Camomile oil is an excellent relaxant. When applied in conjunction with massage oil, camomile works to relieve tension and, if worked in as part of a massage just prior to bed time it can be just the thing if you have been having sleepless nights. For the same purpose it may also be beneficial to put some camomile oil in a burner – check on the Internet for safety tips and for advice on how to use a burner.

Peppermint oil has two extremely useful benefits. Firstly, it has a profound effect on the digestive system. If you have been prone to stomach cramps recently, then it is well worth having a general aromatherapy massage with peppermint oil. Also, when rubbed into the forehead, this can be an excellent cure for tension headaches.

Lavender oil, whether massaged or inhaled, does a very good job of relaxing someone who is tense, and also soothing sore throats. Like camomile, it too has been used successfully by sufferers of insomnia. A massage with lavender around any area where you are experiencing tension may well be the key for putting a stop to tossing and turning.

Lemon oil has been praised for its mood elevating qualities. If you have had a bad week and want to release yourself from a general lassitude or pessimism, then lemon, and other citrus oils have been proven to have genuine benefits.

Tea tree oil also contributes to a feeling of general well-being, and has been praised for its beneficial qualities when treating warts and athlete’s foot.

These are just some of the essential oils used in aromatherapy massages. There are many others, so why not check around and find out more about which could be the best for you?

It is worth remembering that massage is not as simple as it often looks. As you will know, there is a talent and a knack to delivering a beneficial massage and it is a lot more than just rubbing the affected area. Whichever method you choose in order to learn, it is important to make sure that you learn the theory before you attempt anything advanced. There are many good books on the market which deal with the theory – a good piece of advice is to check the Internet bookstores and read reviews of any book you are planning to buy – and to visit online forums devoted to massage while you are about it.

There are likely to be classes available near to where you live. These may be your best option for learning the important elements of massage therapy, as they will allow you to learn the theory and see it applied at close quarters, meaning that you can have a global idea of what will be required of you before you go any further. In addition it ensures that you have got the facts right before you attempt to give a massage.

None of this is intended to discourage anyone looking to learn massage – often someone needs a massage more than anything at a time when they are unable to book a treatment at a spa. Should this be the case, it is always beneficial if you are able to step in and help – but it is never good when someone tries to massage without an appreciation of the finer details.

It does depend somewhat on the reason for getting a massage. If one needs a massage in order to deal with pain in a specific area, the location of that area may present a few problems. If you have, for example, pain in your calf, it is possible to self-massage. However, if the problem is in your upper back, you will need a friend or family member you can trust to carry out the massage – while you know what will cause you pain, they may not know until they have hurt you. If you have any concern over a person’s ability to give a massage without hurting you or aggravating the problem, then going to a spa or a physiotherapist may be the only answer.

You may find that discussing a massage option with your doctor is helpful. If you are in the United Kingdom it may be possible to be referred to a massage therapist on the National Health Service should you be unable to fund the treatment yourself.

If your concern over massage is down to personal space issues, then it may be helpful to speak to family members, friends, or your spouse to see if they would be interested in learning to give a massage. There are numerous books about a wide range of different types of massage, and you may choose depending on your needs. If you have lower back pain, for example, it may well be possible to learn the principles of deep tissue massage well enough to at least relieve the symptoms of your condition – but the main thing to remember is to stop if it hurts too much.

What if I become aroused during the massage?

It has crossed most people’s minds, undoubtedly, that the seemingly intimate nature of a massage – usually at the hands of a stranger – can lead to an embarassing situation. Certainly, men will worry that they may become visibly aroused, and women worry no less about what may happen to them. Even switching the gender of the therapist may not forestall this worry. It is important to note, though, that becoming aroused does not necessarily indicate being “turned on”. A lot of massages stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system – which means that you may become aroused due to a simple, non-sexual reflex. And rest assured that the masseur or masseuse knows this, and has seen it happen before.

I’m worried about what people will think about me – are they judging me?

