Massage Etiquette & Body Issues

Hot stone massage is a style of "Swedish" massage in which heated, round or oval stones, usually smooth basalt stones, of varying sizes and weights are placed on the body to treat sore muscles. The stones are heated in water or an oven and then laid out over key muscle groups, like along the spine or between the toes for example, offering a soothing and relaxing healing experience. Though intense, hot stone massage is gentler than deep tissue or therapeutic massage, but has many of the same benefits.

In this free video series, professional massage therapist Bil Mitchell teaches you how to have proper bedside manner and follow etiquette during a massage. Bil covers issues and situations many clients would find awkward and leads the massage therapist through handling them. Bil has tips for new and seasoned massage therapists, including pointing out bylaws for many jurisdictions. You will also learn how to relax clients, build a peaceful setting, clean linens, select oils, and have effective communication with clients. Bil will show you just what to think about before your next massage session.

"This is the basics of massage etiquette. Sensitivity to your client's body issues. As we know, all human beings come in different shapes and sizes and that's going to be true of your clients as well. Everything from working on very large clients to very small clients, very old clients to very young clients. Part of a successful therapy session is going to be sensitivity to whatever issues your client may or may not have. Many clients are not going to have any issues regarding their body whatsoever. Others are going to have very specific issues and, oftentimes, those issues aren't going to be readily apparent. You may think that a large client, an overweight person, may have a specific sensitivity to their physical size, but it may not actually be their size that they're sensitive to. They may have some other issue relative to some other facet of their body that's the issue. This is another opportunity to develop a rapport with your client whoever they are, whatever their shape is. Understand them and know what's going to work best for them. That all leads to a successful therapy session. This is the basics of massage etiquette, sensitivity to client body issues."