Posada builds a career out of her ‘gift of touch’

Those who’ve never tried getting a massage are missing out on one of the surest feel-good way to unwind, pamper, and indulge oneself. Those who do swear to its medical benefits as well.

And since massage is an intimate experience that involves the rubbing and stroking of one’s skin and muscles, it helps to find the right health care professional who knows not just the techniques that would suit you but also how to make you feel comfortable.

Massage therapist Angie Posada knows this only too well—that rapport with a client is as essential as one’s massaging skill. With a clientele base not only on Saipan but also from neighboring islands, many of her customers keep coming back for more of her excellent massage skills and affable demeanor.

“I feel blessed that I have customers all the way from Guam and Hawaii and they would always come back and look for me when they want a massage,” Posada told Saipan Tribune.

Posada said her loyal customers treat her like family that they even recently sponsored her surgery, medication, and accommodations to treat her goiter in the Philippines. Moreover, these customers even brought her along during their trips to Hong Kong, China, and Thailand.

“They know who they are and all I can say is a million thanks to them. God knows the goodness of their hearts and I wish more blessings for them,” she said.

A native of Virac, Catanduanes, Posada began her career in massage therapy in 1994 when she received training for back massage, then whole body massage at the New Age Day Spa-Zen at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

“When I was young, my father would ask me to massage his legs when he gets tired from work. But it was my sister who was already working as a masseuse at Palm Garden and encouraged me to undergo training,” she revealed.

Posada worked at New Age Day Spa-Zen until 1997 when she moved to Saipan and worked as a massage therapist initially at Abby’s Beauty Salon & Spa, then MSV Beauty Salon & Spa. Since 2010, she has been employed with Serenity Salon & Spa.

“It’s quite hard to do massage because it could be exhausting,” said Posada, explaining how she would use all her energy for long strokes, enough kneading pressure or focusing on sensitive or painful areas.

Doing a massage, Posada noted, becomes particularly difficult when she cannot please and satisfy a customer despite all her efforts.

“A massage just usually lasts an hour but there are times when even after two hours, my massage techniques still seem to be not enough,” she said.

Although she has been a massage therapist for almost two decades, Posada said it took her some time to get used to seeing a stranger strip in front of her.

“Before, I would really freeze when I see my customer butt naked. Not anymore. I’m totally okay with it,” she said.

Which ones are easier to massage—men or women?

Posada says it all depends on a person’s build and the kind of pressure they prefer.

With her long experience as a massage therapist, Posada said she has had her share of offensive encounters with lewd male customers who “verbally harass” her. In one instance, a customer asked her to massage his privates. In another, a client asked her, “Do you do extra job?”

“I cried,” revealed Posada. “I felt humiliated because that’s how they thought of me.”

At times, Posada would get tired after doing numerous massages in a day, causing her to experience numbness in her thumbs and index fingers. Occasionally, her wrists would also feel wiped out.

“Massage therapists have this remedy wherein they dip their hands in warm water and apply jojoba lotion afterwards. It helps relax the hands, which are important in doing massages. It also prevents pasma,” she said.

Posada would also do circular motion exercises with her fingers and hands to relieve soreness.

After massaging one customer and before proceeding to the next one, Posada would always wash her hands with hot water and anti-bacterial soap.

“As a massage therapist, I want to make sure that I observe hygiene and sanitation to protect my customers,” said Posada.

Notwithstanding the fatigue, Posada takes pride in her work, having supported her five children’s needs through her earnings.

“Actually, my eldest and third children have also demonstrated skills in massage therapy,” she said.

To better serve their patrons, Posada noted that a massage therapist must be physically fit and possess certain qualities such as patience, endurance, and the “gift of touch.”

But Posada said that her faith in God is, above all, what has helped her through the years.

“Every day, I would ask God to give me the strength to do my job right and to empower my hands to give my customer care and comfort. I would pray to Him and say, ‘My life is in you, Lord.’”