Dear Friends,

Today I would like to talk a bit about massage therapy. Massage has
many great benefits, but of course, I love the pampered feeling I walk
away with the most!

I started having professional massages in an effort to relieve muscle
tension and pain that came about as the result of a neck injury. I am
so sorry that I waited until I was in pain before I sought the
services of a licensed massage therapist. It is my hope that many of
you will give massage therapy a try before pain enters your life,
simply for the stress relief, increased circulation, and general sense
of well being that massage provides.

Some people procrastinate about giving massage a try because of their
fear of something new. One thought that will help you face your fear
is that the massage therapist’s sole purpose and desire is to make you
feel better and more relaxed. They can care less about your extra
pounds, cellulite, hairy legs, scars, or other physical concerns you
may have. They are totally concerned about your comfort and
satisfaction and will work with you to give you a massage that you can enjoy at your comfort level.

Some people are very uncomfortable at first about removing their
clothing for a massage. If this is the case, you may want to try a
chair massage as your first massage which allows you to keep all your
clothing on. Once you are ready for a 30 or 60 minute massage, talk
with your massage therapist about alternatives to being totally nude.
They will tell you which types of undergarments are easiest for them
to work around to reach the areas that you need to have worked on.
During the massage, only the areas currently being worked on will be
uncovered, so it truly isn’t embarrassing if you decide to remove all
your clothing.

For the best massage, be willing to speak up and let your massage
therapist know if you need a softer touch or a deeper touch or if the
room is too hot or too cold. You will not insult the massage
therapist and they will actually be very grateful for your feedback.

Massages can be difficult to fit into strained budgets. Some ideas to
be able to afford massage is to ask for massage gift certificates for
your birthday and other special occasions, schedule your massages at a massage school, or to barter your talents for the services of a massage therapist. Perhaps you can do their bookkeeping, cleaning, bake for special occasions, computer repair or some other tasks that will save them time or money. Sometimes insurance will cover massage therapy. Some employers are even starting to offer chair massages on the job to increase job performance levels and employee satisfaction.

I rarely discuss pampering missions that cost a considerable amount of money, but in the case of massage, I believe it’s worth budgeting for. The benefits of caring human touch to those who are hurting, stressed, or simply leading an isolated life are immeasurable.

Love,

FlyLady Dana