Things your massage therapist wishes you knew

Working as a massage therapist is my favourite job so far. One of the main things that I love about it is getting to know each of my clients. Each person has their own full life that their body is living through and I have the privilege of being a part of their body’s wellbeing. Some clients, especially if unfamiliar with massage, say things or do things that surprise me. Here are some things to remember:

Stop apologising.

I wouldn’t be in this profession if I couldn’t handle an unshaven leg, or feet that have bunions, a large mole on your back or unbrushed hair. The massage is not affected by how little make up you are wearing and your muscles are still accessible if you didn’t shave your legs. You are here to relax, not to feel bad about having a body and taking up space. I may ask you to wash mud off your legs if you just cycled to my space in the rain, and I don’t want to see you for massage if you are sick. Otherwise, you’re okay.

You don’t have to talk to me throughout your massage, but if you want to you can talk as much as you like.

Massage has a different effect on different people. For some, releasing muscle tension encourages discussion about worries on their mind. This is fine, your session will be completely confidential. For others, massage soothes them into a sleep-like state. Also totally fine, I will wake you if I need to or at the end of the session.

I don’t mind if you snore.

It’s not rude to fall asleep, it means you’re relaxed! Rest is useful.

Pain is not the goal.

See my full blog post about this.

Regular massage is best.

Like with many things in life, massage is best on an ongoing regular basis. Depending on your needs and your budget, I recommend you come for massage every two to six weeks. Massage is an investment in your health and well-being.

Drink water!

You must drink multiple glasses of water after every massage to help flush toxins out of your system that were released during the session. If you don’t do this you may experience headaches, nausea, muscle stiffness and in severe cases vomiting. 

Don’t run a marathon straight after your relaxation or remedial massage.

Training of any sort is best done before your massage. Pre-performance massage uses different strokes designed to increase blood flow and prepare the muscle for activity. Relaxation and remedial massage does still increase blood flow, but it releases the muscle and soothes the nervous system. Intense activity after the muscles are released can have an uncomfortable result, dehydrate your body, and be overall fatiguing. 

If you didn’t know these things when you had massage, don’t worry. Your massage therapist is there to remind you of these things. When you have regular massage, especially with the same therapist, you get practiced at feeling comfortable and drinking water (and resting) after your session. If you ever have any questions or concerns about what to expect at your massage session with me, do get in touch.