There have recently been articles about titled something like “What your massage therapist wants you to know”.

Typically these articles include points such as:

• We don’t care about stubble on your legs. Makes no difference to us whether you have shaved your legs or not
• We are there to massage you – not judge your body. Most of us have some insecurities about aspects of our body – a massage table is a place of refuge where you can feel safe.
• Along the same lines, don’t be embarrassed about your butt. For massage therapists, it’s just muscle and muscle that needs massage.
• Body noises are natural and natural. When you are relaxed on the table then stomach rumbling and grumbling common. Snoring/snorting as you drift off (and even breaking wind) are nothing to be shy about.
• Conversation during the massage is entirely your choice. If you need silence to be able to relax then that is your right. If your therapist is too chatty then let them know. Alternatively if you want to talk then go for it.
• Let your therapist know if there is anything that you are not happy with, be it that the pressure is too hard or too soft, you prefer long flowing strokes to trigger point work, the room is too hot/too cold, the music is not to your liking, etc.
• Be on time for your session. Allow a little bit of wiggle room for traffic snarls and parking. Too early is better than too late. If you are rushing to get to your massage then it can be hard to relax once you are on the table.

And so on.

Now these points are probably equivalent for mobile massage. It’s your massage and it’s up to you and the therapist to work as a team to ensure that you receive the massage you want. There a couple of points of difference that are behind this article of “What your mobile massage therapist wants you to know”. The following points are my own view and I’ve substituted “I” for “the therapist”.

Firstly, it’s your home. The environment and massage space is yours and the ambiance for the massage is under your control. I will work in whatever space you provide but this space can impact on the massage you receive. In particular if you are after a purely remedial massage then being disturbed by the traffic in the house is not really an issue. However, if relaxation is an integral goal for you then being interrupted by kids, pets, etc will diminish the benefit for you.
From my point of view, I prefer to work in a quiet space away from the main traffic of the house with enough space that I can navigate easily around my table. This is not always possible (or it may not be convenient for you, for example, if you need to keep your eye on children). Just be aware that the most obvious space might not be the best.
Have to be honest and I do prefer that the television is off. If you want a television on then that’s cool with me and I try not to let it distract me but I think I probably give a better massage with a television off rather than on (maybe unprofessional on my behalf I just feel my work is better with music or silence).

Secondly, room temperature can be critical. Don’t worry about whether I’m too hot or too cold. You’re the one lying on the table with no clothes on. In particular, in winter, the space in which you are massaged does need to be warm (and often warmer than you think – better to start with the room too hot rather than too cold as once you get cold then it’s virtually impossible to get warm again).

Next – if you can keep children and pets out of the room then probably preferable as it is less distracting for me and you. Now this is not always possible and if they do need access then so be it – that’s fine with me. A pet lying quietly in the room is better than one scratching at the door to get in.

The final point is along a similar line to one of the points at the start of this post and concerns the issue of timing. Personally I think the mobile massage process goes better if you are ready for me when I arrive. If I knock on the door and you’ve just got in from work or the gym and you are rushing around or wanting a shower then it can have an impact. As a mobile therapist understand sometimes you have to settle children down or make sure that your dog has a little treat to distract him. But mostly I am on a schedule (albeit I try to ensure that normally there is a little wiggle room with time). If it takes you 20 minutes to be ready to climb onto my massage table, because you need a shower or finish sending an email or are on a work phone call as examples, then I will probably need to cut the massage short.

I’m sure there are probably a few other points I could raise here (eg always appreciated if you offer me a glass of water) but just want to re-iterate that the main goal for optimal massage is that we work together with good communication to ensure that you receive great massage.