Massage at Home: Do’s and Don’ts

Mobile massage therapy is the Uber of massages. A registered massage therapist will come directly to your living room/hotel room/workplace to deliver a professional massage of your choice. Sweet! But, just because you are having your massage at home rather than a spa does not mean that the standard etiquette of services exchange is less applicable. On the contrary, there are certain things that should be taken under advisement, on both yours and the therapist’s behalf, to retain a professional, and importantly pleasant standard of service.

Let’s start with what NOT to do when you schedule a well-earned mobile massage.

Don’t:

Eat a large meal

Nobody feels amazing and relaxed after a big meal. Certainly nobody feels like lying on their stomach and have somebody apply pressure. If the occasion is inevitable, allow yourself a couple of hours to digest before the scheduled massage.

Keep your mobile phone and TV on

Massages are meant to be relaxing and pleasant. It’s difficult to get into the zone if your TV is blasting the latest episode of Game of Thrones. It is understandable in some cases, that you absolutely must know what happens next, or that you need to stay on call for professional reasons. The best advice would be to keep the volume low when you get your massage at home. The alternative of course would be to put on some smooth jazz to encourage relaxation and create a soothing atmosphere.

Try not to be intoxicated

There is nothing wrong with a couple of Gin and Tonics to help propel you into a sense of calm relaxation on your day off. However, as a form of courtesy to your massage therapist, it would be advisable to keep the drinking to a minimum until after the session. Besides, it’s not very relaxing to have to get up every 10 minutes to go to the bathroom!

Undrape

Your body is your temple, as they say. In order to retain a professional environment, massage therapists will leave the room while you get undressed. Meanwhile, you can assume an appropriate position, with a towel draped over your private regions. This is to ensure that you, as a client, are treated with the utmost respect, and that you preserve dignity at all times during the service.

It will be considered inappropriate to purposefully remove the towel. Although you may find that your massage therapist must sometimes move it accordingly to reach some knots, particularly around your breasts, behind, inner thigh, but they will under no circumstances cross lines.

Do:

Have a nice warm bath

Taking a shower or a bath before the therapy session will allow you to be more comfortable and laid back, by the time the massage therapist arrives. Additionally, as common courtesy to your therapist, a clean body is always appreciated. Having said that, nobody is expecting you to shave your legs or trim your beard. The only concern is cleanliness and body odor!

As an additional point, if you are scheduling an afternoon or evening massage at home, too hot a bath will rise your core temperature to such a degree that you may find it difficult to find sleep afterwards.

Be prepared

Massage therapists, particularly mobile massage therapists tend to be on a tight schedule as transport between clients and setting up of equipment is included in their daily time tabling.

If you book a massage for 17:00, be ready at 17:00. If you are intending on taking a bath, do so half an hour before they arrive. Make sure the room you wish for them to set up in is ready, that there is no food on the stove that needs your immediate attention, and that children and pets are taken care of. If you think your children and pets might become disruptive, plan ahead! As a side note, be sure to declare the presence of any pets in advance to your massage therapist in case of allergy or fear of large dogs, for instance.

Communicate

The most important of all is that you get what you paid for: an hour of unadulterated pampering (depending on the massage). Your massage therapist is a trained professional, but not every person is built equal. While you might prefer hard, intense strokes, somebody else might prefer softer more gentle ones. If the pressure isn’t how you like it, if anything hurts or feel uncomfortable, if you are worried about one area in particular or are concerned that your massage therapist is spending too much time on an area, be sure to communicate this with your massage therapist. They will adapt to your needs as necessary, and will do everything they can to ensure that you enjoy your hour of bliss.

Be respectful

At the end of the day, a professional mobile massage therapist will be entering your private space. Whilst their job is entirely devoted to visiting homes, it is important that they feel completely unthreatened during their visit. A friendly and welcoming environment will greatly improve the rapport between yourself and your designated therapist. This will inevitably translate to a better massage. Just like with any guest, treat your therapist with respect and kindness, and they will return the favour!