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How do you help your clients relax?

Aside from your actual massage, what little touches have you added to help your clients relax? I have a really warm table warmer, I use a big fluffy bolster, I painted my massage room a beautiful ocean/aqua blue, and I have a water fountain sitting on the table. What about you?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marissa on December 30, 2009 at 11:44pm

Ditto on the table warmer! Especially this time of year. All colors are "earthy" and subtle. Lighting is very low and indirect. I use an aromatherapy "lamp ring" to scent the air rather than candles. Too many candles gone wrong horror stories: Check out the Bloopers Group! I have a memory foam table topper, contour head pillow, and 3 other pillows available for positioning...if needed.

Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on December 31, 2009 at 7:20pm

I liked to have mine sit in the sauna first, if possible. I always started by smoothing the top sheet and rocking the client as I worked my way around the table. This got them used to my touch and comforted them. Then I would ground while touching their scalp. It was soothing to both therapist and client. To me, it allowed me to take responsibility for the massage and the client. After a few deep breaths, I would start the massage. This time allowed them to accept touch and you could feel them relax.

Permalink Reply by Donna C. Agrinsonis, LMT on December 31, 2009 at 9:16pm

Awesome! I had a serious visual as you explained how you start your massage. Wow, each therapist has so many gifts and different ways of approaching massage.

Mike Hinkle said:

I liked to have mine sit in the sauna first, if possible. I always started by smoothing the top sheet and rocking the client as I worked my way around the table. This got them used to my touch and comforted them. Then I would ground while touching their scalp. It was soothing to both therapist and client. To me, it allowed me to take responsibility for the massage and the client. After a few deep breaths, I would start the massage. This time allowed them to accept touch and you could feel them relax.

Permalink Reply by Steve - Maryland L.M.T. on January 2, 2010 at 10:34pm

I tried to make my office a relaxing sanctuary from the outside world and apparently I succeeded better than I hoped. Clients often tell me that they start to relax as soon as they walk in the door.

One thing that people like is my indoor rock garden, with a fountain and live plants. The garden is on one side of the hallway leading to the two treatment rooms.

I painted my treatment room with three of the walls a mint green and the back wall a darker, moss green. (The colors don't show up well in the photo)

I have a good heating pad on my table and a radiator-style space heater to keep the room nice and toasty. I really don't like trying to work around a blanket. There are no windows, so the only light comes from a couple of lamps and a salt lamp.

I have an iPod set up with three hour long playlists so there's no clatter of CDs changing. I bought a $20 chord that lets me play the iPod directly though a stereo, which gives a much richer sound than most of the docks -- especially with speakers on either side of the room.

I use hot stones in most of my massage, and I put a few drops of an essential oil blend into the water.