What to Expect at Your Massage Appointment
- You arrive! Your practitioner greets you and asks you some basic questions about your health history and goals for the massage session.
- Your practitioner leaves the room. You disrobe to your level of comfort and lay on the table (often starting face-down), underneath the fresh sheet.
- The practitioner re-enters the room and begins your massage. Unless otherwise discussed, your session will include feet, legs, arms, hands, upper/lower back, shoulders, neck, and head. It may include stretching and rocking–pressure is determined based on need. Professional draping techniques are always used, so only the body parts being massaged are exposed. Breasts, gluteal cleft, and groin are always kept securely covered and are NOT massaged. No deep pressure applied to throat or limb joints.
- Around halfway through your session, you will be asked to turn over. Your massage proceeds on the other side of the body, generally ending at the head and neck. This allows for comprehensive full-body analysis and optimum nervous system relaxation. It is common for the nose to feel stuffy and the head to feel groggy when laying prone. Ending supine (face-up) allows your body to reset in ease before going about your day.
Holistic Massage looks at the whole person, not just a singular area, to address any issues/pain and restore optimal functioning. Pain can be “referred” (source of pain is not always located where you feel the pain) and is commonly multi-faceted. Through client-centered care, a variety of therapeutic techniques/styles are utilized to approach the whole body.
Massage is NOT inherently s*xual and this is NOT a s*xual service.
I DO NOT provide s*xual services.
Asking for s*xual services is insulting, highly inappropriate, and illegal. DO NOT DO THIS. Your massage will end immediately, without refund, and your name will be reported.
Most therapists have had to complete rigorous schooling, professional training, and years of experience to practice bodywork. We are also human beings providing a beneficial skill. Globally we as therapists have to continually combat disgusting jokes, assumptions, and solicitations in our professional work. There are strong undercurrents of racism, sexism, trafficking, exploitation, and dehumanization attached to the narrative of massage therapists being s*xworkers. Do not add to this unfortunate situation.
Unintentional erections: while unusual, it is possible an unintentional erection could occur. If this happens, please treat the situation in a mature way. Let your therapist know that you need a minute to collect yourself before proceeding. If you cannot receive massage without becoming aroused, your appointment will end. Please refrain from joking about it or calling undue attention to it. There is no apology necessary, just communicate and remain respectful. For example:
“I’m having an unwanted reaction. Is it possible to take a short break from the massage and resume in a few minutes?“
I make my own massage cream from shea butter, organic beeswax, and a carrier oil (coconut or almond usually). It is kept refrigerated until use and has a very light natural scent. I use a minimal amount of cream and am mindful to not leave you feeling greasy. Please let me know if you have any allergies.
This is your time and it is important for you to feel relaxed. There will be natural lighting and ambient music playing in a comfortable, private room. Silence is usually the easiest way for you to connect with deep relaxation. Extra communication is always welcome and is client-led. I am always happy to answer any questions related to the massage, but I will not be chatty by default.
Cancellations: If you need to cancel, then do it! I only want you here if you are ready to be here. Last-minute cancellations, especially in cases of illness/mental health/ accidents/ family care, are not penalized. I get it–massage shouldn’t be an added stressor! Please do not come in if you might be contagious. I am always happy to reschedule an appointment.
No-show / No-call Appointments: Life happens, and sometimes we forget. If it becomes a habit, I will require a non-refundable fee at booking to hold the next appointment.
Refunds: refunds are on a case-by-case basis. There is always flexibility in advance, however last-minute cancellations will not always result in a refund.
You can always be massaged at your comfort level. It is common for clients to remove all clothes or keep on their underwear bottoms. It is also possible to receive massage while fully clothed if you wear comfortable and loose garments. You will always be kept appropriately covered with a sheet or towel. Your therapist never needs to see you fully disrobed. It is best to remove jewelry, watches, waist beads, and wigs if applicable. Personal or religious head/body coverings are welcome– just let me know how to best support you.
Nope! Body hair is not an impediment to massage. Come as you are. If body hair is abundant, I will usually use more oil so as to not cause discomfort. Please don’t feel the need to apologize for any body hair.
Results can vary, but I aim for: more relaxed and energized! Depending on the depth of work, you may need extra rest later in the day. With very deep work it may also move things around–digestion, water-retention, and mental space may shift temporarily.
If you receive very deep work, it is possible that your may feel unusual soreness or malaise following your massage (PMSM= post massage soreness and malaise)
In my experience, this occurs when the therapist and/or client ignores the body’s signals and approaches too aggressively. “No pain, no gain” does not really apply in massage. I consciously minimize unnecessary discomfort both during the massage and after. It is important to challenge the common necessity of feeling “beat up” after a massage. This is not, statistically or scientifically, accurate. It’s also not really that enjoyable, for you or your therapist. Where does this narrative of necessary suffering come from? Who is it benefiting?
I use a professional massage table, which is an elevated and cushioned full-body table designed specifically for massage. There is a cradle for your face and a place to rest your arms. The table is 70-95 cm wide and the weight limit is 250kg. If you are outside these ranges, please let me know and we can find a comfortable alternative for you.
Scientifically? No, not unless you’re thirsty. Contrary to very popular rhetoric, there is physically nothing happening during a massage that requires an increased intake of water. Is it to “flush metabolic wastes”? Any “metabolic waste” byproduct created in the body already has a surefire exit route. And hypothetically if it didn’t, does that mean we’d need massage daily to survive? Is it to “decrease toxins”? Which toxins? How does water counteract them?
Then for the ethical argument: water is either necessary or it isn’t.
If it is indeed medically necessary to drink water after a massage, then that means water is a prescription… which is outside the scope of practice for a Massage Therapist. Just like we cannot prescribe you Burana for your headache, we cannot prescribe water to “help flush out toxins”.
If water isn’t medically necessary, then why are we telling you to drink it after a massage? This is where we must examine our intentions as MT’s. Maybe we are trying to bolster our credibility and make us seem more knowledgeable. Or, maybe it’s what we were taught in school and we still repeat it. Maybe it’s because we don’t think it can really do much harm.
Why does any of this matter? As a client, it’s important to be critical of your care. Just because your Massage Therapists are positioned as “experts”, does not mean that we are without bias or misunderstanding.
So, drink water if you are thirsty. Or not. (It’s not our business)
There are quite a few medical conditions and contraindications (reasons massage could be harmful and not recommended). For example: very recent surgery, pregnancy*, a known blood clot, an infection, intoxication, an open wound, a communicable illness. However, there are also many conditions that can be sensitive (ex: HIV, auto-immune, pregnancy) that can really benefit from massage. If you are in doubt, just ask. If you are experiencing a serious medical condition, clear massage with your physician and let your therapist know your situation ahead of time. It is outside the scope of a Massage Therapist to diagnose or treat an illness or disease.
It is therapeutically helpful for the therapist to know if you are taking blood-thinners, beta-blockers, painkillers, muscle-relaxants, diabetes medications, immuno-suppressants, allergy medications, or are under the influence of drugs/alcohol. Let me know if there is heat sensitivity.
*As stated, pregnancy can be both an indication and contraindication for massage depending on the complications.
Pain is not a necessary aspect of massage. Sometimes massage can be confronting or uncomfortable… but not painful. Pain is an indication of a deeper issue or your therapist is doing something that doesn’t work for your body. While we do our best, you are still the expert of your own body. Your feedback is important, please let me know what you are experiencing. Harder/more is rarely the most direct path toward improvement.
I don’t cause pain to ease pain.