Spa/Retreat/Massage Etiquette

Common Sense, Isn't So Common!

So what am I talking about here?  How about some basic courtesies that in theory should go without saying; but unfortunately need repeating and/or clarifying.  A very candid take on the subject of Spa Etiquette....

• First time visit:
• It's your first visit to the spa/clinic/retreat - It could even be your first Massage EVER!  But whatever the case, please arrive early to fill in necessary and confidential information that will give your therapist the information they need to customise your massage.
• If you arrive late, you will be shorting yourself valuable massage time as the therapist will have other clients after you. 
• Be courteous to your therapist and their time as well as the time of others who are booked after you!

• Cancellations:  
• Most spas will request 24 hours notice to cancel your appointment.  
• Why?  Well, they have set aside that time just for you! Your therapist has been scheduled for that time and if you do not show up or call last minute to cancel; your therapist will not get paid! Which is why in most cases you will be charged for missing your appointment; this covers the therapist's wages.  We are paid on commission.  Most spas will make an exception for emergencies, but if you can't manage your time;  it's best not to book in advance and call the spa last minute to see if they have available openings.  
• Last minute cancellations are not cool!  You are screwing a therapist out of their wages and you are taking up an appointment that could have been given to another client.

• Health & Hygiene:
• Pretty straightforward huh?  You'd think............
• Okay,  I don't want to work on your ' FUNK' anymore than you want to smell mine when you're receiving massage.
• This is your downtime, your relaxing time, your sacred "I'm taking care of me." time!  Have a little respect for your therapist as well as yourself!
• I promise to bathe, deodorize and even brush my teeth and hair before I meet you for your appointment.  I promise to use mouthwash and not eat garlic bruschetta just before your appointment.
• As for Health:  Um, if you are hacking up a lung, vomiting or running a high fever - you should be visiting a Dr. -NOT your massage therapist!  Any spa worth your money and time will not charge you if it's a less than 24 hour cancellation, but call and reschedule your appointment ASAP!

• Contraindications:
• If you are taking blood thinners, pain medications, high/low blood pressure, currently receiving chemotherapy, or have sustained an injury - TELL YOUR THERAPIST!  In some cases Deep Tissue massage will be a contraindication and could make you worse!  This is why you fill in an intake form!
• If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant - TELL YOUR THERAPIST!  A lot of spas have protocols about working with pregnancies!  Most will recommend that you wait until your second trimester!  The risk of miscarriage is high in the first trimester and even though there is very little evidence that massage can cause a miscarriage - it's not worth the risk to mother and baby at this very delicate stage of conception.  It's best to wait until your second trimester and get a doctor's approval.
• More about Prenatal massage:  No deep tissue on legs!  Best to receive massage in a side-lying position or a semi-reclining position.  Nothing in prone (lying face down on your belly) position. Even bolsters designed to accommodate lying face-down during pregnancy put strain on the uterine ligaments and are not recommended.
• From second trimester until birth, massage can be a safe and wonderful experience!

• Tipping:
• Tipping is not a city in China.
• Typically 15-20% of the menu price is customary.  If you have received a discounted service, please use the menu price for tipping.
• I have mixed emotions about tipping.  I consider myself a health care professional and find tipping in any service industry a gross misconduct on part of the industry itself.  Pay us what we are worth.  Unfortunately tipping in the service industry is necessary for us to make ends meet.  It's not fair, but necessary in this day and age.  
• If you found service exceptional and really want to thank your therapist with a little extra, I recommend cash.  Cash is king.  I also recommend handing it directly to your therapist!  I won't explain this one.... it makes me angry.  I trust everyone, it's the Devil inside them I don't trust.

• Cell Phones:
• Please turn off your phone before you enter the spa!
• Remember when you had that little machine that took messages for you and you got to them when you got home?  Same goes.... remember the good old days!  Turn your cell phone off and let them leave a message.  This is your 'self-care' time!  DISCONNECT!

• Chatty Cathy or Quiet Time:  
• Your therapist has been trained in taking cues.  If you want to chat and let off some steam, go ahead, we may engage - but we will never judge or proffer advice.
• If you just want to chill and zone out - we'll get the message.  Aum diggy.

• Your comfort levels... "suffering in silence":
• BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION - it has to hurt to feel better- right?  UM, NO!  If it hurts and is out of your comfort level - TELL YOUR THERAPIST!
• If you are cold - TELL YOUR THERAPIST!
• If you don't like the music - TELL YOUR THERAPIST!
• If you have questions about other modalities:  hot stone, acupuncture, reflexology, facials, cupping, thai massage, etc.... - ASK YOUR THERAPIST!

This little post is all about 'Awareness' - again, it seems that Common Sense isn't so common these days.  Respect the people around you and respect yourself.  A little common Courtesy goes a long way.

You are beautiful.

Namaste~ Hope

Masseuse or Massage Therapist?

Masseuse or Massage Therapist?

Let's start with the definition of Masseuse:  From Merriam Webster Online Dictionary:

mas·seuse

 noun \-ˈsə(r)z, -ˈsüz\

: a woman whose job is to give massages

Okay!  With that out of the way we can see where one problem may lie. Masseuse is a feminine term!

