Eszence — Attraction in Burlingame

TLDR: Awesome place if you're scared of massages. The atmosphere is great, Carrina is great, and there is easy parking! Sorted out my back and shoulders in no time :D.

This was my first massage ever, so I was pretty scared going in, but right away, the atmosphere was so nice. The waiting area has a gentle noise machine and a lovely lavender scent that calmed me while I waited.

And Carrina is just awesome. She was super communicative, caring, and empathetic. She listened to what was bothering me (my neck and shoulders from hunching over a computer all day and night), and made sure to focus on those areas.

During the actual massage, she checked in with me because I was flinching a lot to the touch and adjusted until I wasn't flinching anymore. She was also a lot more gentle than I expected. She still sorted out my back, don't get me wrong, but her movements were very slow and methodical and not at all like the violent shoulder-gripping I've endured from relatives lol.

The atmosphere of the actual massage room was also super calming. I can only describe that room as a sensory cushion that had me dozing off into its sounds, scents, and gentle lighting.

At the end, she checked in with me again. She talked about what she'd felt in my muscles, recommended stretches, and just chatted to get to know me. I overall left feeling awesome and 2 inches taller from all the knots that were loosened!...

5.0 review #46 - what can I say - Carrina is a pro - I have multiple ruptured disks in my spine, spinal stenosis and numerous other ortho challenges - I'm terrified to let anyone work on me but my Physical Therapist really felt I needed soft tissue work and high recommended Carrina - becuase the referral came from a medical professional I was willing to try - and I have not been disappointed. In 3 sessions, she helped to unlock my neck and upper shoulders to give me mobility that I have not had in 10 years. All without causing any kid of flare (I've had many). We've started to work on my thoracic spine and I'm already starting to set move movement which is helping me. She understands connective tissue and how movement in one part of the body impacts others. So very impressed with her knowledge and her diagnostic capability. But beyond that she is a wonderful person who tries to understand the root cause behind physical - whether that be issues in one's life, stress, injury, you name it - she pushes me to build awareness of my body off the table to help figure out why I keep getting tight in the first place - so a real holistic experience. I've tried a lot of massages in the past - not too many recently because I just didn't trust anyone to touch me other than my PT - but she is great and I'm glad I'm working with her - she has my highest...

I have been suffering from neck and back pain for a very long time. I lived with pain killers everyday and hating how they are doing to my body. Finding a great massage therapist is extremely difficult. After a long hard search, I'm very lucky to have found Carrina. She is truly one of the best in her profession. She listens to my problems patiently. She's kind and compassionate and eager to help. She taught me the deep breathing technique which is essential to my recovery. She has been treating me for more than a year. My back and neck pain have been dramatically reduced to the point that I don't need to take daily pain pill anymore. I can't say enough how great her deep tissue massage skill and technique. She uses her magic fingers and magic arms/elbows to heal my muscles and release all the painful knots. After every visit, my muscles and body feel so relax. It's a wonderful feeling! I look forward to my weekly massage everyday. She...