Your therapeutic session will take place in a warm, comfortable, quiet, decorated studio. A fountain, soft lighting, and music will be used to help you to relax. In order to address the chemical sensitivities of some clients, no candles or essential oils are used in the studio. A massage table will be setup with flannel sheets and cradle cover.

You and the the massage therapist will discuss the desired outcome of your session. This will determine which parts of your body will be emphasized in the session. During your therapeutic session you will lie on both your stomach and your back and massage therapy will include work on your feet, legs, thighs, back, hands, forearms, arms, upper chest, shoulders, head, and neck. You will be asked if you want massage for your abdomen.

A 60-minute session is sufficient for a full-body massage therapy. When there are areas of focus, for instance the neck and shoulders, the session will be adjusted to accommodate the entire body and the area of focus. A 90- to 120-minute session provides more time for optimal relaxation and therapeutic benefit. A therapeutic session can begin with a segment of integrated reflexology (feet, hands, and ears) for an area of focus, like the neck and shoulders. Always allow relaxation time prior to and after the session.

The massage therapist will leave the room while you undress, relax onto the table, and cover yourself with the top sheet. The massage therapist will knock at the door and check that you are ready.

The massage therapist will ask if you are comfortable, adjust the panel to comfortably support the breast tissue of female clients, adjust the cradle, place a bolster under ankles when on your stomach or under knees when on your back, and provide a blanket if you need to be warmer.

You will be draped at all times to keep you warm and comfortable and maintain a safe personal space. Only that area being massaged will be exposed. The massage therapist will check-in with you to make sure that you are comfortable with the degree and manner of draping.

Natural unrefined shea butter will be used to permit your muscles to be worked easily through the skin and will also be applied to hot stones to allow gliding of the stones during their use. The shea butter will also act as an emollient .

It depends on the techniques used. In a relaxation massage, your session may start with broad, flowing strokes that will help to calm your nervous system and ease superficial muscle tension. As your body unwinds, pressure will gradually be increased to relieve specific areas of muscular tension. You should communicate with your massage therapist immediately if you feel any discomfort so that another approach may be taken. Massage therapy is most effective when your body is at ease and feeling relaxed and your muscles are yielding to the pressure of the strokes.

The degree of pressure which is applied is based on the manner in which the tissue yields to the pressure and your sensation of that pressure. Using a scale of 0-10, 0 being no sensation and 10 being the worst that you have experienced, you want to experience the sensation of the pressure at about a 6. This is the point of attention and awareness; you clearly know where the pressure is being applied and your attention is drawn to those tissues. Please tell the massage therapist when the sensation is more than a 6 so that the pressure will be reduced; pain is decidedly not part of the treatment and even discomfort is to be avoided (though "a hurts so good" sensation at that level 6 is often stated by clients). Also, indicate when the sensation is less than a 6 and the pressure will be increased.

Make yourself comfortable. The massage therapist will either gently move you or tell you what is needed throughout the session (such as lifting your arm). Many people just close their eyes and completely relax. Others like to talk during their session. Ask questions about massage therapy in general or about techniques being used in specific.

Most people feel very relaxed. Some experience freedom from long-term aches and pains developed from tension or repetitive activity. After an initial period of feeling slowed down, people often experience increased energy, heightened awareness, and greater productivity, which can last for days. Since metabolic wastes are released from your soft tissues during a massage, it is recommended that you drink water afterward to improve flushing of your systems, organs, and tissues, especially muscle tissue. There may be soreness in the first two days which will clear by the third day post-treatment.