You walk in for your massage session, and you bring the stress of the week with you. It was a rough week at work. The kids have been a handful. You’ve had a couple of events where you didn’t perform as well as you wanted. Or maybe you’re just dealing with some general stress. You are tense, and you need to relax — fast. When you step into the therapy room, the atmosphere should already help the stress start to melt away and begin the process of relief.
Massage Atmosphere: Music
Sound plays a large part in influencing our state of mind and emotions, as this article from PsychCentral tells us. Think about when you listen to a sad song or a rock anthem before a big event. The sad song intensifies your feelings of melancholy while the fast-paced song gets your adrenaline pumping.
Music does the same thing in a massage therapy session. In most therapeutic rooms that you walk into, you’ll notice soothing, ethereal sounds playing. This type of music helps to put your mind in a relaxed, almost sleepy, state. And because your brain controls every element of your body, it becomes more relaxed as well, allowing your massage therapist to manipulate your muscles more easily.
Of course, calming music doesn’t have that effect on every personality — just most of them. If you happen to be one of those people who don’t enjoy it, you can always work with your therapist to find something more suited to your tastes. And if you’re receiving sports massage therapy, you may want another style of music to distract you. Sports massage can often be uncomfortable, boarding on painful, so your preferred music can help take your mind off of it.
At MG Sports Massage, we want you to be as comfortable as possible. If that means you’d much rather hear rap, country, or even the Indian’s game because that relaxes you, we’re happy to oblige.
Massage Atmosphere: Lighting
Much like music, lighting affects your moods and emotions, only in a visual sense rather than an auditory one. The amount and type of light you see can create different reactions: it can calm you, stimulate you, or even effect stress and depression.
Think about when you go out to dinner at a nice restaurant. If a restaurant’s lighting is low, you can expect to make unhealthier choices because your mind is relaxed and more carefree. When the lighting is brighter, you’re more likely to make healthier choices because your mind is more alert. Lighting works the same way everywhere, including your therapy sessions where it sends the same signals to your brain to put you at ease.
Most massage spaces use dim lighting with warm tones to optimize the relaxed atmosphere. Like the music, the low lighting gives the room a cozy feeling, allowing your brain and body to calm down and loosen up. Of course, not every therapy location has that ability, depending on where they’re located. If they can’t dim lights, they still have the option of turning them on or off. So if you prefer it, lights on is always an option, and your therapist will be happy to accommodate you.
Massage Atmosphere: Scent
The sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses — it’s even used in the treatment of amnesia patients to help recall memories. So it’s understandable that it would have a strong effect on our state of being as well.
Certain scents can enhance your level of relaxation, so your massage therapist will often have a specific blend going in his or her diffuser. However, they are aware that some people are sensitive to smell, so you can always ask them to turn it off.
Massage Atmosphere: Temperature
A temperature study at Cornell found that colder temperatures in an office cause employees to be distracted. In a massage setting, that’s the last thing you want to happen.
Distracted means tense muscles — and neither you nor your therapist wants to fight that during your session. When your body is adjusted to a warmer temperature, it’s easier for the muscles to loosen, making them easier to manipulate.
All of these elements work together to create an atmosphere ideal for receiving the perfect massage, whether it be just for relaxation or for healing purposes. But if any part of the massage atmosphere isn’t to your liking, a therapist like here at MG Sports will be happy to adjust them so you’re as comfortable as possible. It’s your time — your hour to relax. So we’ll follow your lead.
Contact us to schedule your next massage, and feel free to ask us for any special atmospheric requests.