I want you to visualize with me for a moment as we take a little two-minute journey. You are embarking on a walk up the ramp and onto a mega cruiseship. You've been challenged to consider the time it will take you. You have a choice between two tours for the day, with each tour lasting one to two hours maximum.
The first tour showcases the upper couple deck levels, it's exposed to more of the sunlight and allows you to cover a lot of ground since it doesn't take very long to reach your destination. You'll have time to visit all the storefronts, pop in to make a fun purchase at a place or two, and maybe catch a bite to eat or see a street performer. It'll be pretty relaxing because you're not that far from where you parked your car on shore and it's all downhill from here.
The second tour is further away, in the belly of the ship, but allows you to see up close and personal how the ship operates and how to fix it if it breaks. You'll encounter more informative crew as you make your descent, who know more about the ship because they have spent more time on the lower levels, but since these conversations might cut into your tour time you try and limit the questions to see more of the ship for yourself. On this tour, you'll view and become informed about things that perhaps most other passengers will not ever be privvy to. But on a mega cruise ship, what goes down, must come up and you recognize once you're at the bottom level that it may take a little more effort to get back to your car after this tour.
This is a simple little thought exercise I think provides a pretty good analogy for doing ligher, more relaxing (also known as "superficial") bodywork performed closer to the surface of skin, versus the effort and intention required to achieve a much deeper level of healing in your body via deep tissue massage, for example. And from session to session, like trips to a mega cruise ship, your wants and needs may differ from visit to visit. And some days, maybe you'll want to go into the belly of the beast, and other days you just want to eat a bon-bon in the sunshine and listen to the band on deck.
I like to share this analogy with clients occasionally, so they can set better expectations for the outcomes they are requesting so that they'll align with the therapist's ability to accomplish such tasks in the given session time. So in other words, if you want the boiler room tour of your human anatomy, we may need to slow down the pace to warm up deeper layers and cover less ground superficially, to work all the layers of soft tissue you're trying to reach, below deck.
Know that we can usually do a little bit of both relaxation and digging in, but that's just it--the time is split how you choose. So this is something to keep this in mind when you do you intake with the therapist the day of your appointment. Because it's not always obvious how much ground there is still to cover when you go with the deeper work. And as the therapist, we're determining that as we go.
So in the spirit of that visualization exercise, this week's blog is all about how to get the most return on your investment of those precious massage bucks and we hope it inspires you to get back in on the massage table soon.
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BEFORE YOUR MASSAGE
-Book ahead (or several sessions ahead!)
You’ll stand a better chance of getting in at your preferred times. It can also be wildly easier to keep your self-care, like your finances, on autopilot. Booking several sessions at a time usually garners a discount at most places too!
-Route directions/locate parking/save time for travel
It’s a bummer when folks come racing into the parking lot slamming the car in park only to scurry in late to their massage session. It’s not hard to wonder why it’s tough to power relax in one hour, when they didn’t get there in time for their full hour--and their nervous system was frayed to begin with. We’ll always take you where you are, but planning ahead might help you get to that deeper reset you’re after, faster than hitting the gas.
-Be clean and comfortable
This is ultimately about your comfort. Your massage time is a protected space for your self-care. It’s best to schedule sessions for times when you want to reset or recover and can really maximize your downtime. It's not unusual for folks to bring something soft to change into if they're just going home afterwards.
-Communicate in advance or come prepared with any questions you might want to ask, preferably at the start of the session
This gives your therapist more time during the session to think about and respond to your inquiries more thoughtfully than right before you leave and to scan your body with palpation (touch) techniques to investigate your body's holding patterns. Although please know that your questions are welcome whenever you have them and want to ask!
-Use the facilities to avoid interruptions to your session time
There may be a client booked right after your time slot, so bio breaks usually cut into your own session time. We don’t want to be rude or dismissive of your bodily needs, but we do need to be mindful of impacts to the daily schedule overall. (Our facilities are just outside of our suite, so it's not a quick trip down the hall, for example--these are good things to consider anywhere you receive bodywork though).
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DURING YOUR SESSION
-Communication remains key to your comfort
Ask for what you need or would like to happen (i.e. a drink of water, the table warmer turned down or up for better temperature control, the face cradle positioning is cramping your neck and needs adjusting, etc.)
