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10 Tips to Getting a Great Massage
1. Make the appointment at good time for you. You don't want to have to rush to get there or fly off the
table to leave. Morning massages are great if you are going to spend the rest of the day leisurely. You don't want to have
to go to work, or do anything very strenuous. This gives time for your massage to "sink in".
2. Take a look at the map, know where you are going. There's nothing worse than anticipating an hour of
relaxation and ending up lost, late and stressed out.
3. Don't drink too much an hour before your massage. Having to get up mid-massage to go to the bathroom
is certainly allowed but avoidable.
4. Don't eat a big meal for several hours before you come. You don't want to feel bloated or gassy on the
table. Although passing gas is natural and not a problem.
5. In the massage room, take a moment after the therapist leaves you to undress and look around. Consider
the lights, the aroma, the quality of air, the temperature. Will you be comfortable in this environment for an hour? The
lights, aroma, temperature and air movement (fan) can all be adjusted.
6. Once you're on the table and the therapist
knocks and comes back in, she will ask, "are you comfortable?" Tell her want you would like to change.
Every person is different and the therapist just wants to know. We really really want to know, trust me.
7. Notice the music playing, do you like it? Do you want something else, do you want silence? Please tell
me, because I have many kinds of music, and also the volume can go where ever you want it.
8. After you are comfy, warm, covered and ready for your massage then you can relax and stop thinking about the room. Now
your only thinking job is to tell me if I do anything that you don't like or apply any pressure that is too deep or
too light. In the beginning I may ask "Is this pressure good?" Please tell me. I can adjust accordingly. Very
lightly and very deeply and anywhere in between.
9. For the first 5 minutes or so feel free to talk if it helps you connect or transition. After that your massage
will be "better" if we don't talk. Why? Because this gives you time to check in with yourself and really feel and
enjoy what is happening to you. And because if I am not talking I am much more present and in touch (pardon the pun) with
what I am doing. And if you really do feel like talking and that is how you relax and unwind then go ahead, I will talk and
listen if that's what you need. But please don't think you have to entertain me.
10. Breathe and try visualization. Breathe and relax. Think of your breath, slow it down, breathe in a
nice rhythm. If I apply a pressure that is deep and hurts (but in that "good" way), and you don't want me to stop, then breathe
through it. Breathe "into" the place that is hurting. And if you get distracted, or start thinking of what you have to do
as soon as you get up, then breathe again on purpose. Studies have shown that clients who utilize deep breathing and visualization
report greater satisfaction with massage. Visualize you are somewhere doing something you love that is peaceful, like lying
in a hammock tied between coconut trees on a quiet island... feel the ocean breeze, the sun on your face, hear the birds and
the water gently lapping at the shore. Breathe in that sweet salty air. Melt away.
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