Chuck Farrall graduated from Bodymechanics School of Myotherapy and Massage in January 2018 and has been practicing massage ever since.

With close to six years under his belt, Chuck has developed a practice that best suits his passions – helping clients relax and martial arts.

Chuck’s love for massage all started at a lomi lomi massage seminar. Lomi lomi massage is a Polynesian type massage, and is strongly influenced by indigenous religious beliefs. Lomi lomi mimics the ocean wave, and inspires a healing shift in those receiving the treatment.

During the lomi lomi seminar, Chuck noticed the strokes had an emphasis on grounding, meditation and flow, which fit with his work in martial arts. This integration between the world of massage and martial arts was the sign that Chuck needed to pursue a career in massage therapy. 

While in massage school, Chuck challenged himself to find a specialized interest.
“My classmates seemed to have a clear idea of what they wanted to specialize in as they went through school. Some wanted to do treatment work, others were into craniosacral and energy work, while others gravitated toward myofascial work.” 

During his time at Bodymechanics School, Chuck worked as an adjunct instructor and taught a COMBATTITUDE class at Centralia College as part of their continuing education curriculum.

“Martial Arts incorporates a lot of the same ideals as massage, where you integrate the external with the internal. Martial arts combines both external arts, where you perform hard and fast movements, with internal benefits that focus on an individual’s internal energy. It encompasses all these things in a beautifully crafted movement meditation.” 

After graduating, Chuck took a job doing chair massage at a Behavioral Health Clinic, where he experienced firsthand the great need people have for physical touch and an outlet for their stress. 

“I was given insight into the trauma and high mental, emotional and physical stress that plagues so many people.” 

During the pandemic, Chuck went from teaching martial arts at Centralia College, to teaching private lessons in a space in his home. He also began working as an LMT at Radiance Herbs & Massage.

Working as a massage therapist is a very physically demanding job, but Chuck prides his longevity to many self-care activities that can be done at home. 

“I pay attention to my form, and the ergonomics of my stance while I am giving a massage. I take time for stretches, proper hydration, and quality sleep.  If you have a stressful day, and as a massage therapist you take on a lot of people’s stress, you need to have a way to get rid of that stress. Listen to your body and pay attention to what you need.”

As a relaxation specialist, Chuck places an emphasis on “strong hands, with a gentle touch.” 

Chuck typically works with 3-4 clients a day, 5 days a week, and sees a lot of people who work in high stress professions: nurses, teachers, construction workers… people who have repetitive muscle strain or a lot of mental and emotional stress. 

“Before there’s the body there’s the brain. I start my massages with a scalp massage and end with a scalp massage.”

From Melissa Robbins: “When I went in to see Chuck at Radiance Herbs and Massage, I was greeted warmly by his kind and welcoming demeanor. His massage room is set with dim lighting, and a calming atmosphere that is tailored to the clients’ musical tastes and temperature comfort level. He takes the time to explain thoroughly his approach to massage and what will happen during the massage, while considering each clients individual’s needs. During my session he started with a scalp massage to relax the nervous system and starting at my ankles, he begins with Lomi Lomi techniques that flow in such a way as to imitate the waves of the ocean. I can only explain it as starting out as a small wave that flows from ankle to knee and then crescendos into an expansive wave that moves across the entire side of the body. As he moves his hands up and over the shoulders, the sound of his hands gliding over the sheets imitates the sounds of the ocean. Throughout the entire massage, Chuck combines gentle, flowing strokes with fast-paced shorter ones. The entire massage was a wonderful experience! It was unique and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and brought me to a state of complete relaxation. 

One piece of advice Chuck gives to help new massage therapists navigate burnout is to:
 “Trust the process. Be confident in what you are doing, but also trust that you’ll find your way. Trust that you will evolve into your way of doing things. There is something unique that you do that no one else does. Capitalize on that. We all start with the same ingredients, but everyone has a different and unique way they put those ingredients together. We are always the filter and that is enough.”

Melissa further recommends Chuck to anyone who experiencing mental, emotional, or physical burnout.
Click the link to schedule a session with Chuck! https://calmflow-pllc.square.site/

Thanks to Melissa for interviewing and writing this article with Chuck Farrall, LMT