Your abdomen is your friend.

The abdomen isn’t merely a container for most of the body’s internal organs; it is also contains emotions. Have you ever received terrible news and had the feeling that your heart has plummeted into the pit of your stomach? I have.

Some of us experience tension mostly as headaches while others of us deal with stomach problems connected with daily stress. Body stress actually begins in infancy. Many babies experience abdominal distress on a regular basis (often linked to colic,) and children get tummyaches when they are stressed out about school or friends. As we get older, we usually fall into one of two categories: headache people and stomachache people.

Sure, we might all get both every once in a while, but one type of discomfort is definitely prevalent. While I feel fortunate to be able to say I’ve never had a migraine headache, I can’t say the same about excruciating stomach pain. Most of my stomach troubles came at a time when I was being treated for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Not surprisingly, a study published in “Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics” found a direct association between GAD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Emotions are indeed very physical. It’s the reason why getting a massage doesn’t just feel good physically, but also allows us to leave the table feeling like life is completely worthwhile. The best part is that, while massage does help reduce physical ailments, its benefits are multiplied because a healed mind contributes to a healed body.

I’m disappointed that massage therapists don’t spend much time working in the abdominal region. I currently have one client on whom I perform regular weekly abdominal massage, and the treatment is truly a mind-body experience for both of us.

If you get a lot of stomachaches, I encourage you to ask your massage therapist to focus on your abdomen for at least a few minutes every session. Because the abdomen can be so closely connected with emotional reservations, receiving a massage in that area can feel a little more intimate or even invasive in the beginning. Over time, however, you will get used to having someone else apply healing touch in that area, which I believe will allow you to release some of what is causing the discomfort.

I also encourage you try some basic abdominal massage techniques on yourself:

1. Lie flat on your back with a thick pillow just below your knees.

2. Rub your palms together until you feel heat radiating from your hands.

3. Let your hands rest side by side and palm-down just below your navel. Feel the steady rise and fall of your abdomen as you take slow, deep breaths. Focus on every breath, allowing your body to relax under the warm weight of your hands.

4. Using the full surface of both palms, massage your abdomen in clockwise circles to follow the natural digestive pathway in your colon. Start with small circles directly around the navel, gradually working your way out toward the edges of your torso. Let your hands work in a flowing motion by alternately stroking with one as you lift the other.

5. Let your massage last as long as your body is receptive to it, but try to work for at least 10 minutes to start with.

Tips:

• You can massage your abdomen through thin clothing, but working directly on your skin with a warming massage oil is a more effective way to induce physical and emotional relaxation.
• Check out this video if you want to see some advanced techniques.

Warning:

Abdominal massage is contraindicated for anyone:

• In the first trimester of pregnancy
• Actively undergoing chemotherapy
• Experiencing a flare-up of IBS or Crohn’s Disease
• Recently recovering from abdominal surgery
• With an abdominal aneurysm
• With cirrhosis of the liver
• With angina pectoris
• With an active infection or cancer in the abdominal region

Massage minutes go by faster than the rest.

If you’ve ever been to a spa or any other place where massage therapy is offered, you probably know that massage therapists provide treatments for assorted lengths of time. Three typical massage lengths are 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 90 minutes.

The most common massage in a spa environment is a 60-minute massage. As a massage therapist at a chiropractic office, I’d say I give about an equal amount of 30-minute and 60-minute massages. I give occasional 90-minute massages and have only given a single two-hour massage.

Which should you choose? The one that’s best for you depends on what you expect to get out of your massage.

30-minute Massage

• What it is:A 30-minute massage is a great maintenance massage for one area of the body. (Most of my 30-minute clients enjoy my combination shoulder, low-back, neck, and scalp massage.) It can also offer you a quick breather in the midst of a stressful day. Another major “pro” of a 30-minute massage is that it’s usually pretty cheap.

• What it isn’t: 30 minutes isn’t the intended length of time for a full body massage; it simply isn’t enough time to adequately address all areas of the body. If I were to break down a general full body massage into 30 minutes, I wouldn’t have enough time to do extra work on any of the muscles after I warmed them up.

60-Minute Massage

• What it is: 60 minutes is enough time to fit in a relaxing full body massage. An hour gives me time to warm up muscles pay a little extra special attention to problem areas. A 60-minute massage will be more expensive than a 30-minute massage, but many massage therapist offices and spas won’t actually double the cost for double the time. Generally, you’ll get more massage for your buck if you choose a longer massage. (For example, if a chiropractic office charged $40 for 30 minutes, it might charge $65 for 60 minutes.)

