In recent times, massage has become a lifestyle for many people. This isn’t surprising, given the fact that a massage from a professional therapist comes with many benefits that range from emotional to physical. To the delight of massage lovers everywhere, massage spas keep popping up in increasing numbers on high streets far and wide. Given the amount to choose from, you now have the luxury of weighing up which offers the best massage services.
You could be forgiven for wondering what goes through the minds of massage therapists when they’re carrying out their duties. Well, here’s one who’s willing to share her thoughts with these 15 confessions:
Calling us a ‘masseur’ or a ‘masseuse’ can be irritating
Nobody in the 21st century calls a flight attendant a ‘stewardess’, so why call us a ‘masseur’ or ‘masseuse’? These are words of French origin that came into use in the 1950s. Before long, they became a less offensive and subtle way of referring to work of a sexual nature. In short, these are outdated terms that you should stop using.
Your hairy body doesn’t bother us
Honestly, we don’t care whether your legs or armpits are shaved or not. Women typically apologise about these, but we care less about your hairy legs or pits. We’ve seen many bodies and have conditioned ourselves to look at things like moles, scars, hair, cellulite, birthmarks and bumps more naturally. In fact, we find them totally unremarkable and perfectly normal.
Your weight isn’t something to feel self-conscious about
We never judge our clients; our aim and utmost desire is to make your body feel relaxed. To us, people are merely a collection of knots and muscles that need the gentle touch of our soothing hands.
Zits don’t bother us that much either
Many people don’t show up for appointments, because they are overly self-conscious about their complexion. However, you should only cancel if you’re in pain and feel the massage session would be greatly uncomfortable. However, if a breakout of acne is fairly normal, we can use lavender or tea tree to make a soothing massage oil for you.
People don’t understand how difficult the job is
Spending all day working with clients back-to-back in a spa (or any other location) can be physically demanding in ways you just can’t imagine. It’s akin to being on your feet for 10 hours straight and performing a heavy-duty workout on your arms.
It can take its toll on our emotions as well
Some of our clients pour their hearts out during a massage and we can’t help but listen. Even though we always empathise with them and dispense advice, their problems remain. Unfortunately, we can’t take away those problems, which can be very difficult to bear.
Many of our clients aren’t exactly sweet smelling
We understand that your muscles might be sore after spending hours lifting weights in the gym, but please, wash before coming for a massage. If you can’t, freshen up your most sweat-drenched body parts with a wet towel. It’s not pleasant to touch someone whose body is covered in grime or grease.
Our nails have to be short at all times
We can’t risk scratching our clients, so we must always be well-groomed and squeaky clean. To ensure our breath remains fresh, we always chew mints and also reapply deodorant. People are sure to point out any unpleasant odours they detect on us.
Our whole week can go sour with just a tiny cut on our hands
We can’t work if there’s a scratch or cut on our hands, because this will remain irritated and stretched. Furthermore, the oils we use to massage can make the injury sting, which can be very frustrating.
The job isn’t exactly reliable or stable
The money that massage therapists make is hardly substantial. This was worsened by the decline of wages that accompanied the 2008 financial crisis. Most people have less expendable income with which to ‘treat’ themselves.
Please let us know when you dislike something
A lot of patients will find something painful or need something in particular, yet won’t speak up. At the end of the session, when asked if they had a good time, they might say “No”. However, we don’t have psychic abilities, so if you don’t give us ongoing feedback, we won’t know what you want.
Our friends always want us to massage them for free
Rarely do friends directly ask for a massage; instead, they give an expectant look and say something like “Oh, my back feels so stiff today”. Well, they may want to go to a spa, because we’re quite sure they wouldn’t like to be asked to work on their day off.
Laundry takes up a lot of our time
We didn’t go through intensive training for three plus years just to spend all day in the laundry room. However, we have to ensure our towels and sheets are clean and ready for each of our clients.
Sometimes we discover serious health issues
It’s quite common for people to come to the spa needing to relax, as advised by their doctor who diagnosed their pain. Often, whilst massaging, we stumble on something that looks troubling. For instance, back pain is often a symptom of serious issues like cancer or lung problems. In cases like this, we persuade our clients to make a return visit to their doctor.
No matter what, we love our job
Despite all the challenges we face, we love knowing that our job helps people relax, relieves their pain and improves the overall quality of their life.