Elexis Mendez

Massage Therapist

Elexis Mendez is a licensed massage therapist based in Portland, Oregon. With over 5 years of experience, Elexis is the lead massage therapist at Zama Massage Therapeutic Spa. She specializes in a variety of techniques, including Thai massage, Ashiatsu, deep tissue, Swedish, trigger point therapy, gua sha, and cupping. Elexis completed an 800-hour massage therapy program and received her massage therapy license from East-West College of the Healing Arts in Portland. In 2024, she also became a licensed esthetician.

Professional Achievements

In addition to treating clients, Elexis regularly trains other massage therapists to improve their techniques in areas such as deep tissue treatments, draping, aromatherapy, gua sha, various other massage therapy enhancements, and general LMT best practices.

Favorite Piece of Advice

As an LMT, Elexis has been able to gain a unique perspective on the effects of lifestyle choices, diet, and exercise. Though it's easy to overcomplicate health & fitness, Elexis has found that the best advice for everyone is to simply find a form of exercise or movement that enables you to connect with your body and maintain general health & well-being. Also, everyone should wear more sunscreen.

wikiHow's Editorial ProcesswikiHow partners with over 1000+ experts from a wide range of fields to ensure our content is accurate and based on well-established research and testimony. Content Managers conduct interviews and work closely with each expert to review information, answer reader questions, and add credible advice. Learn more about our editorial process and why millions of readers trust wikiHow.

Forum Comments (1)

Tips on how to give a really good back massage?

First of all, if you're at home and trying to give a good back massage, you could always look up some sort of video tutorial to help you with what to do. But try to just have fun with it. It's very hard to replicate a professional massage experience when you're at home and you don't have equipment or tools, so I'd suggest finding a way to make both peope comfortable. You can keep it low-key; for example, you can have someone sit lower than you, provide them a pillow to lean on, and give them a nice shoulder massage. You can also try to replicate a massage table experience by having someone lie on a bed.

Q&A Comments (2)

What does a full body massage include?

A full body massage is pretty much your entire body except the genital area, which we're not allowed to touch. Typically, massage therapists won't include your abdomen within a full body. Some do if that's what you've discussed, but there's usually an intake process where you discuss the client's focus areas, their concerns for that day, and their goals for the session.

How long does a full body massage take?

Usually, I recommend people do longer sessions (90 minutes) if they want a full body massage with focus areas, because 60 minutes seems like a long time, but it really goes by very quickly.

Co-authored Articles (14)

How to Give a Relaxing Full Body Massage at Home

Professional techniques to soothe sore muscles and alleviate achesReady to help someone relax? Giving your partner, your friend, or a client a massage is a wonderful way to rid them of stress and soothe their sore muscle...

How to

Give a Neck Massage

People who sit at desks or drive for long periods of time often experience a lot of pain in their neck and shoulders. Giving them a neck massage is a great way to relieve that tension.. 29 September 2023. Massages can al...

How to Massage Your Sinuses: 3 Techniques for Drainage & Pain Relief

Target your sinus pressure points like a pro masseuseIf you are suffering from sinus pressure or congestion, massaging your sinuses may help to alleviate some of your irritation. Massaging the sinuses and the tissues sur...

What to Wear to a Massage: Proper Massage Etiquette

Going in for your first massage? Get ready for some rest and relaxation! But heading into a massage can leave you with a lot of questions, such as what do I wear to the appointment? How much clothing do I take off during...

How to

Use a Massage Gun

Massage guns are an easy solution to muscle pain and stiffness, but how do you use one effectively? Massage guns are generally safe for most people to use every day, and their benefits include relaxation, muscle recover...

How to

Work Out a Shoulder Knot

Muscle knots commonly occur in the shoulder muscles of athletic and sedentary people alike. Repetitive motions (such as throwing a ball) can cause muscle fibers to contract and tighten, which feels like a thumb-size knot...

How to Give a Proper Hand Massage

An expert guide to pain & stress relief with a hand massage Our hands take a beating every day and can hold a surprising amount of stress. A hand massage can be a quick and rewarding way to relieve pain and tension in so...

How to

Do Hot Stone Massage

Hot stone massage uses a combination of warmed stones and massage techniques to relax tense muscles, relieve pain and stiffness, and improve circulation. The treatment can be used for ailments like muscular aches, arthri...

Massage Etiquette: Dos and Don’ts of Undressing, Tipping & More

Answering all your embarrassing questions before you get a massage If you’re getting your first massage, it’s completely normal to feel a little confused about the protocol. You’ll never have to do anything that ma...

How to

Massage for Shoulder Blade Pain

Shoulder blade pain afflicts millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, it can be a real hassle to manage and treat if you don't know how. Luckily, massage therapy is very effective in helping to ease shoulder p...

How to

Massage a Baby

Babies need to be touched in order to grow physically and emotionally healthy. Massaging babies boosts their immune systems, helps foster muscle development and reduces their stress. You can start gently massaging your b...

How to

Get Rid of Stress Balls on Your Neck

A stress ball is medically known as a myofascial trigger point. These are specific areas where muscles have been subjected to persistent stress, which can cause stress balls to develop. These stress balls, or muscle knot...

How to

Use Hot Stones

Hot stones have a variety of uses. You can heat stones up in the winter and use them as bed warmers. Another great use for hot stones is massage. Hot stone massage therapy provides tension relief, improves circulation an...

Should You Jade Roll Your Neck? How to Use a Face Roller to Reduce Puffiness and Soothe Skin on Your Neck

If you follow any beauty influencers on social media, you've probably seen more and more jade rollers popping up in your feed in the past couple of years. A lot of people use jade rollers on their faces to help reduce p...