Which massage is best for a 1st visit?

Choose 60 minutes of Traditional Thai if you want firm pressure with assisted stretching. Choose Relaxing Hot Oil or Aromatherapy if you prefer something gentler and quieter.

What is the difference between deep tissue and hot stone massage?

Deep Tissue uses firmer sustained manual pressure on tight areas. Hot Stone combines flowing massage with warmed basalt stones and oil, bringing warmth rather than heavy pressure. Choose according to whether you prefer focused pressure or warmth.

Which massage is most relaxing?

Relaxing Hot Oil and Aromatherapy are the gentlest full body options at Tara Spa. Hot Stone adds deeper warmth, while the 90 minute rituals give more time to settle.

Should I book 30, 60 or 90 minutes?

Book 30 minutes for 1 focused area, 60 minutes for a complete full body treatment, and 90 minutes when you want an unhurried session or several techniques together.

Can I ask for lighter pressure?

Yes. Pressure should feel productive rather than painful and can be adjusted at any point. Tell your therapist before and during the treatment what feels comfortable.

A Plain English Treatment Guide

Which massage should
I choose?

Compare pressure, movement, warmth and time before you book. Every option here is available at Tara Spa on Yarm High Street.

Massage treatment in progress in a calm Tara Spa treatment room

Start With The Feeling You Want

You do not need to know the treatment names first

Most people arrive knowing how they feel rather than which massage technique they need. They might be stiff after months at a desk, tired after long shifts, carrying one stubborn knot, or simply unable to switch their head off. That is enough information to begin.

The main choices are pressure, movement and warmth. Traditional Thai includes rhythmic pressure and assisted stretching. Deep Tissue is firm and focused. Hot Stone combines massage with warmth. Aromatherapy and Relaxing Hot Oil are gentler, quieter full body treatments.

There is no prize for choosing the strongest or longest option. The right booking is the one that matches how your body feels and how you want the hour to feel. When you know what suits you, pick a time and book online.

Choose on Vagaro 5.0 from 87 Google reviews

Compare The Options

Pressure, feeling and the reason to choose each treatment

Treatment	Pressure	How it feels	Choose it when	From
Relaxing Hot Oil	Gentle to medium	Warm oil and long flowing movements	You mainly want quiet, warmth and full body relaxation	£50
Traditional Thai	Medium to firm	A firm, invigorating hour that sits close to deep tissue, with lots more assisted stretching to free up the hips, back and shoulders. Oil or no oil, it's your choice. Once you are warmed up, your therapist works the back, shoulders and neck, then the legs and feet, with steady pressure and stretches that leave you standing taller and feeling more flexible. A gentle head massage finishes things off beautifully. Brilliant if you feel stiff from sitting, driving or training and want to move freely again.	You feel stiff, restricted or desk bound and want more movement	£50
Deep Tissue	Firm and focused	Slow, firm and targeted, for the aches lighter massage cannot reach. After warming you through, your therapist starts at the legs and works into the deeper layers of muscle, focusing on the knots and problem areas you tell us about, usually the back, neck and shoulders. We keep talking with you about pressure, so it is always strong but never too much. A relaxing head massage brings the hour to a close, and you leave feeling looser, lighter and properly worked on. Ideal for stubborn tension, sports recovery or long standing tightness.	You want direct attention on longstanding muscular tension	£50
Aromatherapy	Gentle to medium	Our relaxing warm oil massage, made with beautifully scented aromatherapy oils. The fragrance fills the room as soon as you settle in, and every slow, flowing stroke helps your breathing ease and your shoulders drop. After a soft warm up, your therapist works gently from the legs upwards at a light to medium pressure, then closes with a calming head massage. An hour of pure unwinding, and the one to book when your mind simply will not switch off.	Your main goal is to slow down and leave feeling settled	£60
Hot Stone	Light to medium, with warmth rather than heavy pressure	Smooth heated basalt stones and warm oil, glided through the muscles and rested where you hold tension, so the warmth sinks in and tightness melts away without heavy pressure. It is the most comforting hour you can give yourself when you feel tense but would rather have warmth than firm work. After a gentle warm up, the stones travel up from the legs, settling the back and shoulders, before your therapist finishes with a soft head massage by hand. You will feel warm right through, calm and wonderfully relaxed.	You want warmth and depth without the strongest manual pressure	£65
Focused 30 Minutes	Adjusted to the area	Concentrated work instead of a rushed full body session	One area needs attention and time is limited	£30
90 Minute Ritual	Varied across several techniques	An unhurried 90 minute ritual with room for several techniques, added warmth or a longer head massage	You want more time or several techniques in one appointment	£85

