Almost everyone who books a first massage has the same three questions and asks none of them. So here they are, answered without anybody having to be brave.
Do I have to take my clothes off?
For a Thai massage, no. You stay fully dressed in loose cotton clothes, which are provided.
For the oil treatments — relaxing, deep tissue, hot stone, herbal compress — you undress to your own comfort. Most people go to underwear. You are covered by a towel the whole time and only the part being worked on is uncovered.
The therapist leaves the room while you get on the table and knocks before coming back in. Nobody is ever going to ask you to be less dressed than you want to be.
Am I supposed to talk?
Entirely up to you.
There is a short conversation at the start — where it is tight, how firm you want it, anywhere to avoid — and that one matters, so be honest in it. After that, some people chat the whole way through and some do not say another word. Both are completely normal and neither is rude.
What if I fall asleep?
You probably will, and it is the best possible review. Snoring included. It happens constantly.
Will it hurt?
It should not.
Deep tissue work can feel intense in a tight area. The line to watch is whether you can breathe through it. If you are holding your breath or gripping the table, that is too much and you should say so. It is not a competition and nobody is impressed by silent endurance.
Pressure can be changed at any point in the treatment, not just at the start.
What if I am embarrassed about something?
Unshaved legs, a bad back, being out of shape, ticklish feet, a scar, feeling self-conscious in general. None of it is remarkable to a therapist who has been doing this for fifteen years. Genuinely, whatever it is, it has been in this room before.
Practical things
- Eat something light an hour or two beforehand. Not a big meal, not nothing.
- Arrive a couple of minutes early rather than dashing in.
- Say if you are cold. There are more towels.
- Go to the loo first. An hour is longer than you think.
Afterwards
Get up slowly, because you will be more relaxed than you expect. Drink plenty of water and keep the rest of the day gentle — this is not the afternoon for a heavy gym session.
If you have had deep tissue work you may feel it a little the next day, in the way you might after a good stretch. Warmth and water sort it out.
How long should a first one be?
Sixty minutes. Thirty is a back, neck and shoulders session and goes quickly when you are still working out whether you like it. Ninety is wonderful and slightly much for a first time.
Book the hour, see how you find it, and go from there.
