Want More from your Massage or Bodywork?

Here are two scenarios:

Scenario #1: You leave your desk in time to get to you massage. Then, a co-worker asks you one last question before leaving the office. On your drive, you get behind a school bus that makes four drop offs on your way to your massage appointment. You are becoming more and more tense as you arrive for your appointment.  You run ~ literally ~ into your appointment that was scheduled to begin 10 minutes ago. You are taking deep breaths trying to relax as you get onto the table and wait for the therapist to come into the room.

Scenario #2: You leave the office with an extra 25 minutes to spare. You take the back road to your therapist’s office where you can see children playing in the school yard and the leaves on the trees gently blowing in the wind. You arrive at your therapists office 10 minutes early for your appointment. You sit down in the waiting area and close your eyes and breathe in deeply while looking forward to the relaxing and healing strokes of your therapist’s treatment.

Which scenario do you think will give you the most benefits? There is no doubt that #2 will provide you with a more relaxing and healing treatment. 

A therapist’s skills may be terrific but you can create a session that allows his/her skills to be ‘miraculous’ based upon how you prepare. Here are some things you CAN do to increase the effectiveness of your bodywork sessions:

1) Schedule when you can create relaxation time before AND after the session.

It is not a good idea to schedule your appointment in the middle of a busy day, when you will arrive JUST on time or have to leave QUICKLY to get somewhere else. Life is busy but you can create this with a little extra effort and you will be so happy that you did. Best, schedule your treatment for a day off or when you have no obligations afterward

2) Be mindful of what you EAT & DRINK before an appointment.

Eat lightly at least an hour before the session. Having a small amount of food in your stomach will prevent you from feeling hungry without feeling like you have a full belly.

Drink water, but not too much! You do not want to disturb your time by having to get up to go to the bathroom during your appointment.

Don’t drink alcohol. You don’t want to fall completely asleep and miss the feeling of the massage or bodywork.

3)     If you’ve been physically active, shower prior to the appointment. Not for the comfort of your therapist. A Seasoned therapist will have no problems how you arrive. But you will feel more comfortable in your session.

4)     Don’t forget your VOICE. If you do not like something during your massage, speak up! Your therapist will adjust for you.

Too much pressure, not enough, he/she can adjust.

The CD not your cup of tea? A therapist will switch it.

Remember, this is YOUR treatment. What else can you do that will give your treatment more value? Make the most of it by creating the time for yourself and helping the therapist do their best for you!