Relaxing Hot Oil

£50

Pressure: Gentle to medium
Feeling: Warm oil and long flowing movements
Clothing: Oil massage
Choose it when: You mainly want quiet, warmth and full body relaxation

Traditional Thai

£50

Pressure: Medium to firm
Feeling: A firm, invigorating hour that sits close to deep tissue, with lots more assisted stretching to free up the hips, back and shoulders. Oil or no oil, it's your choice. Once you are warmed up, your therapist works the back, shoulders and neck, then the legs and feet, with steady pressure and stretches that leave you standing taller and feeling more flexible. A gentle head massage finishes things off beautifully. Brilliant if you feel stiff from sitting, driving or training and want to move freely again.
Oil: With or without oil, your choice
Choose it when: You feel stiff, restricted or desk bound and want more movement

Deep Tissue

£50

Pressure: Firm and focused
Feeling: Slow, firm and targeted, for the aches lighter massage cannot reach. After warming you through, your therapist starts at the legs and works into the deeper layers of muscle, focusing on the knots and problem areas you tell us about, usually the back, neck and shoulders. We keep talking with you about pressure, so it is always strong but never too much. A relaxing head massage brings the hour to a close, and you leave feeling looser, lighter and properly worked on. Ideal for stubborn tension, sports recovery or long standing tightness.
Clothing: Discussed before treatment
Choose it when: You want direct attention on longstanding muscular tension

Aromatherapy

£60

Pressure: Gentle to medium
Feeling: Our relaxing warm oil massage, made with beautifully scented aromatherapy oils. The fragrance fills the room as soon as you settle in, and every slow, flowing stroke helps your breathing ease and your shoulders drop. After a soft warm up, your therapist works gently from the legs upwards at a light to medium pressure, then closes with a calming head massage. An hour of pure unwinding, and the one to book when your mind simply will not switch off.
Clothing: Oil massage
Choose it when: Your main goal is to slow down and leave feeling settled

Hot Stone

£65

Pressure: Light to medium, with warmth rather than heavy pressure
Feeling: Smooth heated basalt stones and warm oil, glided through the muscles and rested where you hold tension, so the warmth sinks in and tightness melts away without heavy pressure. It is the most comforting hour you can give yourself when you feel tense but would rather have warmth than firm work. After a gentle warm up, the stones travel up from the legs, settling the back and shoulders, before your therapist finishes with a soft head massage by hand. You will feel warm right through, calm and wonderfully relaxed.
Clothing: Oil massage
Choose it when: You want warmth and depth without the strongest manual pressure

Focused 30 Minutes

£30

Pressure: Adjusted to the area
Feeling: Concentrated work instead of a rushed full body session
Clothing: Depends on the selected treatment
Choose it when: One area needs attention and time is limited

90 Minute Ritual

£85

Pressure: Varied across several techniques
Feeling: An unhurried 90 minute ritual with room for several techniques, added warmth or a longer head massage
Clothing: Depends on the chosen ritual
Choose it when: You want more time or several techniques in one appointment

Preparation depends on the treatment. With Traditional Thai, you can choose massage with or without oil. Ask your therapist if you have any questions before you begin.

Choose By Goal

A quick answer for the most common reasons people book

I feel stiff from sitting

Traditional Thai is the strongest match because it combines pressure with assisted movement through the shoulders, hips and legs.

I have 1 stubborn tight area

Deep Tissue is direct and focused. Choose 60 minutes for a full body treatment or 30 minutes when the problem is mainly back, neck or shoulders.

I want warmth more than force

Hot Stone uses warmed basalt stones and oil, making it a good option when warmth appeals more than sustained heavy pressure.

I need to stop thinking for an hour

Relaxing Hot Oil and Aromatherapy keep the pace slow and soothing. Aromatherapy is a relaxing warm oil massage with beautifully scented aromatherapy oils and light to medium pressure.

I only have 30 minutes

Choose 1 clear target. Head, Neck and Shoulder, focused Back Pain work or Foot Massage is more realistic than trying to fit a full body session into half an hour.

