I did that just about this time last year. Personally, I turned to sushi, but yummy Asian food & a back massage sounds wonderful :)
When looking for a back massage, I'd suggest a few things. 1) Drink lts of water before & after. One of the things massage does is scoot all your lymph fluid around and clean out a lot of crud from your system. It's good (and it hurts less after) if you make sure you're hydrated. 2) If you have particular areas of tension, I might suggest deep tissue. If you're just looking to relax, I'd probably suggest Swedish. 3) If you're just going for the back (and/or neck/shoulders) I'd suggest 30 minutes unless you carry a lot of tension and/or just want to soak up the attention. 30 minutes is usually a good length if you haven't had massage before and want to evaluate it.
As for what to ask about, the best thing I can suggest is communicate. If you're ever uncomfortable for any reason, or if anything hurts, just say so. It can feel weird to speak up, but I've never met a therapist who wasn't happy to adapt a session to their client's comfort. The whole focus of the massage is you. :)
I do also want to ask--do people normally get massages unclothed, clothed, or part of both? I can see benefits and awkwardness with any of those options.
Depends on the setting. If it's a seated/chair massage, your clothes stay on (but wearing a t-shirt instead of a bulky sweater will help everyone). If it's a table massage with sheets, it's usually clothes off, but you should stick to your level of comfort. Most people take everything off, but if having no underpants is going to stress you, please keep them on. :)
Since you're contemplating a back massage, I'd definitely recommend taking your bra off. The pressure from the band and/or straps can distract your body/nervous system/attention from the pressure applied by the therapist, and there's some really neat full-back strokes that feel great, but just don't work with the band in place.
Also, here's a couple of notes which might help you relax. 1) Therapists should only be undraping what they're working on. If it's a back massage they should undrape your back, if they're working on your leg they should undrape your leg, etc. Unless your therapist is sketchy, they're not gonna want to see your girly bits anyway, and there are all kinds of nifty ways to drape legs, arms, chests, and abdomens so that nothing shows. 2) If you happen to get too cold, please let us know. We don't bite :) There might even be warm towels or a(nother) blanket we could use to help you out.
Whenever I've received a table massage, the therapist leaves the room, I undress to the level I'm comfortable with, lie on the table, and cover myself with the sheet/blankie. The therapist only uncovers what is being worked on at the time. It's never felt skeevy. Afterward, the therapist leaves the room, giving me time to get up and get dressed. Don't rush that; after a long massage, they don't expect you to get up and get dressed and get out in 60 seconds.
One recommendation: HOT STONE MASSAGE. These seriously ROCK.
Now I'm thinking how long it's been since I've had a good massage and how much I want one.... Maybe in Galena in December....
When looking for a back massage, I'd suggest a few things.
1) Drink lts of water before & after. One of the things massage does is scoot all your lymph fluid around and clean out a lot of crud from your system. It's good (and it hurts less after) if you make sure you're hydrated.
2) If you have particular areas of tension, I might suggest deep tissue. If you're just looking to relax, I'd probably suggest Swedish.
3) If you're just going for the back (and/or neck/shoulders) I'd suggest 30 minutes unless you carry a lot of tension and/or just want to soak up the attention. 30 minutes is usually a good length if you haven't had massage before and want to evaluate it.
As for what to ask about, the best thing I can suggest is communicate. If you're ever uncomfortable for any reason, or if anything hurts, just say so. It can feel weird to speak up, but I've never met a therapist who wasn't happy to adapt a session to their client's comfort. The whole focus of the massage is you. :)
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Since you're contemplating a back massage, I'd definitely recommend taking your bra off. The pressure from the band and/or straps can distract your body/nervous system/attention from the pressure applied by the therapist, and there's some really neat full-back strokes that feel great, but just don't work with the band in place.
Also, here's a couple of notes which might help you relax. 1) Therapists should only be undraping what they're working on. If it's a back massage they should undrape your back, if they're working on your leg they should undrape your leg, etc. Unless your therapist is sketchy, they're not gonna want to see your girly bits anyway, and there are all kinds of nifty ways to drape legs, arms, chests, and abdomens so that nothing shows. 2) If you happen to get too cold, please let us know. We don't bite :) There might even be warm towels or a(nother) blanket we could use to help you out.
Enjoy your massage! <3
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One recommendation: HOT STONE MASSAGE. These seriously ROCK.
Now I'm thinking how long it's been since I've had a good massage and how much I want one.... Maybe in Galena in December....
Reply
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