Have you considered receiving a massage but you are not sure what to expect in the massage room? Will I have to remove all my clothes? Will I be face up or face down? What about pressure? What if I fall asleep? What if I don’t want to talk the whole time? What about draping? I don’t want to be exposed in any way. Let’s answer some of those questions for you!
First and foremost every client should be treated with respect and attentiveness to help achieve a sense of balance and well being, relief from stress, a feeling that your individual self and needs have been attended to in a caring way.
The massage therapist will ask you questions about you, your health issues (if any), medications you take, and your lifestyle, based on the intake form you completed. Asking these questions will help you and the therapist determine what type of massage will best serve you and help achieve your goals. You will be instructed to disrobe to your comfort level, where to place your clothes and whether the session should be started with you being face up or face down. The massage therapist will step out of the room to allow you to get on the table and begin to relax.
When the massage therapist returns to the room, and the session has started, keep in mind that you are in control of how the session flows. If you don’t want to talk during the session, which should be up to you, you can request no talking. If the pressure is too much or not enough you should speak up so that adjustments can be made. If you do not feel secure with the draping, you feel a draft around the area, or you feel too much of an area is exposed, please speak up and let the therapist know so the draping can be adjusted to help you feel more secure.
So you have begun to relax and find yourself dozing off, you want to fight it because you don’t want to miss any of it. Relax, doze or snore if you want, as you relax your body allows your muscles to relax as well providing you the ultimate goal, relaxation!
If you have any questions about your session, at any time, please feel free to ask your massage therapist. If you don’t feel you are the focus of the session, things are not going well communicate this to your therapist. Keep in mind that you have the right to cancel the session at any time if you are not comfortable, no questions asked. Communication between the client and the massage therapist is key to achieving the ultimate experience.
You can relax knowing that massage therapist must be licensed by the Board of Nurses in the Commonwealth of Virginia after they have completed an accredited program and passed a certification exam. Massage therapy is not a luxury, it is like a maintenance plan for your body. We should all consider massage therapy as part of our health plan.