A massage is a wonderful way to improve your overall well-being. Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of your time on the table.

• Schedule early. Lots of my clients like to grab the latest time slot available. I understand why–it’s great to go home and relax after a massage. But if it works with your schedule, consider an appointment early in the day. Why? Because massage is a strenuous occupation, and toward the end of the day, your therapist may be starting to get tired. Now, I’m not saying an end–of-the-day massage will be bad! Massage therapists learn to conserve their energy throughout the day so our late clients get a wonderful experience too. Even so, when I’m scheduling a massage for myself, I like to go in the morning if I can. There’s nothing like a relaxed, refreshed, positive start to your day.

• Leave your underwear off. That is, if you’re comfortable. We do understand that not everybody is fully relaxed when they’re fully unclothed. And the most important thing is for clients to feel at ease. But if you need some work in the hips, low back, and glutes (and honestly, who doesn’t?), it’ll be easier for your therapist if they’re not trying to work through clothing. The massage will be more effective as well. So if you’re okay with it, ditch the underwear. I promise your therapist will not mind. And any private parts of your body will be fully covered at all times.

• Feedback makes your massage better. Everybody (and every body)  experiences touch and pressure differently. Pressure that feels gentle to one client may feel unpleasant to another. If anything in a massage feels uncomfortable, please speak up–for two reasons. First, we don’t want to hurt you! Second, pain is a diagnostic tool. It can tell us what muscles to target so we can help you feel better. And if something feels especially good, let us know that too. I always take note if a client loves work in the shoulders, say, or really appreciates deep pressure to the feet. If you let us know when something feels great, we can repeat it next time.

I hope these hints are helpful–and the most important thing about massage is to get one in your schedule! We hope to see you soon at Jade.