• What it isn’t: Some clients don’t feel that 60 minutes is quite enough time for them to be on the table when they want a well-rounded treatment. As a therapist, I agree. I can give a full-body massage in 60 minutes but I still feel rushed. For example, sometimes I’ll have already worked on a person’s back for 20 minutes but then run across a problem area right before I go onto the next body part. I have no choice but to tell my client something like, “I can continue to work on this spot and not work on your arms and legs, or I can just continue on

90-minute+ Massage

• What it is: 90 minutes is blissful. It’s enough time for me to slow down, ignore the clock a bit, and listen closely to what a client’s body is telling me. It’s also enough time for me to try out new massage techniques. Some of my clients say, “Once you try a 90-minute massage, you will never want to go back to shorter ones.” A 90-minute massage is naturally more expensive than your other options, but it also is usually cheapest per minute. I couldn’t say whether you should get a 30-minute massage every two weeks or one 90-minute massage every six weeks; that really depends on how often your body needs maintenance.

• What it isn’t: A 90-minute massage isn’t for people who have trouble lying in one position for extended periods of time. It also isn’t a frequent treatment option for people who are on a tight budget. However, I urge you to try it once to decide whether it suits you.

Caution: After you get your first massage, you may be addicted for life.

Caution: After you get your first massage, you may be addicted for life.

So you’ve never gotten a massage.

Well, there has to be a first time for everything! Many clients come to me for their first massage, not exactly sure what to expect. They have an idea of what a professional massage should be like based upon some combination of what their friends tell them and what they see in the movies.

Trust your friends more than you trust the silver screen. I’ve got to say that movies provide an interesting depiction of massage therapy. While some representations are accurate, others are wildly different from the real experience. For example, most of my clients don’t look like supermodels. Secondly, not every client chooses to dress down to nothing. Finally—and most importantly—my massages are always purely platonic.

The truth is: the massage experience is different for everybody, but you should never feel uncomfortable when you are on the table. Every good massage therapist should know that and make sure that you feel at ease throughout the whole experience. However, I have to add that most massage therapists aren’t mind readers; you need to be able to feel comfortable asking questions and voicing your concerns whenever they come up.

Just to ease your mind a little in advance, I’ll lay out some common questions/concerns about a first massage and briefly respond to each.

1. I have a medical condition. Is it OK for me to get a massage? Many people with medical conditions find relief from their symptoms when they receive massage regularly. However, certain conditions are contraindicated. Some conditions, like rashes, may only be contraindicated locally (or directly on the site of the condition,) while others are more serious. Talk to your doctor before you get a massage. Once your doctor gives you the thumbs up, make sure your massage therapist knows about your condition.

2. When should I show up for my first massage? Most therapists prefer that regular clients show up at least 10 minutes early, but you should show up at least 20 minutes early for your first massage. You will need to fill out an intake form and have plenty of time to use the restroom, etc. Not all clients are aware that their massage time usually starts when they are left alone in the room to get on the table. If you show up early and are on the table by your slated start time, you generally will get a longer massage.

3. Do I have to take off all of my clothes? (Even my underwear?) You don’t have to take off all your clothes if you feel uncomfortable removing all of your clothes. In fact, some massage modalities don’t require you to take off any clothes. However, if you are experiencing low back or hip pain and you are going to receive anything like a Swedish or Deep Tissue massage, your therapist will be able to access more muscles if you remove all of your clothes. Know that even if you are fully unclothed, your therapist will only remove the sheet from one small area at a time as he or she works on it.

4. How often should I talk during the massage? Some massage clients find that they are able to unwind more if they get to know their therapist a little bit in advance. Others find talking completely unnecessary. Massage therapists are used to having talkers and non-talkers. However, your therapist should check in with you periodically to make sure you are comfortable and to inform you if/when you need to change your position on the table.

5. Is massage painful? It shouldn’t be painful for you. Your therapist will work to your pressure tolerance and ask you how you feel: don’t lie if you’re not enjoying the massage. The only person you’re hurting is yourself. If you’ve decided to get a massage in order to relieve some pain, you may experience some discomfort when your therapist does condition-specific work. Even then, your therapist should check in with you to make sure he or she is working within your threshold.

6. What happens if I accidentally get aroused? Sometimes things like that happen even when you don’t have sexual thoughts running through your head. All good therapists should know that and not think anything of it. However, if you begin to act based on any of those sensations (e.g. you touch your therapist or make insinuating comments,) your massage therapist reserves the right to—and very well should—end the massage right there and refuse to give you massages in the future.