I want the fullest experience

Our signature ritual, and the most complete treatment we offer. We begin by gently warming the whole body, then Thai massage works through the back, shoulders and neck, then the legs and feet, easing out the tightness you have been carrying for weeks. Warm herbal compresses follow, soft bundles of Thai herbs steamed and pressed into aching muscles, so a deep, comforting heat sinks in exactly where you need it. Beautifully scented aromatherapy oils carry you further into calm, before a slow, soothing head massage brings everything to a peaceful close. The strongest relief we can give in 1 visit, and the treatment our regulars keep coming back for.

Choose By Time

30 minutes focuses, 60 minutes completes, 90 minutes unfolds

30 minutes is best when 1 area needs attention. There is enough time to work carefully through a back, neck and shoulder pattern, tired feet or lower back tightness, but not to deliver a meaningful full body massage.

60 minutes gives more time than a focused 30 minute appointment and is a practical choice for a 1st visit. Traditional Thai, Deep Tissue, Hot Stone, Aromatherapy and Relaxing Hot Oil are all available at this length.

90 minutes is for an unhurried treatment or a ritual that combines more than 1 technique. Every full body treatment starts with a full body warm up, then we work from the legs upwards, and a relaxing head massage brings the treatment to a close. This creates room to work through the whole body and still spend longer on the areas that need it most.

If 2 guests want the same appointment time, see our couples massage in Yarm options. Each guest has their own therapist in the shared room, with 60 and 90 minute choices.

Warm Thai herbal compresses prepared beside massage oil

Pressure And Comfort

Firm is a preference, not a test of endurance

A useful massage can feel strong without feeling painful. Your body should not be bracing against the therapist. Tell us if you want more or less pressure at any point, even if you asked for deep work when you booked.

Deep Tissue is not automatically better than a gentler massage. Choose sustained pressure if that is the style you prefer, or warm oil, aromatherapy or hot stones for a slower and gentler experience.

Traditional Thai feels active because of the assisted stretches. You do not need to be flexible. The therapist moves within the range you have that day and can use oil if requested.

If you have a recent injury, severe or spreading pain, numbness, weakness, a fever, infection or an unexplained condition, speak to a GP or physiotherapist before booking. Massage is for relaxation and muscular tension, not a substitute for diagnosis or medical care. Tara Spa does not offer massage during pregnancy.

Skilled therapist adjusting pressure during a massage treatment

5.0

87 Google reviews
5.0 overall rating

What Tara Spa guests notice

"Fantastic massage, excellent service and value for money."

Nic Arceri · Google Local Guide

"Perfect experience from walking in the door. The rooms smell amazing! Spotlessly clean. I had the 1 hour Traditional Thai Massage, feet soaked, then stretched and a deep tissue massage. Loved every minute of it!"

Jo Thompson · Google review

"Had an amazing experience here, the staff were so friendly and professional, the service was extremely high quality and the atmosphere was very relaxing. Opted for the £45 1 hour hot oil massage and I felt so refreshed afterwards. Definitely very good value for money. I will be frequenting here and recommend everyone to visit as well. 10/10"

Michael Frampton · Google review

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Explore Further

Read about every treatment in detail

Each treatment page explains the technique, prices, who it suits and what happens during the session.

Traditional Thai Massage

Thai massage in Yarm is very similar to deep tissue, with more assisted stretching. With or without oil. 60 minutes £50 or 90 minutes £75.

Hot Stone Massage

Warm basalt stones and oil soften tension without heavy pressure. Hands only head massage to finish. Hot Stone in Yarm, 60 minutes £65. Book online.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage in Yarm for focused work on muscular back and shoulder tension. Firm pressure adapted to your comfort. 60 minutes £50.

Aromatherapy Massage

Relaxing warm oil massage in Yarm with beautifully scented aromatherapy oils. Light to medium pressure. 60 minutes £60 on Yarm High Street.

Head, Neck & Shoulder

Focused head, neck and shoulder massage in Yarm for muscular tension around the upper body. 30 minutes £30 at Tara Spa. Book online.

Foot Massage

Foot massage on Yarm High Street for £30. Warm, unhurried work on tired feet from skilled therapists, a lovely reset after a long day. Book online.

Deep Relief by Herbal

Our signature 90 minute ritual in Yarm: Thai massage, steamed herbal compresses, aromatherapy oils and head massage. £100. Book online.

Couples Massage

Couples massage in Yarm: 16 options for 2 across 30, 60 and 90 minutes, from £60. Select couples and book online through Vagaro.