On the third floor of a shoplot in Bukit Jalil lies Beyond Massage, a new massage therapy centre.
Bright and airy with high ceilings, Beyond Massage is unlike any massage spot I’ve come across. This speaks to the mission of the co-founders, who aim to change the “luxurious” narrative that massages and physiotherapy typically follow.
You can read more about the business’ story here.
The Bukit Jalil location is near many gyms and Pilates studios, making it a fantastic recovery zone for athletes.
But what about someone like me, who isn’t the most active person? I spend most of my time sitting in front of my laptop with questionable posture. Then account for an hour every day sitting in a train, staring down at my phone.
Yeah, I’m not exactly promoting ergonomically sound habits.
Thankfully, Beyond Massage does away with all the standardised, templated programmes, and instead offers personalised bespoke services.
A thorough consultation
Speaking to the co-founders, they shared that many of their therapists come from traditional physio centres and hospitals, having worked with patients with serious issues.
The therapist assigned to me was Izzah. Though smaller than me, Izzah packs quite a lot of power, as I was about to learn.
Before getting to the actual massage, there was a 10-minute consultation session inside the room. It began with Izzah asking me whether there were any concerns I had.
“Not really,” I began. “Probably just my neck. And my shoulders. Oh, and the soles of my feet?”
As it turned out, there were more things that should be addressed than I initially thought. But Izzah was patient and understanding, thoroughly checking my posture and mobility. She had me do some simple movements, and commented on certain imbalances, overrotations, and whatnot.
Checking my feet (I have flat arches), she pointed out that I had plantar fasciitis—a diagnosis I have never actually heard of. It felt extremely validating that she was able to pinpoint parts of my body that were hurting, and why.
This speaks to Beyond Massage’s mission of education. More than just tinkering around with my body and calling it a day, Izzah was sure to check in with me about everything, asking me if I knew about specific muscle groups she was addressing, and how everything was connected.
And mind you, it was already 6PM, her last session for the day.
From my spine to my feet, my hips to my shoulders, she checked just about everything. After that, it was time to strip down and change into a towel with fasteners. The session is designed to be rather intimate and thorough, so the therapist needs to be able to access your bare skin quite a lot.
A nice addition here would be having a specific area (box or otherwise) for me to put my bags and clothes, as leaving them in the corner of the table felt a bit awkward.
On the bright side, they offer comfy underwear in a range of sizes for both males and females. This is as the massage uses oil (lavender and ginger were the two options I was given) and could stain your underwear. There are also shower caps to protect your hair.
No pain, no gain
Now, I’m told that my pain tolerance is relatively high, and I can tahan most physical batterings (just don’t hurt my feelings). Just because I can tolerate it doesn’t mean that I don’t acknowledge that it truly is quite intense.
If you’ve never experienced physical therapy, it involves a lot of pressing and kneading—and such was the case here. I could feel Izzah working away the knots, explaining what she was doing most steps of the way.
Throughout the session, she would frequently check in on me, letting me know which muscles felt tight and what sorts of exercises I could do to alleviate the tension.
Even though much of the pressing was painful, the relief it provided felt pretty relaxing. I even fell asleep at one point, jostled awake only when Izzah asked me to turn onto my back.
After the hour was up, Izzah checked in with how I felt and had me go through some additional movements. Upon hearing that my neck still felt quite stiff, she did some dry cupping, paired with exercises.
The pain itself didn’t really manifest on the day itself, though. Rather, it was the day after when my body felt particularly sore, especially around my abdomen and under my collarbones.
Writing this two days after the session, I’d say that most of the soreness has subsided, and I’m feeling pretty refreshed and reinvigorated.
Reasonably priced for quality services
The pricing for the full body massage starts at RM149 for 60 minutes, with 90-minute (RM179) and 120-minute (RM209) sessions available too.
The sessions can be bespoke, but there are four “goals” you can choose to focus on—physical relief, relaxation, rejuvenation, and specific health & wellness focus.
There’s also Foot, Head, Neck & Shoulder massages, too.
Beyond Massage sincerely feels like an attempt to lower the barriers to entry for physiotherapy, while adding in that premium, upscale flair found in fancy massage places.
It’s certainly designed for a modern crowd that cares about wellness and appreciates good service and new experiences.
I truly had a great time with Izzah, and from what I heard from other guests after my session, it seems like the other therapists left just as good of an impression.
My session at Beyond Massage showed that they truly deliver what their name promises—going beyond just a massage to offer an experience worth coming back for.
Featured Image Credit: Beyond Massage