-BREATHE deeply
This accomplishes two things:
1.) It helps communicate to the therapist where any tension still lies and indicates what feels particularly good to you, as the client.
2.) It massages your inner organs from the inside out, promoting circulation, respiration, and increased blood flow to organ systems.
-Do what your body needs to do
Laugh, cry, sleep, breathe deep, talk, go inward to reflect and focus on yourself. This is your time, we’re here to protect that for you. What you say here, remains here. This is a safe space, by design. And please know that we don't care about your tattoos, ushaved legs, or the pedicure you think is overdue. It's all good; you're here to relax or recover so, that's the focus of the session and thus, where we direct our minds for the time.
-Know that it’s ok to say you do or don’t like something
A technique, pressure, or style of massage, scent, or add on; they don't all land the same for everyone. It’s also ok to change this up from session to session as your preferences and needs change too.
-Know that it’s ok to change it up mid-session if you feel called to do so
The therapist can always adapt and rework the session given the time remaining, but you are in control of what you want to work on during the session time you have booked. Examples include clients who come in requesting core work only and then want to branch out to full body massage with the available time left as their core tension eases up. Or, the opposite can occur, and they thought they wanted full body massage until they found the root of their issue and wanted to devote the rest of the session time to that, specifically. Massage therapists are by their very nature adaptable, and we are so to better serve you.
-Optional: Pay attention to your body as you receive your massage and take mental notes of where you felt restrictions you didn’t know you had so that you can incorporate stretching or self-massage at home or work between sessions more effectively. Your body is sending you messages all the time.
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AFTER YOUR MASSAGE
-Immediately after a massage
It is common to feel dizzy or lightheaded when coming off the table. In the industry, we sometimes tease by saying this effect is called “massage drunk,” and unlike other things that’ll make you feel drunk, it is actually the result of something good for you and it will wear off soon. Usually sitting up at the table for a moment and taking a few deep, calming breaths helps to diminish the sensation quickly.
-Drink lots of extra water and electrolyte-rich fluids
Increasing your intake of beverages like coconut water, pure aloe vera juice, or an over-the-grocery-aisle magnesium drink for a few days to rehydrate your cells and flush out toxins stirred up during the massage is always a good idea post-session. Herbal teas, especially those absent of caffeine, are good for replenishing lost fluids and/or flushing the body as well. In the colder, winter months, warm water with a tablespoon of high-grade honey is also quite soothing and honey has a ton of health benefits on its own.
-Take it easy and let the work settle into your body.
Depending upon the session, it is not uncommon for clients to feel sore for a day or two after a massage. This is especially true for deep tissue therapies and advanced bodywork techniques as they are designed to break up tough fascial restrictions in the body. Most clients have reported, “it’s a good sore.”
It’s also pretty typical to sleep a little more soundly than usual after a great massage; let yourself whenever you are able. Rest is critical to your body’s self-healing mechanisms. These might be days to consider a more gentle flow movement or light cardiovascular calisthenics in your exercise routines. (i.e. try to avoid setting a bunch of crushing new weighlifting goals the day after a deep massage).
-Ask your therapist for an assessment of what they found in your body that day or for a plan of care going forward if it wasn’t specifically stated, and you would like one.
They have fresh information about the status of your body composition post-massage and can help guide you in relief measures between sessions and/or help you work out when to return for another follow-up to keep the good progress going.
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Peeling back the curtain on my behind-the-scenes blogging escapades this week, I was a little torn between writing about a topic I felt deeply interested in sharing, which I like to refer to as “chokepoints,” or writing about this particular piece on “how to get the most out of your massage.” After some reflective internal deliberation focused on my client’s most immediate needs, I decided that we’re going to do both! Just, you know, in a reasonable order of events.
So, this week I’m aiming to equip you with the tips that’ll get you the most ROI for your massage money, right out of the gate. But next week, I’m looking forward to sharing a mental model that’s been driving my personal growth in the background for years, in hopes it’ll help you streamline your life and goals too.
Moreover, I hope visiting this blog keeps you reading, growing, and looking forward to your next massage or consultation at Mortal Coil Massage and Core Strength Consulting, where we’re always here to help keep you going strong.
