She walked out of the treatment room, looked at me with that totally-relaxed, after-massage look that we all know and love. She paused. Looked straight at me and said “TRUST”.
I looked at her with a face that must have appeared a little puzzled.
She continued, “The reason I can get to that completely-relaxed place during the massage is because I trust you.” She went on to comment about the quality of the massage, how good it felt, etc. She paid for her service, scheduled her next appointment and we parted ways.
As I walked back into the treatment room to prepare for the next client, her words penetrated.
T R U S T
I never really thought about trust as being a quality that I must possess. But, after chewing on it for a few days I get it. Trust is a vital part of being a good massage therapist. How can you let your guard down and totally relax if you can’t trust that I’m going to do the right thing and take care of you during your time on my table?
After all, getting a massage is a very intimate experience. Note, I didn’t say sexual, I said intimate.
Definition of intimate: to communicate delicately and indirectly
That’s exactly what we do during a massage… Communicate delicately and indirectly… through touch.
Do you totally and completely trust your massage therapist? It may take more than one massage to find out, but you should gain more trust each and every time you receive a massage from the same person. If not, find a new therapist!