How can a massage stimulate all 5 senses?

How can a massage stimulate all 5 senses?

How can massage stimulate all 5 senses?

 Most people enjoy a massage even if its not for relaxation purpose, but why do people enjoy the massage ? They enjoy it because it stimulates all their senses. Massage is not just about touch and physical contact, its the whole experience, the smell of the products, the feel of the towels. So lets break it down into the 5 senses and see how they are affected.

Sight
Ok, so we will start at the beginning. Before you are even on the massage couch, you walk into a therapy room and you are looking at your surroundings. You are processing

  • The colour of the walls,
  •  Pictures on the walls,
  • What kind of lighting? Is it bright light or subtle light?.
  • Is the room untidy?
  • Is it clean with everything neatly stored.
  • How does the therapist look? What are they wearing?

Your eyes are taking all this in and much more and sending signals to your brain. Your brain is then deciding if it likes what it sees. If everything pleases the eye, you start to relax straight away.

Therapy Room at Hempnall Green

Therapy Room at Hempnall Green

Smell
So after the eye and brain has processed the surroundings of the therapist and the therapy room, the next sense that will be affected is smell. I think most therapists burn some kind of incense sticks or have scented candles burning, I know I do unless a client does not like it.
You also have the smell of the products. If you are having an aromatherapy massage then you will be smelling the essential oils before you begin your treatment. My clients always comment on the smell of the foot and leg lotion I use for my Thai Foot Massage and my clients give great feedback on the Green People products I use for my facials, they love the smell. I have even heard clients of another therapist in the reception area ask “What is that lovely smell?” and the therapist will say “Oh its the smell of the ear candles Paula is using”.

Hearing
Another sense that is stimulated is your hearing. Most therapists will play some kind of music. Usually the music is gentle and relaxing however, if I had a client that wanted to listen to rock music because that’s what they find relaxing, then I would play rock music. Some people like to listen to sounds instead of music so this could be the sounds of a rainforest or a thunderstorm. If you having your treatment in a city centre you may be aware of the sounds of traffic or other people in the building. My therapy room is situated in Hempnall Green, near Norwich which is surrounded by nature and peacefulness.
I had an instance when I went to provide a massage to a lady who was on holiday staying in a log cabin. I set up and put some music on. I had just started the massage when the lady asked if I would mind turning the music off. The reason was that she lives in central London and she had come to stay in Norfolk and was loving the sound of the birds and nature. Of course I was more than happy to turn the music off and my client enjoyed her massage listening to the sounds of nature.

Touch
So obviously touch is the main sense that is stimulated during a massage. The power of touch is very powerful and as humans we do not do enough of it.
So, imagine the scene, you have walked into a calming environment, with a therapist who presents well, soft music playing, beautiful smell in the room. Before the therapist has even laid their hands on you, you can feel the softness of the towels or the throws, the heat from the room. I have an electric blanket on my couch and my clients love the warmth from it which immediately makes them relax. The icing on the cake is then the actual massage. No client is the same, some like a deep pressure, some like a light pressure. Some people don’t like having their feet touched, some find it very relaxing. Everyone is different and that’s why a therapist needs to know their client. The massage could be to reduce pain in which case the massage itself can be painful at times but however the treatment is still a pleasant experience due to all the senses being stimulated.

Massage Therapy
Taste.
The last sense to be stimulated is taste. How can a massage affect taste? Generally after a massage the therapist will offer you a glass of water. After you have had a massage you may find that your mouth and throat is a little dry and it is lovely to drink a cool glass of refreshing water. Some therapists will add some lemon or lime to give it a little zing. Even if you are not keen on drinking water, after a massage it does feel refreshing.

So now you know how massage can stimulate all of your senses. Why not book yourself amassage and take note of how your own massages are being stimulated.

Paula Bailey Tranquil Treatments 

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