Before

• Familiarity with Body & Energy work

  If this is new to you, let me know so we can discuss in detail what to expect.  You should print the Client Intake form and fill it out prior to the session.

• Housecalls

  You need to provide a quiet space with room for a massage table.

• Jewelry & contact lenses.

  Please remove as much jewelry and contact lenses as possible prior to session.  If you need to wear contacts, please let me know so I can be careful not to disturb them.

• Allergies?

  I use 100% cotton sheets and towels, and BioTone Advanced Therapy Massage Gel.  The Gel is "Hypoallergenic" (ingredients), hydrates the skin, and is readily absorbed.

• Illness

  If you have or are coming down with a cold or flu, bodywork is not a good idea.  Massaging the muscular and lymphatic systems while sick can actually make an illness more intense and last longer.

• Clothing

  Work on the massage table is traditionally done without clothing (but with draping, see below).  If we are going to be doing energy work off of the table, please wear or bring comfortable clothes such as you would wear for exersize or Yoga.  If you need to wear underwear while on the table, please wear something that will not be damaged/stained by massage gel.

• Hair & Makeup

  If at all possible, please plan your visit so that you do not need to leave the studio with your hair in immaculate condition.  Scalp massage is key part of the session, is very beneficial to you, and will almost certainly leave some massage gel in your hair.

  Please do not wear makeup to the session, as it is not possible to do a thorough face massage if you have makeup on.

• Prenatal

  Please let me know if you are pregnant so we can discuss physical issues that might need to address with position of body using pillows, etc.

• Postpartum

  In addition to helping with physical recovery issues, bodywork has been shown to help with feelings of depression that often follow giving birth.

• Injuries

  We will customize our session to focus on or leave alone areas of the body as needed.  In the case of scoliosis, for example, the stretches are somewhat different on the two sides of the spine depending on the direction of curvature.  We will customize our session to focus on or leave alone areas of the body as needed.

During

• Standard Session

  I have found that having a session with the overall flow below to be very effective:
  - Discussion of session goals
  - Body & Energywork face down on table
  - Body & energywork face up on table
  - Energywork on or off table
  - Discussion of next steps

  Note that much of the work on back, shoulder, and neck will be done while face up using stretches and "scooping" techniques.  Also, if there are factors that make it difficult to lie in certain positions, we can work around that.

• Hot or cold

  Please let me know if you are too cold or hot.  Many people who find the temperature fine when lying face down find it chilly when face up, and so I will normally add a blanket when you turn over

• Draping

  You will be covered with a sheet, towel, and/or blanket so that you remain warm and comfortable.  Only the portions of the body being worked on are uncovered and the genital area is always covered.

• Body areas massaged

  A typical session will include work on your head (face & scalp), neck, shoulders, arms, hands, back, stomach, chest, hips, legs and feet.  That includes pretty much everything except for the erogenous areas (genitals & breasts).  Also, unless asked, I will usually not massage the stomach until after several sessions as many people find it emotionally intimate.

• Sinus congestion

  Some people develop mild sinus congestion when lying face down on a massage table.  This is completely normal and usually clears up as soon as you turn to lie on your side or back.

After

• Hydration

  Drink some water after a session.  Massage frees toxins from the muscle system and you need water in order to flush them from your body.  Don't go overboard as there is such a thing as too much water intake (Water Wisdom).

• Feedback

  Comments, questions and feedback are very much appreciated!  I love what I do and am more than happy to discuss ways of making it even better for you.

Special Needs

• If you have needs that are outside the scope of a normal massage session, please let me know.  In some cases I may want you to discuss first with your health care provider, and perhaps have them provide a "prescription" for the type of work needed.

  For example, although massage is very important for cancer patients (relaxation, improve mood and sense of well being, relieve symptoms, decrease muscle spasms), after certain types of masectomy and/or lymph node removal there is risk of lymphedema from massage to arms and sides and I need to be aware of any risks.

  Another example might be scar tissue massage.  Although there is normally no therapeutic benefit to female breast massage (there aren't any muscles underneath that can be reached), the scars resulting from a masectomy (or other surgeries) should be worked on reguarly and we can discuss how to approach it.  Similiarly with groin injuries.