PROCEDURES PAGE

INTRODUCTION

This page is dedicated to all the "First-Timers" out there--those who have never received professional Bodywork, and especially: those who may have insecurities or questions about how it all works.  It is not at all unusual to wonder how it works.  If you find yourself asking questions (to yourself) like, "do I have to get naked?  Do I have to take ALL my clothes off, or can I leave certain items on?  Can I get worked on without disrobing at all?  If I do get naked, does anybody see me?  If so, who, and when, and how much exactly?  Do I just sprawl spread eagle on the table in my nakedness, or is there some kind of procedure for keeping my private parts... private?"

For those who are self-conscious, shy, or perhaps just "old fashioned" or who just happen to simply be more conservative and "traditional" in your view of modesty and appropriate exposure, this page is for you.  So if you have never received professional bodywork, or have received it but have never been given a clear sense of what can and can't go on in a Bodywork session,  or who are nervous that they are too ticklish to tolerate any form of bodywork, or who are just downright apprehensive about having to take their clothes off in front of anyone (which, by the way, actually never happens), please, read on.

If you've got a question about any aspect of receiving bodywork, this is the place to ask it, and have it answered.  Here I will post blogs about the procedural aspects of how bodywork is performed.  If you have a question, you are welcome to post it in the comments box at the bottom of this blog, or click the link to my email address and ask it in a confidential email to me privately.  I will generically post the question and response on the blog; I promise not to identify you or make any discernible references in my replies.

For those unfamiliar or inexperienced with receiving bodywork, know this: it is perfectly normal to have feelings of apprehension, guardedness or full-on DEFIANCE!  That's those killer "fight-or-flight" survival instincts kicking in, and it is a good sign that your defense mechanisms are in good health!  But it's a lot like jumping into a swimming pool--once you take the plunge, you realize it was totally worth it, and that maybe you allowed your brain's defenses to get a little too gung-ho! in attempting to protect yourself.

MY FIRST BODYWORK EXPERIENCE

I'll break the ice by sharing my own personal apprehensions and experience prior to receiving my first massage.  Remember, more people than not have insecurities and apprehensions prior to their first bodywork experience.  It is natural.  It is normal.  

By knowing beforehand what to expect, that kills about 90% of the apprehension.  The other 10% disappears after your therapist applies his/her first few strokes, and your muscles begin to melt like butter.

So without further ado, here is the story of my very first professional bodywork experience: 

I can still remember the first time I received a professional massage.  It was 1999, and I was 27 years old.  I owned a business that was a member of a trade exchange which facilitated barter transactions between member businesses.  I had accrued a fair amount of trade credit, and when my barter broker informed me that there was a Massage Therapist in the trade circuit--I came aglow.

I first learned about Massage Therapy as an available Alternative Healthcare intervention when I was in the sixth grade.  I thought it was a very compelling sounding profession, but when I learned the burn-out rate was about 70% within the first 3-5 years, I decided I better shoot for something with a little longer longevity.  I occasionally heard about this person or that person getting a massage in the years that followed, and I even got a couple "chair massages" at public events; but I didn't know of any local Spas or Massage Clinics, so I had up to this point in my life never experienced a "full body" massage.

By now, at age 27, my poor body was desperately seeking some stress-subduing, soul-soothing rejuvenation.  And I had just learned that there was a Massage Therapist in my trade group--in which I had accrued $4,000 of trade credit!

When I called the lady, she sounded very formal and professional.  She clearly informed me that she was a "Licensed Massage Therapist" or "LMT"--and I was oblivious enough to what that actually meant that I felt compelled to ask to explain to me what exactly that entailed.  "LMT"... it sounded very formal and professional--it even had a bit of a clinical medical "zing" to it... but for all intents and purposes, I had no idea what it effectively meant.  

She was exceptionally articulate and eloquently educated me about her industry's "Code of Ethics" and "Standards of Practice"--by the end of her explanation my perception of massage as an over-glorified "rubdown" for relaxation was totally transformed into a highly professional sounding therapeutic healthcare intervention.  

