Slow tempo is the pace that lets deep layers accept pressure, since speed triggers guarding.
In 📝Deep Tissue Massage time is the other half of depth. A heavy stroke that moves quickly never arrives; the muscle pushes back before the layer is met. Slowing down is how force can drop while the work still gets in. Tempo is a dose variable, not a diagnosis of how patient someone should be, and not a claim that slower is always better in every region.
Clients feel a stroke that waits. If they brace, the first change is usually speed, then depth. Sharp or panicky sensation is a stop.