If you have never experienced a professional massage before, you might have all sorts of ideas about what the experience would entail. For some people this is exciting and for many, there is a bit of anxiety. I get it. Not knowing what you're about to get can feel a bit scary, but I promise it is amazing and always better than any fear could tell you.
What exactly is a full-body massage?
When you receive a full-body massage from a professional massage therapist it means from head-to-toe on both the front and back sides of the body with the exclusion of the genitals. Now, believe it or not, 60 minutes isn’t actually a lot of time for a therapist to work the entire body and it is feasible something might not get done depending on the goals of the session. For instance, I rarely massage the abdomen unless requested.
Every massage therapist will work differently and you can experience a variety of techniques and massage flows from multiple practitioners. The back has the most muscles and the largest surface area of the body and many therapists choose to begin here, I know I do. It is also the place where most people experience aches and pains and therefore usually receives the most time and attention in massage.
Typically the flow of the massage moves from the back to the hips and lower body. The back of the legs and feet are massaged, as well as the glutes. Yes, the glutes, aka, the butt! We massage your butt and you get to be impressed with the sensation as you realize there are muscles there that you have been oblivious to most of your life. I speak from experience and have had so many people exclaim they had no idea their butt needed a massage.
Midway through the massage the therapist will flip you over and massage the front of your body. Some people choose to begin with the neck, head, and shoulders and others prefer to begin at the feet. The feet and tops of the legs get massaged as well as the arms and hands, the neck, shoulders, and scalp. Sometimes you will get a face massage and sometimes you will not depending on the therapist and the amount of time they are working with you. As mentioned earlier, while many therapists skip the abdomen you will find some who love to incorporate it with every massage.
Every massage should be tailored to meet your needs. You can discuss with the therapist and let them know if there are any areas you do not want to be massaged. Likewise, you can let them know the areas you really like and request they do not skip them. For instance, some people love a good scalp massage or foot rub and others don’t care to have their heads or feet touched.
What will it be like?
When you are a new client at a new massage establishment or seeing a new therapist, it is typical for you to receive a form full of questions to fill out. These questions help the massage therapist know more about you and your body and allow them to accommodate you as needed. Once you fill this form out you will have a brief conversation with the therapist. They will review your form and ask any necessary questions before beginning the session to make sure you are both on the same page.
Once you have done a pre-session consultation you will be directed by your massage therapist as to how much clothing to remove or leave on and how to position yourself upon their table. This will vary from therapist to therapist. We all work slightly differently.
Once on the table, you will receive the healing touch from your massage therapist. It should feel good, nice, and relaxing. If you are getting deeper work done it should feel uncomfortable in some areas but not painful. I personally recommend that you receive a regular relaxing or Swedish massage for your very first massage ever. This allows your body to experience a full hour of touch and get used to it. It will help prepare your body for future work that might be deeper than just relaxation.
The massage should feel non-invasive. Most traditional massages will only uncover the area of your body the therapist is working on. This means the back is uncovered while massaging the back and then covered once finished. Each leg is individually undraped to be worked on and then covered again. So you may be unclothed but you are not exposed at any point. It should feel safe.
Overall you should leave feeling less tense and relaxed. It should be a pleasant experience that makes you want to return again.
Do I HAVE to get naked?
No, you do not have to get naked but I would argue that the experience is better. Ultimately we as massage therapists want our clients to feel comfortable. If you feel awkward and uncomfortable the whole time then it will be hard for you to relax, which makes it more challenging for your massage therapist, and usually ends in a not-so-great experience.
Each massage therapist may instruct you a little differently. I tell people to get undressed and they can leave or take off their underwear depending on their comfort level. I think this is probably the most common instruction given. I do know some therapists that simply tell you to get undressed to whatever comfort level you have.
There are some massage modalities, aka styles of massage, designed to have you completely naked and there are some massage modalities that have you completely clothed. Thai massage and chair massage are the top two modalities that come to mind when you leave your clothing on. These I would recommend for anyone not comfortable getting undressed.
Traditional massages will undress you but do not require your full nakedness. Then there are some other special massages that require you fully naked to perform the techniques. I practice two modalities like this but I always make sure to explain the session before we begin to make sure my client is fully comfortable.
In Conclusion,
There are many different styles of massage to be experienced and each style can be vastly different. No matter what style you choose it should be a good experience that melts the stress out of your body while helping your mind to unwind. It should feel good, leave your body feeling good, have your mind a little calmer, and help you feel like a better and renewed version of yourself.
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