Your MassageWhat to expect from your massage? Prior to your first massage, most professional massage therapists will ask you some questions about your health and if you have any injuries, past or present. If you are a woman you will be asked if you are currently pregnant. This will be to find out if there is anything they should be aware of during the massage i.e. if you have a skin condition, allergy. They will like to know about any physical problems you many have such as a bad back or heart condition. It is important for a massage therapist or aromatherapist to carry out an assessment prior to your first massage. 
Full Body Massage – approx one hourFull body massage is as the name implies a massage of the full body except of course for the genitals and ladies breasts. Normally you will wear just pants (ladies may keep their bra on) and use towels provided to cover yourself. Your privacy will be respected at all times. Essential OilsI generally use almond oil as the carrier and allow you the opportunity to choose some essential oils to add to it. I do this by simply letting you smell the essential oils and then choose the three you like the best. I then put a few drops of each in the carrier. I work on the premise that if you like the smell, it will be good for you and I have not been proved wrong yet. After all, it is what we have our sense of smell for.
Back & ShouldersI like to start on your back and shoulders, where so much of that lovely stress is stored. After the back, I work my way down your body. You will find that where there is tension in muscles, this can hurt a little when pressure is applied, however once the tightness is removed the pain will disappear. Muscles in good condition should not be painful when pressed. The shoulders are a prime place to find tight muscles which are referred to as knots. Knots are where muscle tissue sticks together and the fibres no longer slide freely. They can be released with friction and pressure but can be quite painful when pressed but this soon passes.
Lower back massageThe lower back is where most people develop back problems, mainly because it has so much work to do and because it is allowed to get stiff. We can bend forwards, backwards, sideways and in any direction and so there are a lot of muscles at work here, not just enabling us to bend but keeping us upright too. This is an important area to massage and often needs a lot of attention.
ButtocksThe buttocks are part of the back and also part of the legs and they need massaging. There are three big muscles here, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. These form the biggest group of muscles in the body and they can get very tight deep down. It is okay do pressure work over the towels but better without them. Watch out, this can be sore too!Legs and calvesAnother good place to find a degree of tightness is deep in the hamstrings and calf; these points will be quite painful when pressed but again the pain will disappear after a short while of pressing. It is good to take a deep breath and exhale slowly when these sore points are being pressed. Sometimes I will leave an area when massaging it and return to it later in the session to do more work on it; this is when the muscle has a great deal of tension. It is important to state here that it is not always possible to relieve tightness in one or even many sessions. It depends on how long it has accumulated. Once the back and the back of the legs are massaged, you can turn over. 
Turning overThere is a technique to turning over with towels, so that you are not exposed whilst turning. Don’t worry, I will show you. Feet, legs and hipsWhen you are lying on your back, I start from the feet and work up. Please let me know if you hate having your feet touched, some people do. I like to lift the legs and bend the knees to extend the hip joint; this reveals how much tightness there is in the hips. There are a number of techniques for rotating and flexing joints. I also like to gently extend limbs by slowly and firmly pulling them – you will be an inch taller when I am finished with you! This helps to relieve tightness and undue pressure on joints. TummyIt is always good to massage the tummy with slow circular movement, gradually getting deeper. We hold a lot of our emotions in our tummy and so it is important to pay attention to this area. Massaging here can also help to release trapped matter in the bowel and also release toxins.ChestThere is of course no problem massaging a man’s chest, except that is, if he is very hairy; then I have to use more oil. However a women’s chest is different – in case you haven’t noticed! There is a very good technique for massaging a women’s chest without massaging the breasts but of course the breasts have to be exposed. However, if you don’t want this area massaged, that is fine, let me know. I will ask you first which you prefer. You can remain covered up.Arms and handsI always like to massage the arms and hands. We do so much work with them and a lot of tension can accumulate here too; it is important for them to be massaged. I also like to rotate the arms and pull them gently.Neck, head and ears – yes even your ears!We gather a lot of tension in the neck, it has a lot of work to do supporting our head and it needs massaging. I like to gently lift the head and rotate it in different directions, this helps to free up tight muscles. I will then massage your scalp and also your ears, don’t worry it will feel lovely but your hair will look a mess.
And finally… your faceI think of all the areas of the body, the face is the best part to be massaged. It is so soothing and de-stressing. We express so much through our faces and there are many muscles and nerve endings here; it is great to have your face gently massaged. Chatty people always go quiet when I massage the face.One last thing, this is your massage. It is up to you what areas you want massaged and what areas you don’t – just tell me. Also, it is up to you if you want a soft massage or a firm one, again let me know. If during the massage you want more attention paying to a particular area, please tell me; or if you want me to press firmer or lighter, the same applies. Get the most out of your massage, so tell the practitioner what you want. “We hold a lot of emotions in our tummy.”
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