This depends who “they” are. Some friends with a sense of humour that they should have left behind when they left school or before – yes, they might judge you, but not with any justification. The massage therapist – not at all. The other people in the waiting room? Well, they are there for the same thing, aren’t they? There are a lot of ridiculous myths around spas and the phrase “massage parlour” causes a lot of people to sneer. Call ahead to check the credentials of the staff, and ask where they qualified. Then check those credentials with the awarding body. If these check out, you aren’t going to a “seedy massage parlour”.

Is it expected that I tip the massage therapist?

In a clinical or medical setting, no. In a spa or hotel it may be, and if you are unsure you should call ahead to ask. If it is not considered the norm, don’t hesitate to reward a good massage by recommending the therapist to friends and family.

Do I need to be nude to have a massage?

Obviously this question pertains more to a massage that will take in the majority of the body, specifically those areas of it that might usually be covered by underwear, or areas adjacent to those. Nonetheless, rest assured that you do not need to be fully naked to receive any kind of massage. In some cases, and particularly those which involve massage with oil, you will need to remove some clothing. However, you will have a sheet to cover your modesty. If you are receiving a massage on an area normally covered by underwear, only the specific area being massaged will be uncovered at any given time.

What if I fall asleep during my massage?

It means the masseur or masseuse is doing their job very well! However, this question often pertains to someone’s concern over embarrassing themselves with what they do while asleep. What if you drool, for example? Of course, it may be difficult to avoid being embarrassed by this, but rest assured that the therapist is not. It happens, they’ve seen it before and they won’t be grossed out or amused by it.

May I request a male / female massage therapist?
Certainly. The goal of a massage is that you are able to relax, and if you do not feel comfortable with a massage therapist of the opposite (or the same) gender as yourself, then you do not need to just live with it. Some spas and treatment centres may not have therapists of both genders – there is no rule saying they need to, anyway – but if you want to choose the gender of your therapist, simply phone ahead and request it.

For the sake of courtesy, so many of us are reluctant to really say what we feel at any given time, especially if there is a danger that it will hurt someone’s feelings. Nonetheless, a massage can go badly wrong if the person receiving it stays quiet. Even if the massage therapist is highly qualified and very intuitive, there is a danger that things can go wrong. Different bodies react in different ways to different treatment. Unless the therapist is made aware of how what they are doing is working for you, they can still make mistakes.

This much is true of any form of massage. If you are having hot stone massage, for example, you may find that the rocks are too hot for you. Although the massage therapist will go to some lengths to ensure that they are not, different people have different thresholds for such things. What seems fine to them and numerous other people might not work for you. Don’t be afraid to speak up if this is the case. Shiatsu is another example – while for most people, the slight discomfort falls under the banner of “good pain”, it may be so painful for you that it causes you to tense up.

So if you are feeling pain, if the way a therapist is touching you makes you feel uncomfortable, or you just need to adjust your position, don’t be concerned about speaking up about it. You will benefit much more from the massage if you are ready to tell people when things are not right for you. And if that doesn’t convince you, think on this: You may have to deal with longer-term pain if you don’t talk.

Hot Stone Massage

To the uninitiated, the idea of carrying out a relaxing massage with the use of heated rocks may appear to be a bizarre and potentially dangerous treatment. However, the truth is that hot stone massage is an increasingly popular method of dealing with tension, aches and pains. Although not as conventional as Swedish massage, it is widely used in Scandinavia as an offshoot of the region’s popular sauna culture. However, it is practised far more widely than that.

The idea behind hot stone massage is that – unsurprisingly – suitably-sized stones or rocks are heated to a point where they can be placed on a person’s skin to relieve tension without causing any injury or major discomfort. It is important to use the right kind of stone. Usually, these will be smooth, flat rocks which have been taken from a river bed. This texture means that they can be pulled over the skin without causing any injury to the individual. It also means that they can lie flat against the skin, giving the maximum surface contact and the maximum resulting benefit.

