Pick Your Part

A full-body massage is the best in my book. You get your aches and pains rubbed away, your brain has the opportunity to tune into every part in the massage sequence, and the relaxation response is brought from background to foreground.

           

This massage therapist has always been a fan of the full massage, but sometimes people want all of their massage time spent on the parts that hurt – The back and neck, the hands and feet, the scalp.

           

I am accommodating, of course, but I always mention the good reasons for a full massage – and offer it as an option available whenever they request it.

          

Most often it turns out that the subject of the massage slowly learns to trust me, and as that trust builds, I find out why they want a focused massage only. Sometimes it is just practicality – they are having a half-hour session and want the most relief for their achy parts.

           

Part of that practicality is newness as well. For people new to massage, a half-hour seems less invasive and creepy than getting relaxed by a stranger.

           

I do hear the occasional horror story – someone has been relaxing during a massage, slowly drifting away when suddenly the therapist climbs up on the table and walks on them.

           

No, I don’t do that, I explain. If I ever had a reason to do that, I would ask and discuss it first, I say. It would be totally up to the person getting the massage. No, I wouldn’t take offense if told no.

          

That said, often the client will start getting full-body massages. The client is, of course, coming in to relax.