How To Get The Most Out Of Your Massage

Know What You Want Make sure that the therapist understands the reason why you are getting a massage, even if the reason is as simple as just wanting to relax after a stressful week. If you are new to massage and do not yet know what you want out of the session, the therapist should be able to give you a general massage while showing you areas that are particularly tight and which you may want to address further in future sessions. Ask questions whenever you do not understand why the therapist is doing something or if you just want more information.

Relax Many clients tend to actively hold tension in some areas of their bodies. When you are receiving a massage try to relax your body such that all of your limbs are like dead weights. You do not need to help the therapist move your arm or leg. The therapist will ask you to move when they need you to. Often, when a client is trying to help move a limb they are actually inhibiting the therapist's ability to stretch and work an area effectively. This "holding on" is usually not a conscious act for the client, but a learned pattern stored in the tissues of the body. Try to be aware of holding tension in areas of your body and try to let those holding patterns disappear.

Breathe Try to keep from holding your breath during a massage session, especially when a tight area is being worked. This is the time when relaxed deep breathing helps to relax the body and increase the supply of oxygen to overused muscles. Take slow, deep breaths.

You Have Control A therapist often needs guidance from the client to know if an area is being worked effectively. Make sure to tell the therapist if you want more pressure, and especially if the pressure is too much for any reason. Also, tell the therapist if the work that they are doing is particularly uncomfortable or if it is causing a substantial amount of pain. You will be helping the therapist to do a better job and they will appreciate the information. If you come across a therapist that will not listen to your needs, then you have the right to end the session and find a different therapist.

Give Feedback After a massage, give the therapist feedback as to what you liked, disliked, and how well you feel the massage addressed your needs. The more feedback you give, the more the therapist can learn about improving your future sessions.