Make the Most from Every Massage!

Massage can be a powerful tool to help your body best perform its countless functions in its goal to maintain a healthy balance. Why not do everything you can to get the best possible results from every massage session? This article is devoted to providing you with some hints to make the most from your bodywork sessions.

Before your session...

The mood of your session can be affected by the things currently influencing your life. You can improve your results by preparing yourself before your massage time. If you can put the events of your life on pause for a little while and truly devote your session time to taking care of you, the benefits you experience can be greatly enhanced. Life really will wait a couple of hours for you — and you’ll be in much better shape to deal with your responsibilities when you are feeling your best!

Other things you can do, as time allows:

• Take a relaxing bath or shower before your appointment time.
• Limit consumption of caffeine and sugar, as well as other stimulants.
• Avoid eating immediately before your appointment.
• Allow extra time in your schedule so you don’t have to rush to be ready for your session. Otherwise, it may take longer to reach a relaxed state.
  
• Be aware of your current condition so you can report anything that needs attention. It’s important to explain what’s going on healthwise, because changing health conditions can affect your massage needs.
  

During your session...

• Share what’s going on. If you have a tender spot or an injured area, bring it up so it can be addressed. If you feel you need more pressure or a lighter touch during the session, please say so. If everything is great, you can lie back and relax.
• If you find your attention is on something, bring it up so you will be able to lie back and relax!
  
• Specify your preferences. Everyone has different needs and wants, so share yours! Is everything in the massage environment okay? The temperature? The lighting? Any other distractions? Are you completely at ease? Do you like certain music? Is the volume okay? Do you like specific techniques? More time spent on a certain area? Each session is especially for you, so please communicate about what you want! If there is anything you don’t understand, please ask so we can discuss it.
• Let it all go and relax! One of the major massage goals for many people is to lessen tension and stress. Many of those aches and pains that demand our attention are linked to stress. In fact — according to Dr. Sandra McLanahan — eighty percent of disease is stress-related, so maximizing the relaxation in each session should help you to maintain a much higher level of well-being!
• One way to quiet your mind is to focus your attention on the session — really get in tune with your sense of touch.
  
• Proper breathing helps you to relax and to reach your session goals. Slow, deep breathing (from the gut) will provide your body with much-needed oxygen, while signaling your body to let go of its tensions.
  

After your session...

• If at all possible, allow for some quiet time before you continue your busy life.
  
• Drink extra water!! Massage releases waste products and toxins from your muscles. Increasing your fluid intake lowers this toxicity and lessens the strain on filtering organs.

Before your next session...

• Make your massage results last by avoiding as many stressful elements as possible.
  
• Schedule your next appointment! When you make bodywork a regular part of your life, you are helping your body to maintain a better state of balance. In the long run, you stand to enjoy much better health gains through consistent sessions.
  
• Make note of anything that occurs between sessions to bring up next time.
  

Enjoy your life!

Nothing is more important than your well-being, so make taking care of yourself a high priority. When you feel your best, you are in a much better condition to deal with all of life’s challenges and demands.

Hopefully, this list has given you at least a couple of helpful hints. If there are any other points you’d like to bring up, please do so. And if you have any questions regarding your massage and bodywork sessions or your health, feel free to ask.

Article from "Staying in Touch" newsletter by Jon Lumsden