Frequently Asked Questions
- SpaNomad
- Scheduling
- Setup
- Massage
- Cancellation Policy
SpaNomad, LLC was founded in 2008.
Massage therapist, Laurie English, not only founded SpaNomad, but she also created both the word "SpaNomad" and the phrase
"Traveling Spa".
SpaNomad traveled to India to study the barbers of Pushkar and experience Indian Head Massage first-hand. These travels featuring Baba the Barber have had millions of hits on SpaNomad's Youtube channel.
Laurie English is a certified Champissage practitioner and taught Champissage nationally from Seattle to Washington D.C. for several years. Many students after taking a single class (not recommended) went on to train their spas in the art of Indian Head Massage.
The SpaNomad signature massage was created by Laurie English. Currently there are no other therapists who practice this particular method of muscle release.
Hi there! My background as it relates to massage includes:
- Classical piano training from ages 4-16;
- Massage of my grandmother from when I was 6 years old until my 20s with the highlight being growing her hair back after she experienced significant hair loss (bald patches);
- B.A. in psychology with an interest in neuroscience
- first professional massage courses taken in 1996;
- Dual Certification in Polarity Therapy and Massage from the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts (NMAHA) in 1998;
- SynergyDance certified instructor in 1999 (teaching self-healing movement based on Polarity Therapy for 10 years);
- Champissage: Indian Head Massage certification and national instructor in 2006;
- NCBTMB approved-provider/teacher for Indian Head Massage
- worked at high-end spas in D.C. (Paris Alexanders) and Santa Fe (La Posada, Absolute Nirvana, and Las Campanas from 1998-2008;
- founded SpaNomad in 2008
The combination of music, movement, and massage plays a vital role in bringing me health and happiness every single day for as long as I can remember.
I know how powerful it is on a deeply personal level and enjoy sharing this passion with the special people who I call clients and friends.
When I'm not doing massage, you'll find me in my garden or on the dance floor.
With advanced notice, we can tailor mobile massage service times to meet your needs. For after or before hours service, there may be additional charges.
SpaNomad has provided large group event massages outside of Santa Fe. There is a minimum 5 hour service requirement. Lastly, an additional round-trip travel fee (per therapist) is included.
Our minimum mobile massage treatment time is 60 minutes. You can schedule any time increment upwards of that amount and the price will be adjusted accordingly.
Standard session times include:
- 60 minutes
- 90 minutes
- 2 hours
Our prices include our New Mexico state tax. Tips are not included and are appreciated.
You can pay for services with:
- cash
- local check
- Venmo, or
- Paypal
Mobile massage, also known as on-site massage, is when your massage therapist comes to you. Instead of coming to a brick-and-mortar spa, mobile massage takes place at your location: at home, at a hotel or vacation rental, or even at your workspace.
Although last minute scheduling may be difficult to avoid, I recommend allowing maximum time when scheduling your mobile massage. Clients typically schedule large group massage events up to six months in advance. Individual or couples massage benefits from at least 48-hours and some flexibility with dates/times.
You only need yourself and a suitable space. Your SpaNomad massage therapist brings everything needed to give you an amazing massage. Things to consider when selecting your location:
- accessibility (distance from entrance and stairs),
- noise-level, traffic (if other people will be present),
- temperature (heat or cold preferences), and
- proximity to a rest room.
This is your personal preference and probably depends if it's your first time seeing the therapist. Attire that is easy to remove is the most helpful. Removing jewelry like necklaces and watches facilitates the massage as well. Lastly, using hair ties or clips for shoulder-length or longer hair helps your massage therapist.
Before the start of your massage, your therapist will ask you what type of pressure you'd like for your massage.
- Light
- Medium
- Firm
Pressure varies from therapists to therapist as well as from body part to body part. As long as you keep your therapist informed as to any changing pressure preferences, you'll both enjoy your massage and receive maximum benefit from it.
How do I determine optimum pressure? Whether the client can relax AND take deep breaths. Sometimes we think that more is more, but tensing muscles is counterproductive to the goal of massage.
Deep tissue massage is an option as well.
If you would like extra attention paid to an area, please let your therapists know in advance. Common requests for extra time spent are:
- face/scalp
- neck/shoulders
- hip/hamstrings
- hands
- feet
We are more than happy to customize your massage to suit you.
Following a massage, we recommend drinking water and staying hydrated.
For longer massages, 90 minutes or more, clients often want to either go to sleep or soak. Planning enough down-time post-massage to continue relaxing can be helpful.
I typically ask clients prior to their massage what type of pressure they prefer: light, medium or firm. Since pressure is subjective, my rule of thumb is you should be able to breathe deeply, no matter the level of massage. Once a client is holding their breath or tensing their joints in any way, the pressure is counterproductive to the goal of massage. Because various parts of the body respond to pressure differently, it's always a good idea to provide feedback to your therapist if your pressure needs change. This ensures that you get your best massage.
Our minimum mobile massage treatment time is 60 minutes. You can schedule any time increment upwards of that amount and the price will be adjusted accordingly.
Standard session times include:
- 60 minutes
- 90 minutes
- 2 hours
We recommend letting us know of any cancellations or time changes 24 hours in advance.
Text messaging is the simplest way of letting us know of any adjustments to your appointment. Leaving a message is our second recommendation. We ALWAYS respond to messages so if you haven't heard back from us, we didn't get the message.