You should arrive about 15 minutes early for your first massage therapy session so that you have time to use the restroom should you need to, and fill out a health history/intake form. After this the therapist will ask you some general questions such as the areas of your body that you would like worked on, if you have any conditions that need to be addressed, and if there are any parts of your body, such as your face or abdomen, that you would not like to be worked on. At this time, your therapist will also determine if massage is appropriate for you.

If you have any questions about whether massage is appropriate for you due to a certain condition before you book an appointment, feel free to contact us and ask! Additionally, if you know that you have a condition that may contraindicate or does contraindicate massage in most instances, please bring a Dr.’s note! Please see the section of When Should I Not Get a Massage for more information.

It is important to list all of your health concerns and medications on your intake form so that the therapist can adjust the session to your specific needs. It is also important to list any allergies so that the therapist knows if they need to use a different cream or lotion during the session.

You should undress to the level that you are comfortable for your massage after the therapist has left the room and you are settling onto the massage table. You will get under the sheet and top blanket and wait for your massage therapist to knock on the door and make sure you are ready so that the massage may begin.

Once you are undressed to your comfort level and on the table under the drape, your therapist will only uncover the part of the body being worked on. The genitals and breasts will not be uncovered. If the therapist is going to work on a woman’s abdomen, a second towel or sheet will be used to drape the breasts so the main sheet can be moved to expose the abdomen.

If at any time you are uncomfortable with the draping, please let your therapist know so that they can adjust it to your comfort level.

Make yourself comfortable during your massage session. If your therapist wants to adjust your position, they will move you or will ask you to move what is needed. In general, at Mountain Meridian, your therapist wants to move you during the massage because they want you to relax and not worry about moving yourself. If the therapist asks you to move it will usually be for something in which you moving would produce a better result than them moving you, such as scooting down the table after you turn over to a face up position, or sliding to the right or left of the table.

Many people close their eyes and relax completely during a session, and others prefer to talk. Some people like to talk a bit during the session and then relax and be quiet. It is up to you what you want to do. Please do not hesitate to ask questions at any time.

A massage should not outright hurt. In deeper massages, there can be a level of “feel good” hurt. If there is an “ouch, stop it” hurt than that is too much hurt and that level will not be worked at. “Ouch, stop it” hurt or pain or too much pain can cause you to tighten up and negate the relaxing effects of the massage.

A light, relaxing massage that does not work very deep into the muscles should not hurt.

Even a really good deep tissue style of massage should always stay in the “feel good” hurt range. The most effective deep massage will always work with your body’s natural relaxation response, not against it by causing the body to tighten.

If you would like to talk, that is great, go ahead and talk. If you prefer silence, that is also great, go ahead and relax. Your therapist wants you to do what is comfortable for you. Want to talk a bit, and then relax in silence? That is great too!

What is important in this instance is that there are times when you need to speak up. If the therapist is doing anything that makes you uncomfortable, you need to let them know immediately. Also, it is important to let the therapist know if you get too warm or cold, if the pressure needs to be adjusted to be lighter or deeper, or if the room is too bright. If anything is not working for you or needs to be adjusted, please inform the therapist.

Usually relaxing music is played unless the client prefers silence. If you have your own music that you like to relax to you can definitely bring it! There is a variety of relaxing music to choose from at Mountain Meridian.

Some types of music can have a relaxing and calming effect on the body and can enhance your massage experience.

You should not get a massage if you have a fever, a cold or the flu, or a contagious skin infection. If you feel you may be just getting sick, it may be a good idea to pass on massage since a massage may contribute to a cold going deeper into the body.

There are many conditions where a therapist may need to adapt their techniques when giving a massage. In some instances, an area may need to be avoided completely, such as a cut or burn. For some processes and conditions, Mountain Meridian would like to have a Dr.’s note before performing massage, such as with cancer and certain heart conditions. If you are pregnant and are high risk, you also will need to have a Dr.’s note approving receiving massage before a massage will be performed.

The answer to these questions depends on your body, your lifestyle, and your goals.

As a general guideline, once a month is a common frequency of those who use massage as preventative care or to mange daily stress. Weekly sessions may be a good option in order to manage situations such as injury relief or to relieve chronic tightness that is interfering with daily life.

After seeing you and working on you, your therapist will have an idea of what a good massage therapy plan will be for your goals and your body. Be sure to share all of your goals, concerns, ideas, and questions with your massage therapist!