Massage therapists come in all shapes and sizes these days, including female therapists and male therapists! By the bye, masculine of the term is Masseur. :)

Many of us, get our backs up when someone calls us, masseuse. First, we don't just 'give massages' - sure, we massage. But what does that entail? We have extensive knowledge of human physiology and anatomy. We are well trained in contraindications of receiving massage, including but not limited to; drug interactions, skin diseases, heat/cold therapies, special training to give prenatal massage, oncology massage for patients currently receiving chemo/radio therapies, etc..... 

We get as much training as LPNs, and some Doctor's assistants.  No we can't take blood, but we are CPR trained and have to pass rigorous testing to be in the profession we are in.  To call us 'Masseuse' or 'Masseur' - quite frankly IMHO - is to diminish and belittle my MADD SKILLZ!

With that said:

Peace, Light and Love!

Respect your Massage Therapist!  We Gotz Madd Skillz!

Undercover Boss: Massage Heights: S5, Ep10

Well, this won't be a very flattering post; but it will be a necessary one.

A client told me about this most recent episode of Undercover Boss:  Massage Heights (S5 Ep10).
  (click the link and you can watch the full episode)

I don't know if you've ever seen the show, but basically they take the head (CEO, COO, President, etc...) of a large company or corporation and put them in the shoes of their employees.  You know, "walk a mile in my shoes" if you like.

Sometimes these head-honcho moguls get enlightened, and sometimes they fall short of the mark.
In this particular instance the co-founder of Massage Heights falls WAY SHORT!  This gal just does not get it.

IMHO:

1.  She gives band-aids to a select few of the employees she encounters - while missing the big picture!  Maybe if MTs were paid a living wage we wouldn't have to have 2+ jobs, just to make ends meet!  Make ends meet!  Not support some lavish lifestyle she seems to think we all have.

2.  Who in their right mind would let a complete stranger into a massage session with a camera crew?  This totally breaks a million legal and sacred rules!  Massage space is sacred and the space shared with your therapist is a healing personal gift!  Makes me think this whole thing is a total set-up!  Everyone knew they were on UCB!

3.  MTs go through 100s, sometimes 1000s of hours of training, exams, continuing education to keep our licences to practice.  Not to mention our yearly insurances to practice and registration; including police background checks... just to be able to place our hands on another person!  This woman should have never been allowed to touch people!  Again:  SET-UP.

4.  She focuses on Brand and Consistency - Business Buzz Words, that have no place in a 'healing' industry.  MTs are like snowflakes as are guests/clients to a spa/clinic/retreat.  The relationships we build with regular clients is sacred.  Like the client who followed Colin from another spa.  Loyalty is NOT to the company, but to the therapist!  Large corporations and some smaller privately owned 'retreats' need to wise up and accept this!  You may pay for the marketing and advertising to get the guest/client in, but it's the MT that keeps them coming back!

5.  She gets all bent out of shape when she discovers that one particular retreat is NOT using Massage Heights 'branded' creams and lotions.  Well.... did you ever ask an MT to test the product for usability?  Did you ever ask the guests to your retreat if they liked the products?   Just like every profession involves the use of proper tools to get the job done right the first time, MTs are no different!  You give us crappy product to do our jobs and we'll give you shitty work!  I'm proud of those MTs taking a stand and saying - "NO, We want our clients to be happy and benefit from our madd skills with the use of good quality products." -  Well done!

In conclusion (oh, don't get me wrong... I could go on.), in conclusion; I'm not sure What UCB was trying to achieve with this particular episode... but they did get my feathers all ruffled on issues that consistently come up in my profession.

So, you want to say:  It's the nature of the business?  Well you can stick that up your dark side.  I should be able to do my job, share my madd skills and be a facilitator of health - while being able to support a family, myself and have the support of my employer; including health benefits!  I worked hard (and continue to work hard) to stay in this profession.  I love what I do!  I Just wish more people understood that it is NOT JUST RUBBING LOTION ON ITS SKIN!

We got Madd Skills!

Homemade Christmas!

Hi Everyone!

Okay so it's been a week or so since I posted.  Welcome to December!  I always find that time flies and I feel overwhelmed and distracted this time of year.  But I just take it one day at a time and before you know it it's the New Year!

So I don't do Christmas presents, but if I see something that a friend just absolutely has to have, I'll get it. This happens Year-round!  But I do like to make things for people this time of year.

Things I've been making:

• Soy candles
• Bath salts
• Sugar scrubs

Things I've purchased that have been made locally:

• Handmade soaps from CeColours & Co.

I'm a huge supporter of 'buy local' !!!  I don't buy into the big box store hype and avoid Black Thursday/Friday and Cyber Monday like the plague!  I shop small businesses most of the time so Small Business Saturday also happens Year-round!  

soy candles cooling on the kitchen counter

I will put up December's Newsletter in the middle of the month, in the meantime.... Peace, Light and Love.  May you all be blessed and de-stressed.  Don't forget to take time for yourself this month.  Book a massage, facial, spa-day, hot springs get away, take a personal day, visit with friends, call your mom!

Namaste~ Hope J McDonald RMT