7. What if I feel so relaxed that I end up falling asleep? Great! I encourage my clients to fall asleep. I especially find that clients who don’t get much sleep at home are able to fall quickly asleep during a massage. Most sleeping clients’ bodies are so relaxed that I am able to make more progress than I would be able to if they were tensing their muscles the whole time. Also, don’t worry about snoring. Therapists hear that all the time.

8. What should I do after my massage? Stay relaxed! Take deep breaths and be mindful of your body for the rest of the day. After the post-massage sleepy, trance-like state wears off, you should feel well-rested and maybe even have a heightened sense of clarity for the rest of the day. Also, don’t forget to drink lots of water. Water is a great natural way to flush toxins (natural metabolic byproducts that come to the surface during a massage) out of your system. I once didn’t hydrate properly after I got a massage and I didn’t feel so great a few hours later.

9. Should I leave a tip? Just as you would tip a hairdresser or server, leave your therapist gratuity if you think she deserves one. Since I work in a chiropractic office where not all clients realize they’re even allowed to tip, I’m very grateful for any tips I receive. Be aware that therapists who work at spas only earn a small fraction (~20-30%) of what the massage cost, and therapists who work for other therapists or chiropractors typically only receive about 40% to half of what the massage cost.

Do you have any other questions? Send me a note on my contact page and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

From what I’ve read, Bob Hope got a massage every day of his professional life. The man lived to be over 100 years old! Wouldn’t it be great if we each had the money to hire a personal massage therapist? Maybe if that were the case the world would see less war. Maybe we’d hug out our problems the way our parents told us to when we got into fights with our siblings.

So the reality is that most of us don’t have money like Bob Hope and political leaders aren’t quite hugging out war-related issues. Yet another reality is that massage is now turning into less of a luxury and more of a necessity. More massage therapy options are giving people (such as struggling massage therapists and freelance writers) the chance to get a well-deserved, quality massage at a discount.

Here are four major ways to find a cheap massage no matter where you live:

1. Look Up Massage Therapy Schools – Just use a search engine to locate massage therapy schools in your city. Most massage therapy schools require their students to have a certain amount of hands-on hours at a student clinic. Massage therapy school websites will give you the information you need to determine the cost of a student massage. If the site itself does not give you this information, the school will definitely provide a phone number. Massage therapy schools often charge between $25 and $40 for a 50 to 60 minute long treatment. That’s less than a third of what you would pay for a massage at most spas. Schools are even cheaper than Massage Envy, plus you won’t have to worry about schools automatically taking money out of your bank account every month.

2. Visit a Chiropractor’s Office – If you can’t find a massage therapy school near where you live, visit Google once more to find local chiropractors. More and more, chiropractors are hiring massage therapists to provide an assortment of massage therapy modalities for patients. Chiropractors also generally charge much less than a spa would charge for a 50 to 60 minute massage. The office I currently work for has a sliding scale depending on the services a person chooses to receive from us, but our “Wellness Package” is very popular. With that package, $40 covers a single 53-55 minute massage or two 25-minute massages per month.

3. Find Cheap Seasonal Deals – This method will take a little bit of research on your part, but if you manage to snag a great deal you won’t regret the effort you put into it. When you look around at spas and hotels near you, you will find that, especially around special occasions like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, most places that offer massages will also offer cheap massage deals. A common discount is something along the lines of a “2-4-1 Romantic Getaway Massage”.

4. Travel Off-Season – If you’re only looking for a luxurious spa day at a discount, the best way to find a fancy cheap massage is to plan an off-season vacation to a place like Scottsdale, AZ where there are tons of luxurious day spas. In Scottsdale, this means: visit during the summer! It is sweltering hot between the months of May and September, and many spas have to offer cheap massage deals because most people don’t want to “vacation” in 112 degree weather. The weather really isn’t a big issue if you’re planning to spend most of your time getting pampered indoors anyway. Keep an open mind!

Tips/Warnings:

• When you visit a chiropractor’s office or massage therapy school for a cheap massage, don’t expect a bells-and-whistles treatment that involves aromatherapy, cucumber eye masks, chanting, and rain sticks. You may be able to find one, but if actually you do I’d like to hear about it.
• Avoid “cheap massage” places that are open until midnight. This also goes for “cheap massage” places where the therapists wear long fake nails and high heels.
• There is a chance that visiting a student clinic will mean that you get a less experienced therapist. This may occasionally mean that the quality of the massage is diminished, professional massage therapists also vary in quality. (Besides, you can simply opt to visit on a different day if you want to avoid getting the same therapist.) Let student therapists know if you have any health conditions so they can ask supervisors for assistance if necessary.