Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Massage Therapists

So you went to a massage therapist years and years ago and you hated it, therefore you've never had a massage again. Okay, maybe your experience isn't that extreme. Maybe you've found a great therapist--if that's the case, then you don't need to read the rest of this :) For those of you that have had bad experiences with massage therapy, I want to say I'm sorry. At the same time, I'd like you to remember that massage therapists are like hairdressers, doctors, car mechanics, dry cleaners, etc. What I mean is that not every massage therapist is going to be a perfect fit with every person that "leaps" onto their massage table or into their massage chair. This is something that really hasn't been well communicated in the industry. Just like you searched for the perfect hairdresser or car mechanic for you and your needs, you need to find the perfect massage therapist to fit you and your needs too.

If you think that massage therapy is too expensive to keep trying different people until you find the right one, think about how much money you've lost with bad hair cuts! But if money is an issue that stops your search, there are a lot of therapists willing to offer money back guarantees, some will give you a free session the first time, and others may offer a first time discount.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is the massage therapist and you need to communicate! Communicate your needs before getting on the table and then listen to what the therapist says. Get them to give you a quick run-down on how the session will proceed and how they're going to try and help you feel better. Communicate with the therapist after the session and be honest. No one really likes to hear criticism but a therapist who really wants to help others feel better will get past that and listen to how they can improve the sessions for you.

Just remember that who your friend, soul-mate, mother, father thinks is a really great massage therapist, that person may not be for you because we are all very different and are on different levels of needs. Whatever you do or decide, remember that it's not your fault that you had a bad session with the therapist that someone's recommended -- they may not be right for your needs and that's okay. Keep looking - don't get discouraged!


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Manicures or Massages?

How many people do you know that would rather spend their money on getting regular appointments for manicures, pedicures, or hair coloring instead of paying for regular health benefiting massage sessions? Isn't it interesting that in our society we've come to place more importance on our physical presentation than in our health? I suppose one of my concerns as a massage therapist is to communicate the importance of this therapy called massage. In case you haven't noticed, massage isn't JUST for relaxation or an indulgence anymore. Massage has been shown to improve people's health (and animal's health too) in many physical, emotional, and mental health issues. When did you hear the last time a manicure helped someone going through chemotherapy's side effects? Or a pedicure helped someone with joint issues increase their range-of-motion? I haven't heard anything about coloring one's hair being linked to improving a person's immune system, have you? Maybe I'm being too harsh but this is my blog and I feel that I need to address this out to the public ... maybe some of you have never thought about swapping one of these (manicure, pedicure, hair coloring) every other month for a massage.

Ooooohh-- A CHALLENGE!! I challenge you to take one beauty indulgence that you pay for every month AND every other month, swap it for a 60 or 90 minute massage appointment (by a therapist you like -- see my next blog entry about massage therapists)! What? You don't have time? Let me ask you this -- if you became ill and had to be restricted from doing most of your daily activities for a week or two, would the world continue to revolve? Would everything fall apart or would it get done (maybe not up to your standards, but sometimes we do have to drop that bar a little in order to live)? Your body needs you to listen to it and if you're too busy to hear what it's trying to tell you, it will eventually take matters into its own hands (ha ha ha) -- meaning that it will shut you down whether you wanted to stop or not. Have you ever started a new job and within a week, you've gotten really sick, even though you hadn't been sick in years? That's your body and what stress does to it -- make time for your body. Call your massage therapist and schedule an appointment -- can't afford it still? Try finding your local massage therapy school and find out about their internship massage clinic which charges almost half of the going rates. Of course the down side is you probably won't get a customized massage to fit your needs but it's still better than not getting a massage at all and you'll be helping a student get more experience :-D


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