Have you ever felt that you haven’t quite connected with your massage?

Some of my clients recently reminded me of the importance of getting the connection right between therapist and client and how beneficial it is when that connection flows through into your massage.

One client said to me before their massage that they were feeling tired that day and that I was not to be surprised if they fell asleep.  I asked them whether they would like to be woken up or left to slumber peacefully until the end of the massage.  They answered that they would leave that to me (no pressure then!).

As it happens they drifted in and out of sleep but never fell fully asleep.  It was important for us to have had that conversation so that I knew what to do and my client got what they wanted from their massage.

Another client asked on their first visit whether the massage could take place without conversation (let’s be honest here, without idle chit-chat).  They found that conversation not related directly to the massage stopped them from fully getting into the massage and receiving maximum benefit.

As a therapist I am more than happy with this request as many of my clients prefer quiet and it becomes very much a meditation in massage for all of us.

I use the word quiet as opposed to silence to convey what we would like to achieve; a sense of calm, a lack of bustle, an opportunity to just ‘be’.

When I’m having a massage I love the quiet.  I follow the therapist’s hands and as they move around my body, working on the tension and I go to a happy place that is not quite awake where my mind is going through the list of things to do today and not quite asleep where I’m unaware of everything.

For me it’s a place where I truly relax, my mind puts its feet up and my body subconsciously starts to work with my therapist to release the tension in my muscles.

And it got me thinking, we shouldn’t be nervous of asking for what we want from our session.  It is our massage after all.

Let your therapist know what works for you

Sometimes as therapists we forget to ask these questions but that doesn’t mean that it’s not important to us that you are provided with the environment and ambience that gives you maximum opportunity to benefit from the massage.

Whether you prefer quiet or like to chat, let your therapist know.

I like the quiet but sometimes I just like to chat

Sometimes we may start the massage wanting quiet but find ourselves starting to chat as we relax.  This is a natural occurrence when the body and mind start to relax in a safe environment; we may find ourselves wanting to chat and that’s okay.

I feel so tired today I might fall asleep

When we are constantly on the go yet feel tired it’s very easy to fall asleep as soon as we relax.  Also, if we are not used to meditation or what I would call relaxed awareness it is very easy for the mind to fully relax and decide to take a nap, deciding it’s not needed after all.

Quite often if we do fall asleep we automatically wake ourselves up, however for those occasions when you fully check out and slumber let your therapist know whether you would like to be woken up or not, it can be done very gently.

I feel different today compared to last time

Every day is different so what works for you one day may be completely different another.  Next time you go for your massage session, take time to think about what sort of environment and ambience you would like and make sure to discuss that with your therapist.

Your thoughts?

What works for you, do you like to meditate during your massage or is it a safe place where as you relax you can share your thoughts.

Did you enjoy this post?

If you enjoyed this post on connecting with your massage, please take a moment to share it with others you think may find it useful.