When I arrived at her studio she greeted me warmly and courteously, but projected a strong sense of "boundaries" between us.  It was alarmingly "clinical" (which was fine--I just didn't have a clue as to what exactly to expect, but "clinical" hadn't been among the options I had considered).  She showed me the table and informed me I would be "draped" throughout ("draped?" that was not exactly an intuitively discernible word for me, so again, I just asked, and she very politely explained).  

She then said, "go ahead and disrobe, get on the table face down and let me know when you're ready."  

I am embarrassed to admit it, but it's too funny to pass up sharing it--I just stood there for about 5 seconds like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming car!  

"Disrobe...," I thought to myself,  "...now there's a word I'm capable of associating meaning with...", "...but that I can't quite seem to recall ever actually having heard someone use in a sentence before--particularly not one formulating an instruction to me!"  

So, rather reservedly, I asked her, "disrobe? you mean like, get naked?"  Duh....  

It was SO stupid, yet, so revealing as to how our triune brains often work.  We are fundamentally hard-wired to protect ourselves.  This instinctual urge is only intensified for those of us who attach moral significance to clothing our nakedness.

She quickly set me at ease by explaining that I could leave on anything I wanted, but most guys at least disrobe to their underwear, or I could take it all off--whatever I felt comfortable with.

This reassurance enabled me to wholly drop my subconscious guard, enabling me to at least superficially realize that there was a subconscious belief that surfaced in my alarm without me even realizing it--I had come to this massage fully expecting to remove my clothing and be comfortably covered during the experience!  I just had never gone through the specific steps of making that happen.  And when those steps spontaneously unfolded while interacting with a member of the opposite sex, the appropriate triggers went off in my brain to assure I was acting in harmony with my deepest beliefs. 

Once I simply affirmed the validity of my sense of moral apprehension within me, then put it into the proper perspective by entirely separating this professional therapeutic experience from something of a potentially more "shady" nature, I was able to relax and proceed with confidence.

Now, back to the story: By then I felt more than a little stupid for my apprehension.  I determined to just go all in--I mean, seriously, what was this woman going to do to me? Especially in light of all the professional protocol and procedural info she had educated me with.  

It was just a new experience and my brain acted accordingly.

I spent the next hour in HEAVEN.  The moment her hands touched my skin my muscles melted and my soul drifted away into "La La Land".  It was the most memorably stress-subduing, soul-soothing, tranquilizing therapeutic experience I had had since my body had descended into the depths of INFLAMMATORY-HELL following my fatal car accident 11 years previously.  

I spent about a third of that hour thanking God for this gracious gift of "therapeutic touch", another third of it absorbing the electrical impulses transmitted through my therapist's touch, and the final third feeling totally stupid that I somehow allowed myself to feel apprehensive and insecure prior to the beginning of this masterful massage.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

Getting a massage, receiving bodywork in any of its various forms, is still a new experience for the vast majority of people in our society.  Substantially more people are receiving it every year, more news sources are spotlighting it, more publications are promoting it, and more research is validating both its efficiency in preventing illness and its effectiveness in aiding in its treatment.

The more you know and understand about the whole bodywork process, the more empowered you will feel and confident you will become in having an incredibly relaxing and healing experience.

Bodywork, by its very nature, requires a high level of intimate interaction.  Consequently, this requires an exceptionally high level of trust.  In order to reap the full benefits of a therapeutic bodywork experience, the recipient must learn to fully integrate their mind--or conscious awareness--with the most subtle sensations of their body    Because it involves a high level of intimate interaction--often times with someone who can be a complete stranger--developing a clear understanding of the professional standards of practices, and manner in which various procedures are performed (such as "draping", turning over on the table, when it is--and isn't--appropriate to "coach" or provide your therapist with feedback, etc.) it requires an equally high level of comfort, confidence and trust.  To be continued...