The Goals of Massage

Have a goal. Why are you seeking massage? From rehabilitation to relaxation, there are many reasons and benefits to getting a massage including: relieving stress, anxiety, body pain, and muscle tension. Or maybe you desire to improve flexibility, stability, quality of life, or overall health and well-being. To get the most out of your massage, first decide why you want one. This step will help you find the right therapy and therapist for you.

For example, Kelly first received massages as a gift from her spouse. She lucked out and got the best therapist she has ever known. What she quickly learned was that when she left the therapist, she felt calm and relaxed. She didn’t know she could feel so good. She made it a point to go every week for a bit so she could get that relaxed feeling again and again. That was her goal. Then she noticed that her body started relaxing even before she arrived for her appointment. She could feel her shoulders dropping down even as she drove down the street. This taught her that she could be more relaxed in her every-day life so she practiced allowing her body to relax while just thinking about getting a massage. This worked for her and allowed her to spread out the timing of the massages until she was in a regular monthly habit. Going every week was not a luxury she could afford then. The therapist was gentle and kind. She never felt so good. This suited her well.

Fast forward to when she moved to a new town. She didn’t know the words to describe the type of massage, but she knew her goal and was able to tell any potential new therapist the goal. This helped her get the massage she wanted and desperately needed. It was a typical Swedish style massage by the way. She didn’t need therapy on any certain muscle and massaging too deep or vigorous was counter-productive to her goal of relaxing. The key was being able to communicate her needs to the therapist. She didn’t have to know the proper words. This didn’t always work of course because some therapists get trapped into doing the same moves for every client and not paying attention to the body’s reactions. At Sacred Pathways Sarasota, we strive to deliver what you want. That is partly why we ask so many questions on our intake. So, when we ask you questions about your expectations, be prepared to say what you want and like. If you don’t know the answer to that, that’s ok. We can help educate you on the choices.