Summary of Section 2

The Massage Essentials

The most important things to consider when

getting a massage table

● Make sure that it has a face cradle.

● Make sure that the table is nice and wide.

● Make sure that you have the table at the correct height-definitely not
too high.

● Check that it is adjustable

● Check the weight of the table. You do not want it to be too heavy
because you may be doing home visits as you start off your business.

Choosing Oils or Creams

● If you use natural oils( sweet almond oil etc), make sure that you
have very good washing facilities so the linen doesn't smell rancid
● Think about the color of your linen. If you have white linen, it can get
stained and then looks dirty

● ONLY use essential oils and not the synthetic, cheap fragrant oils.

● Massage creams are great but you cannot use creams for hot stones
massages, you will need to use oils.

Setting up your table

● Place a sheet on your table first so that the towels will not slip off so
easily.

● The sheet also protects the table from getting oils on it.

● If you do get oils on your table, wash them off with warm soapy water

● The place one towel on top of the table down the head end of the
table. Then put a pillow, rolled up towel or a bolster at the foot end of
the table to elevate the feet slightly.( so that it is not uncomfortable for
their feet and ankles.

● Place another towel on the table so that it covers the pillow

● Lay the third towel along the table( folded in half or thirds) which is
the towel that you will use to cover the client
● Use a small soft fabric for the face crest or you can buy them from
massage supply stores.

● If you dry your towels by hanging them, if you can then spin dry them
quickly in the dryer it will soften them and make them feel so much
better for the client

One factor that makes a huge difference

● Temperature factors- If you have cold or cool winters or live in a cold

climate, using heat packs on top of the person and/or an electric
blanket under the sheet on the table can make it feel so wonderful for
the client.

● Place the heat pack on their lower back area whilst you massage
their feet and legs.

● Do not have a cold breeze blowing directly onto the client

● You can use a bottle warmer to warm the massage oil to make the
massage feel even better
 Timing is everything

● Use a clock so that you know what time you have left. Do not use a
cell phone, not even on vibrate

● When you start massaging, give yourself 20-30 minutes break

between massages so that you can give yourself a break to reset and
have a rest and keep the stress levels to a minimum

● Late clients-it is a balance but don't punish all of the rest of your
clients after your late client by giving them the full hour. You may
have to cut their time short because you will upset the clients that do
come on time. If you don't have a client after them, then I would
probably give them the full hour even if they did arrive late.

Why I don't include these things in my

relaxation massage
● I don't massage Women's breasts.

● Unless someone was suffering from constipation or other intestinal

problems and they wanted it addressed with my massage, I do not
include the stomach either.
● I don't do stretching because I don't want the client helping me with
the stretches and I also want them totally blissed out on the table. I
also don't do neck stretches. I have seen people having their necks
aggravated because they had a posterior neck disc problem and
flexing the neck made it worse.

Do no harm
● Do what you know-don't try things outside of your expertise. Refer
them on if they have pain and you do not know what to do. They will
appreciate your honesty.

Getting feedback
● Make sure that the person that gives you feedback is someone that
will not 'sugarcoat'. You want someone that is brutally honest.

Using your body correctly

● You don't want to treat your clients using muscular effort-you want to
use body weight and weight transference.
● We will not be using our thumbs a lot( thumb circling etc) as these
joints get injured very easily

● Bend at the hip(hip hinging) and not bending at the lower back.

● Stay wide across the chest so that your shoulders don't get
compressed. Feel elongated through the spine as if you were being
pulled through the top of your head.

● Do not have sharp angles through the hands and wrists.

Practice often

● Make sure that you hone your skills by practising with as many
people that you can find.

● Get regular massages from other therapists/students so that you can

feel what feels good and then you can add that to your massages as
well if you like. My massage sequence is a combination of what I
learnt from getting other massages and adding what they did that felt
great.
 Final points

● Make sure that your music is nothing more than something that is
really in the background. It should be almost undetectable. You want
the person drifting off-not concentrating on the music.

● Make sure that the lighting is in the background. You do not want
lights shining in their eyes.

● Perfume- it is best not to wear any at all. Also, be aware if you use
essential oils that people can be sensitive to their smells or flat out
not like them. I knew of a person that would not wear perfume but
would use sandalwood essential oil as their perfume. I happen to like
sandalwood but I knew of someone who couldn't stand it so imagine
if they were getting a massage and all they could focus on was the
stench(to them)of the sandalwood. As you can see, even using
essential oils as a perfume can be off-putting.

Ok, onto the next section!