But for Gage, this signals the beginning of a work shift.
Gage has been working as a massage therapist at Massage & Wellness on Grand River Avenue for a little more than three months. Once classes are finished for the day, the 28-year-old devotes her time to helping others work through their stress and tension with her magic hands.
While one of her favorite methods is the knot-relieving deep tissue massage, Gage also specializes in Swedish, pregnancy and sports massages.
“Customers usually come out of the massage room really relaxed — sometimes they don’t even want to get up from the table,” she said.
Although she has only worked with Massage & Wellness for a short period of time, massage has been a part of her life long before she submitted her job application in January 2014.
When she was 16, extreme stress caused the rectors in her back to become profusely knotted. Anyone who ran a hand across her back thought she had developed three spines beneath her skin.
She went through many massage therapy sessions to help with her back issues, and that experience inspired her to bring that type of release to other people.
After graduating high school in 2005, Gage took a step away from college and instead attended the Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy for a year.
From there, a sense of wanderlust inspired her to travel with her newly-developed abilities. Gage explored the country as a massage therapist and has acted as a masseuse everywhere from Michigan to Florida.
“I’ve met a lot of people traveling,” she said. “The most interesting people I’ve met aren’t famous people. They’re just people I’ve met from other countries that I’ve connected with or have left an impact on my life.”
The biggest challenge for her is finding that connection with her clients, but it is also the most important part of the job. Since everyone has different needs, she said customers need to feel comfortable enough with her to let her know when she needs to press harder on their muscles or ease up.
During the few months she has worked with Massage & Wellness, Gage’s methods have already prompted people to start requesting for her service before they come in.
Elementary education senior Andrea Simmons came to Massage & Wellness to receive release from her consistent migraines. She said that once Gage finished their session, she went two weeks without a migraine. Before that, Simmons suffered from them on a daily basis.
“It was nothing short of a miracle,” Simmons said.
