Layering is working the superficial layers before the deeper ones.
In 📝Deep Tissue Massage the order is the method: warm the surface, then sink. Skipping a layer to "get in" is what makes the body guard. Layering is a dose sequence, not a diagnosis of how many planes are stuck, and not a claim that every session must reach the deepest plane.
Clients feel the work arrive rather than crash. If a deeper pass is refused, the practitioner stays where the tissue is still talking. Sharp, numb, or panicky sensation is a stop.