Marcus Monk Massage

I recently treated myself to a massage and heard about Marcus through a friend. His home is wonderfully clean, calm, and I enjoyed the music and heated table. His décor definitely put me in the mood for relaxation. I’m not super experienced with getting body work, but Marcus did a fabulous job telling me about his background in Esalen style massage and gave me a whole run down of his style and technique. He asked about which areas needed special attention, if I had any injuries, and got to work. I had never gotten a fully nude massage, and I felt like I was in very safe and capable hands with Marcus. He did an excellent job keeping me comfortable and draped, while being able to massage larger muscle groups of my body. The oils he used felt and smelled amazing. I really enjoyed his pressure, they way he checked in with me, and his thoroughness.

I am a frequent recipient of body work of the past 6 years– I have a chronic illness and have tried chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and finally found relief in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Marcus was recommended by my housemate. My depth of experience made me very selective with body workers, and Marcus is one of the best!
My system is very sensitive, and can be easily triggered. I let Marcus know this at the beginning of the session, and, instead of displaying what I’ve come to expect as typical hesitance, Marcus dove right in, checking in with me regularly.
The massage was long and thorough, and Marcus was very accommodating of my body’s odd quirks. His space, which is in his apartment, it’s sacred and calm, with candles and relaxing music. I loved the heated table! And the lotion was lovely-​just a hint of lavender.
Marcus has extensive knowledge and experience, and has developed unique, ingenious techniques to improve the experience. He’s flexible with scheduling as well!
But most revealing for me is this-I’m a talker and my brain is usually churning, but by the end of the massage I was so relaxed that I fell asleep! As I told Marcus, he should be very proud of himself.

i came into this session feeling sore for two days after an intense workout, and felt all the stress melt away after seeing marcus.
as a martial artist, i make it a point to get bodywork once a month, and let me say that this really changed what i believe is necessary for relief! marcus went very slow and steady with smooth gliding movements. not once did i feel the pressure was too hard, and yet by the end of the session i felt the release of tension that i only thought could be relieved by enduring pain, having someone dig into knots and vigorously working it out. here, i learned that it is possible to experience healing through relaxation.
also, from past experience, it is always inevitable that a therapist will trigger certain ticklish parts so as a habit i have come to brace for that moment. not once did i feel ticklish.
marcus was very attentive… checking in about pressure, room temperature, and using lotion that had real shea butter and other high quality materials. his easy going demeanor and sense of humor was awesome! he helped me feel at ease, comfortable and safe.

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I highly recommend Marcus for a deeply relaxing, unique and nurturing massage experience. He practices a yummy long flow style and incorporates stretches into the session. I find his presence extremely professional and warm.
I am a CMT myself and I find his touch very healing, his pressure light to medium-​firm and his skillful use of different techniques from Swedish to Esalen an excellent blend for sore muscles and an agitated nervous system.
Sometimes I will get a great deep massage from other CMTs but my mind never seems to rest through the session — this is not the case with Marcus. As the receiver, you can tell that he is THERE with you and he is paying attention to your breathe and the way your body responds to his touch; this attentiveness can be hard to find in a spa or health club massage setting.
To top off his skills, Marcus mixes his own oils and lotions using superior organic ingredients and essential oils. You will probably want to buy some from him after the session — they are so yummy!

This was one of the most relaxing massages I have ever received. The whole body Esalen-​style massage felt great. Marcus has a very calm and positive energy. He checked in with me regarding injuries, trouble areas and pressure. I felt comfortable and blissed out through the entire 90 minutes.
I highly recommend him when you need to take full body relaxation to the next level.

I recently had a massage with Marcus
(my sister had recommended him to me.)
It was a very pleasant, relaxing experience.
The space was clean and appealing, and the massage table has internal radiant heat — an extra treat. The room itself was deliciously warm and comfortable– a very pleasant place for massage.
A small point, but I liked that the massage oil he used was unscented and neutral (I hate being subjected to strong incense or scented products.)
Marcus did a mix of deep tissue work and a type of massage known as «zero balance», which was new to me.
He was easy to talk to, and receptive to input and requests.
It had been a very long time since I had a massage, but marcus made me feel completely at ease.
When I left, I felt much more relaxed than I had been in a very long time. (in fact, I felt very sleepy :-)
A lot of the tension and discomfort that I perpetually carry my body had evaporated, and I left feeling much better than I had when I arrived.

This was one of the best massages I’ve ever had in my life…
After my massage I floated out on cloud 9, feeling 1000 times better than when I went in.
I wanted to write the review right away, but as soon as I got home, I lay my head on my pillow and I drifted off into a blissful sleep ;-)
Positives about the experience:
* The massage was a blend of Swedish, deep tissue, and Esalen-​style. Marcus has a very healing, intuitive touch. One of his techniques involved stretching and bending my legs and massaging me while they were bent. (He also did the same with my arms.) It felt amazingly good, and really relieved a lot of tension in my body.
* Marcus has a really nice manner. It felt very comfortable and safe getting a massage from him. He was very respectful and conscientious. He asked about any special issues I might have, and checked to see if there were any parts of my body I didn’t want massaged, or any areas he needed to pay special attention to .
* I’m a (slightly) modest woman, and I appreciated that he was very conscientious about always keeping me draped.
* The massage was done in his studio. The atmosphere was very peaceful and calm. (His place was also pristinely clean– that’s really important to me.)
* His rates were very reasonable.
I would HIGHLY recommend Marcus.

I just got home from my first visit with Marcus; I say first because I am definitely booking with him again!
Even though I arrived a little late due to public transit, Marcus was super understanding and sweet. He was totally accommodating, but didn’t waste any time getting right to business. His space is very comfortable and creates a lovely cocoon of calm.
He was super attentive and asked lots of important questions throughout the process. He made sure I didn’t have any injuries or issues before we started, and while working he would check in to make sure I was okay. When I reacted (I’m a little ticklish) or mentioned a concern he was able to adjust without stopping the flow. His style was very balanced and even, and I was so relaxed and comfortable afterwards that I totally fell asleep!
Aside from getting over the stress of moving, I wasn’t looking for anything exceptional from this massage, but I feel like I just spent a day at the spa. Marcus has an amazing gift, and I definitely recommend him to everyone!