In an ideal world, how often should you come for a massage?

In an ideal world, where finances were infinite, time was not a constraint, responsibilities were covered, how often should you come along for massage? The answer? It depends.

Gaargh, I hear you cry. That doesn’t help me one bit. Stick with me.

It’s all grounded in your body

Massage is such a unique to you kind of thing. And the make up of you is nuanced, full of moves and turns that it isn’t quite so simple. A lot of folk who come to see me for massage carry their experience of the world in their body. And by that I mean they carry not just the ridiculously tight and uncomfortable shoulders or the creaky neck. They also carry the tension of that comes with life as a human - work, family, relationship, finances, overload across any and all of them. The thing with the living of life is that it creates a physical presence in the body as well as in the mind with your thoughts. And oftentimes, we don’t realise just how much of a physical stamp it creates, because unless it’s a huge big curve ball, these things creep up slowly but surely, and so does the storing of them.

…and

So we carry a tonne of stuff in our selves and our psyche. Massage relieves the physical, mechanical nature of life stresses and strains. Your lower back is just tight and sore, your shoulders have no give, your neck feels stuck, your legs leaden and heavy (Edinburgh is anything but flat!). The range of symptoms here is not an exhaustive list but you get my drift. But massage is wonderful, because not only does it ease physical clunkiness, it also eases and soothes the parasympathetic nervous system too. And that means massage is not purely mechanical in origin, and softens the body through intelligent touch and manipulation that also soothes the vagal nerve, one of the four (of twelve) cranial nerves that are used by the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which more generally governs the rest and digest response. Simply put, massage is known for promoting a sense of wellbeing and rest.

so?

and so, by looking at ourselves as a whole gives us a pretty keen insight into works for us. Not just the physical, not just the emotional but a combination of us all in our wholeness. In terms of massage regularity, the best thing you can do is listen to your body. I’m often asked ‘how often should I come’ and I usually answer something along the lines of

• see how you feel after this treatment

• listen to your body

• notice how you respond

• do your self care (stretches, meditations, whatever helps)

• book back in

peppered with something along the lines of

• everybody is different

• some folk come weekly, some fortnightly, some monthly, some once in a blue moon

• all is grand

finishing with something like

• in an idea world without barriers and time takers, monthly is a good frequency for maintenance as a general rule of thumb. See how you fair and we can take it from there.

and if you are not sure, we can always have a chat, either on the phone or you can arrange to pop along to see me at Palmerston Place, it’s just five minutes from Haymarket in Edinburgh’s West End.

Whatever, and how often works for you, you’ll find your rhythm that fits best with what you have and where you are right now. And I’m looking forward to seeing you in the therapy room when you do!

explore the packages and subscriptions available (which can be used for massage at both Edinburgh locations), see if there's one that's right for you. You’ll find some savings to be had for sure!