have a little conversation about the word “treat.”
Somewhere along the way, massage got filed under “treat” in most people’s mental budget, right next to fancy dinners and weekend getaways. Something you do to celebrate, or reward yourself, or justify after a particularly brutal week. Nice when it happens, but definitely not essential.
That framing is doing you a disservice. And your body would like to respectfully disagree.
What Regular Massage Actually Does
The research on massage therapy is genuinely impressive, and it goes well beyond “it feels nice.” Regular massage has been shown to reduce cortisol — the stress hormone that, when chronically elevated, contributes to everything from weight gain to cardiovascular issues to immune suppression. It increases serotonin and dopamine. It improves sleep quality. It reduces markers of inflammation.
For people who sit at desks, carry stress in their shoulders, or deal with chronic pain, which is most of us, regular massage addresses the physical manifestations of modern life in a way that almost nothing else does.
The Cumulative Effect
Here’s what people don’t realize until they’ve been getting regular massage for a few months: the benefits are cumulative. The first session feels amazing. The fifth session changes your baseline. By the tenth session, you’re sleeping better, moving differently, and handling stress in a way that surprises you.
This is because massage works on your nervous system over time. You’re not just releasing tension, you’re retraining your body’s default state. Less chronically braced. Less reactive. More able to actually recover between the demands life throws at you.
What This Looks Like at Monterey Bay Bodyworks
Every session at Monterey Bay Bodyworks is customized, which means as your body changes, your treatment changes with it. Some months you need deep work. Some months you need restoration. The goal is always to meet your body where it actually is, not where a menu says it should be.
We offer 60, 80, and 90-minute sessions starting at $110. Monthly clients consistently report better sleep, reduced pain, and perhaps most valuably — a much better relationship with their own body.
That’s not a treat. That’s a necessity wearing very comfortable clothes.
Call KimberlyAnn at 831.372.4212 to start your regular massage practice. Your future self will have strong feelings about this decision.