Usually, the hot stones will be placed on the back, in the palms of the hands and / or on the soles of the feet. Should further massage be necessary, this heat reaxes the muscles to the point where the massage therapist can apply deeper pressure without any pain resulting from it. The benefits of this kind of massage therapy extend beyond simply being able to apply this deeper pressure, of course. It also improves the circulation and, for this reason, people who easily get cold in their extremities may benefit from a hot stone massage.

For those who may feel that there must be a risk inherent in being massaged with hot rocks. it is important that you be reassured – the therapist will hold the rock on taking it out of the water used to heat it (this device is thermostat-controlled) in order to ensure that it is not too hot for contact with the skin. However, if you find that it is uncomfortably warm, you can always tell the therapist – different people do after all have different thresholds for comfort.

The best way to go is to take a specific pre-natal massage. One of the most important aspects of pre-natal massage is that the lady should be well-supported with padding before the massage even starts. Not only does this provide a vital level of comfort for the mother, it also provides protection for the child in the womb. Both of these elements are essential. Think of how punishing a massage can be at the time it is in progress, no matter how relaxed you feel afterwards. Now think of how tender a pregnant woman feels emotionally and physically, how conscious she is of the new life that is growing in her womb.

The next thing to think about is how a pregnant woman will suffer from joint pain, swollen ankles and stiffness. While for any of us who are in a hurry, the option to choose may be pain medication, this is not something that is really available to a pregnant woman – not least because it can be damaging to the still-growing unborn child. Pre-natal massage is essential for the relaxation and pain relief that a mother-to-be craves and needs.

Not every mother-to-be can have pre-natal massage. It is wise to avoid it in the first trimester of a pregnancy, and there are certain health conditions which mean that it is not possible. Consult with your doctor and a pregnancy specialist before you go for pre-natal massage, but if it is possible then you would be well-advised to go for it – especially as it has been found to positively affect depression.

There are many of us, for example, who are reluctant to go to a massage therapist for reasons of shyness – put simply, we do not want to be asked to remove our clothes. With Shiatsu, this is not necessary. nor is it necessary to use oil for the massage, something that puts a lot of people off more classic, conventional Western types of massage. For this reason it is considered less luxurious by many people, and there are those who criticise it as being “painful”, but it is a “good pain”.

Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning “finger pressure”. This description is fully apposite for the style of massage, as it concentrates less on laying one’s hands on a person and creating friction, and more on a rhythmic stimulation of an affected area. However, despite the (translated) name, Shiatsu does not just use the fingers, and relies also on the palms of the hands. It is more localised than other forms of massage – but although some people say that it sounds and appears painful, there is no reason why it need be so.

The list of problems for which Shiatsu is considered a worthwhile treatment is a long one. It is particularly good for stress-related problems such as tension and headaches, depression and insomnia. It is believed that it works on the same principles as acupuncture and acupressure, concentrating on freeing up blocked energy, or “Qi” to use the Chinese term, and allowing it to flow throughout the body normally.

There are several different essential oils which can be positive contributory factors to an overall sense of relaxation. For example, camomile has long been considered to be hugely beneficial in respect to relax and de-stressing. Many people find that drinking a cup of herbal tea before going to bed helps them to relax to the point where they can drift off into sleep – camomile oil has similar relaxing properties. Lavender oil can be equally helpful in this capacity.

Other essential oils have beneficial properties of different kinds. People who suffer from low moods often report that an aromatherapy massage using ylang ylang or rose oil has positive effects on their mood, allowing them to have a welcome period of relief from the stress and anxiety that dogs them. It is not entirely necessary to have a massage with these oils – a few drips on a tissue as an inhalant can be very useful too – but the idea of an aromatherapy massage is that it lifts the physical tension that invariably accompanies such problems.

It is not absolutely necessary either to visit a massage therapist, as self-massage with essential oils can be beneficial too. Depending on where your area of tension is, it may not be absolutely possible to attack the area where tension has built up, and for a first occasion it may be for the best to attend a massage therapist who will be able to demonstrate the best way to get the maximum benefit from a massage. If you suffer from insomnia, pre-menstrual syndrome or frequent headaches, you may well find that aromatherapy massages are a fine cure for your ills.