Establishing consistent opening rituals could prove to be beneficial, especially in group practice. Spending one minute or more with anything that feels familiar at the start of any session could feel comforting when an old client quickly reconnects with familiar touch. Many clients could instantly relax when they recognize what they are feeling and receiving.
In this article, we focused mostly on opening rituals, and added in a few common closing rituals as well. We provided sample and common rituals for the following massage therapy and soft tissue bodywork applications:
- Abhyanga & Ayurvedic Massage
- Aromatherapy Massage
- Craniosacral Therapy
- Chair Massage
- Cupping Massage
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Geriatric Massage
- Hot Stone Massage
- Ice Massage
- Lomi Lomi Massage
- Manual Lymphatic Drainage
- Myofascial Release
- Neuromuscular Therapy
- Oncology Massage
- Post-Surgical Bodywork
- Prenatal Massage
- Reflexology
- Reiki
- Sports Event Massage
- Swedish Massage
- Thai Massage
- Trigger Point Therapy
Here is a list of common closing rituals that can be commonly practiced amongst all modalities:
- Thank the client for their time.
- Express wishful thoughts silently or aloud for the client.
- Apply a hold with static placement of their hands on the client’s body.
- Ask the client to take some deep breaths.
- Perform body brushing techniques.
- Use a towel to remove massage medium from the client’s skin.
- Assist a client off the treatment table with select services or customers.
- Turn up any dim lighting so the client has greater visibility and acclimation back to reality.
Of course, no one has to follow these lists and practitioners can make up their own opening and closing practices as well! What's most important is allowing your client to feel comfortable and instantly relax in your work area.
You can read this article in full at Massage Magazine by clicking HERE.
#Abhyanga #Ayurvedic Massage #AromatherapyMassage #CraniosacralTherapy #ChairMassage #CuppingMassage #DeepTissueMassage #GeriatricMassage #HotStoneMassage #IceMassage #ManualLymphaticDrainage #MyofascialRelease #NeuromuscularTherapy #OncologyMassage #Post-SurgicalBodywork #PrenatalMassage #Reflexology #Reiki #SportsMassage #SwedishMassage #ThaiMassage #TriggerPointTherapy #lomilomi
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