What you might experience

A massage can be an intense experience. From full-body, deep tissue work to short, chair-based sessions, massage affects every system of the body. Millions use it to heal from accidents or illnesses, or for regular health maintenance. Your massage therapist will work with you to focus on your special needs. Get the most out of your massage by knowing its modality and preparing your body and mind for treatment.

If you go to a spa or massage studio for an hour session and then get in your car and go back to your kids, your job, your life – your muscles are quickly robbed of many of the benefits of that massage. Your whole system goes “back to work”. Whereas, if you have an 90 minute massage at night (or any time) in your home and then take a bath or just relax, your muscles assimilate the work much more deeply and benefit well into the following days.

Massage relaxes tense muscles and calms the nervous system, causing your body's rhythm to slow down. When this happens, the blood pressure lowers, the heart rate settles, and your breathing becomes deeper and more rhythmic, priming you for a perfect night's sleep.

It is especially important to let the therapist know about any particular pains or areas of concern you may have so that they may work on these appropriately. Also, be sure to speak up about what you need, such as lighter or deeper touch. Now relax, close your eyes, breathe deeply and let go to the experience.

Touch is a very essential part of human experience. Talking may take away from fully experiencing the benefits of your massage, it is suggested that you suspend all concerns for the session time and relax under the skilled hands of your practitioner. If you feel any discomfort, breathe into it in order to relax the area even more.

People sometimes fall asleep during a massage. This shows that the body has reached a deeper state of relaxation. The therapist will gently wake you when it's time to turn over or at the end of the massage.

When your therapist arrives they will want to set their table up, so please have a space prepared for your session. During the quick set up process your therapist will ask you some questions to get to know you and the type of session you are looking for. (this is called an intake)

After the initial intake (postural analyses body reading) the therapist will leave the room to allow you to undress privately to your comfort level and to get on the massage table and under the sheet. Remember to remove all jewelry. The massage will be discreet, only the area that is being worked on will be uncovered.

The therapist will place a bolster under your ankles when you are face down and under your knees when face up. A face cradle is used in the face down position so work can be done on your neck. Sometimes you may experience congestion in your sinuses due to this face down position, but this is only temporary. Please let your therapist know if you need tissues.

Letting go: some people have a tendency to hold their bodies stiff because they have a hard time relaxing or they feel uncomfortable having that particular body part being treated with massage. Try to keep in mind that the therapist is there to help you. If at any time, you do not want specific part of your body massaged, let them know. Everyone has different comfort levels with touch on various areas of their body. The key is communication - verbal or otherwise. To help you let go, imagine that you are a rag doll on the table or that your limbs are cooked spaghetti noodles. Think of this as a home spa or relaxation spa treatment, allow your body to be nurtured and pampered - it's what we do.

Pressure level: always feel free to let your massage therapist know if they are working too deeply. When receiving deep tissue work, please be aware that, at times, it can be a very intense experience. However, you should be able to breath through the work being performed; if you are holding your breath or resisting the work, your massage therapist is working too deep. While you receive some techniques of massage therapy, you may experience or notice sensations such as tingling, waves of energy or traveling dull aches. This is known as referred pain. This is part of the healing process and educates us as to what is going on with our bodies. This is different from a sharp pain, which is not the intention of any form of massage therapy.

Massage on normal tissue is almost always a pleasant sensation. Massage on an area of injury or chronic pain may at first cause some discomfort, which usually lessens noticeably in the first few minutes. The therapist will work carefully with what feels right to you. The session begins with gentle pressure to relax the nervous system. Gradually the pressure deepens as the therapist address areas that benefit from deeper work. Most people just close their eyes and relax completely during the session.

We are all certified professional, our goal is to help you feel better with trained and caring hands. We are accustomed to various health histories and occupations, all ages, weights, and body types.