8 ways to get the most from your massage.

Have you ever wanted to extend the blissed out feeling that you have after a massage or thought about ways to make your massage experience better?
Here's a few tips on how to get the most out of your massage sessions.


1. Book your sessions when you know you can have time to recover a bit afterwards. Being stressed during the session about where you have to be afterwards is NO FUN. Make sure to schedule some time after the massage to recover so you're not flying off the massage table to make it to another appointment or obligation.


2. Come in at least once a month. People usually ask me how often they should be getting massage and my advice is this: If you are trying to resolve pain, I say come in once a week until the pain has subsided and then tapper off to every other week and then once a month for maintenance.  
If you are just looking for relaxation and rest, then I suggest at least once a month. The benefits of massage are best felt if you get them regularly. If you wait months in between, you'll most likely feel great afterwards but that feeling won't extend in the long term.


3. Turn off your mind ( and your cell phone). Take that hour or hour and a half to turn off and check out. Talking during a session or thinking about your "To Do" list or a ringing phone is hardly relaxing. 


4. Speak up. If you're ever uncomfortable during a massage, make sure to let your therapist know so that they can make the correct adjustments to the table, bolstering, temperature of the room, or pressure so that you can have a great experience.


5. Take it off. If you are wearing clothing during your massage it will block the therapists ability to work on problem areas. You will always be covered and your modesty will be protected with a full sheet (and I also use a light weight blanket). I usually suggest that my clients completely undress for my Ashiatsu styled massage to get the full flow of the technique. 


6. Relax your muscles. There's no need to assist the therapist in moving (unless requested) or massaging. If you find that it's hard to let go, try taking a few deep breaths and consciously relaxing the area that is being worked on. 


7. Come in with a clean body. Taking a warm shower before the session can be a great way to relax that stubborn tension, allowing the therapist to work deeper and get more done in the sessions time. Also washing away dirt from the skin before a massage is a good idea, so that it is not massaged back in to the pores.


8. Take care of your health. Massage is a great way to take care of yourself but having other self care rituals or routines such as regular exercise, healthy diet, and sleep will make all the difference. Massage therapy can inspire us to take better care of ourselves- by tuning in to our physical body, we can be more aware of how to take care of it better.


So, What are your tips on how to get the most from a massage session?
I'd love to hear from you! 
Leave me a comment, if you'd like.
Thanks for reading!

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