I love massages. Seriously. They are such a huge part of my life, and I cannot imagine not getting them regularly.
However, I know that some of you aren’t quite addicts like me…yet. So you might need a little help getting the most out of your massage. I have you covered.
1. Arrive early. Take a little time to unwind so you aren’t keyed up for your massage. If you arrive anxious and frustrated that you are late, you will spend the first part of your massage either grumbling about traffic or berating yourself, and neither is very likely to relax you. Give yourself plenty of time so you can sit and have a glass of water or tea (or chocolate, if you are coming here for your massage *wink wink* *nudge nudge*) and decompress before you start. Your massage therapist won’t go long if you arrive late, so make sure you get every minute possible by arriving early.
2. Don’t eat or take drugs before – a massage on a full stomach can be quite uncomfortable. And, although the therapist won’t care, clients usually get embarassed when their stomachs are digesting, or when they pass gas. If you are on muscle relaxants or pain medication, talk to your therapist before booking your appointment. Not having a normal pain response, or not being aware of the limits of your muscles because they are chemically relaxed, can cause damage. Blood thinners are also an important thing to let your therapist know about. If you are noticeably under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your therapist will most likely, and should, refuse to work on you. And as a favour, please don’t smoke before a massage.
3. Get nekkid. It is by no means mandatory to get naked for a massage, but I will strongly advocate for you to at least strip down to underwear, and for women to remove their bra. Bra straps and clothing limit access and you will definitely get a better massage if you aren’t wearing clothes (and some therapists won’t massage you if you aren’t willing to remove your clothes). Here’s the thing: they don’t care what your body looks like. Seriously. Especially if they are an experienced massage therapist, they have seen it all. And in all of the years I have owned or worked at a massage clinic, I have never once heard anyone make a comment about anyone’s body. If you forgot to shave – they don’t care. If you put on some extra weight – they don’t care. If you have some acne on your back or your butt – they don’t care. Seriously. Really. And for your own piece of mind, therapists are trained in helping to “tent” the sheet, so when you roll over, they won’t see anything. If you are nervous, talk to the therapist. But, if you want the most out of your massage, shed the clothes.
4. Communicate. I totally get it – you don’t want to cause a problem, so you bite your tongue about your therapist’s chatter, or the music, or the temperature, or the pressure, or the technique. But therapists are absolutely used to getting feedback and direction, and they much prefer it to you just silently suffering, and never returning. If you don’t like a technique, or you want the therapist to focus on another area or with different pressure, this is especially important to communicate. When people are disappointed by a massage, it often isn’t a case of a bad therapist, but simply a matter of a bad match, or even more often, a need not communicated. If the therapist still doesn’t respond to your needs, then it’s time to find one who will. Massages aren’t cheap. Get what you need while you’re paying. (Just don’t be a dick about it ;))
5. Breathe. Idiotic advice, yes? Who among us forgets to breathe? Well, it is amazing how instinctual it is to hold your breath when you are in pain. And sometimes, let’s face it, therapeutic massages entail a little feel-good pain. The best way to help your therapist help you is to breath through the discomfort. If it is intolerable, by all means ask them to lighten the pressure – they want your feedback. But if it feels like a necessary discomfort to relieve your unnecessary discomfort, then the best thing you can do is breath in slowly, breath out slowly.
Enjoy your massage! If you don’t enjoy it, it’s been a failure, and no one wants that.
