How to Get the Most from Your Massage

Massage 101/ Massage Modalities / Yoga /Draping Methods

Massage Office

Be on time. If you arrive in a frenzied, rushed state, it will take longer to get to a relaxed state. Please let Phoenix know at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel. Please see our cancellation policy .

If you choose not to remove all your clothing, wear clothing that you will be comfortable wearing during the massage and which will allow the therapist to touch and move the areas of your body you expect will need to be worked on. Therapists use a single top sheet and if desired, a blanket or two. To review: Draping Methods

A completed health intake form will be reviewed prior to your getting on the table. This is a very important step for giving you the best option on which type of massage you would like to receive for each session. Follow-up intake are presented as well, which take less time and keep your records up to date. If you have any questions, please give Phoenix a call.

Good communication is very important. Before the session, your therapist will ask what your goals are and what type of massage you would like to receive. During the massage session, report any discomfort, whether it is from the massage or due to any problems or distractions related to the environment, e.g., room temperature, music volume, lighting, etc. Feel free to give feedback to your therapist regarding the massage, e.g., amount of pressure, speed of movement, etc.

Don’t be afraid to discuss any apprehensions or concerns. It is important that you be as comfortable as possible during your massage. Your therapist is a professional dedicated to doing their best to help you feel at ease.

Some people like to talk during a massage session, while others remain silent. If your therapist encourages you to talk or not talk, it is usually based on whether or not it seems to help let go of tension and getting in touch with oneself. Sometimes talking can be a way of unburdening oneself or opening up. Sometimes being silent can be a way of letting go of thoughts or concentrating. On the other hand, talking can be a way of "being in the head" and out of touch with one’s body or feelings; and being silent can be a way of holding back or not opening up. What makes you comfortable is most important to the massage process.

Breathing helps to facilitate relaxation. People often stop or limit their breathe when they feel anxious or a sensitive area is massaged. If you realize you are stopping your breathing, let yourself breathe deeply and fully.

Tightening up, i.e., contracting or hardening your muscles during the massage is counterproductive. If you are able to, release those muscles. Visualizing your arm on an arm rest may assist in ‘letting go“. Your therapist will usually know when someone is holding and a gentle jiggle of the arm or foot has served many clients as a wordless reminder.

If you find your thoughts are racing during the massage, one way to be more body-centered and to quiet the mind is to follow the hands and focus on how the touch feels.

If anything is happening during the massage that you dislike or seems improper, you have the right to ask your therapist to stop. If necessary, you also have the right to end the session. Also, each therapist reserves the right to decline, discontinue or restrict services based on information which may indicate that massage therapy would put the patient's/therapist health at risk, or if at any time professional conduct is broke.

If you are dizzy or light headed after the massage, do not get off the table too fast.

Allow for some open, quiet time after your massage session if possible. Sometimes one needs a little time to integrate or absorb the results of the massage session or needs some "re-entry" time.

Massage has its greatest benefits over time. The therapeutic effects of massage are cumulative, so the more often a person gets a massage, the better he or she will feel and the more quickly one’s body will respond. From one session to the next, relaxation deepens as the chronic patterns of stress in the body are affected and released. These changes are readily felt in day-to-day life as well, which adds another dimension of reinforcement. If you are getting massage to address chronic muscular tension or recovery from a soft tissue injury, more than one session is usually needed, so be prepared to schedule several sessions.