Healing Naturally through Alternative Medicine
Nudity during a massage
There are certain moral and ethical values which must always be observed during a massage. The client's level of comfort must be respected at all times, nor must a massage turn sexual in any way. A practitioner is obliged to full discretion and can never reveal any personal information about a client.
I have often been asked the question of nudity during a massage. How much is a client supposed to undress. I always tell them to undress as much as they are comfortable. It is essential that a client can fully relax while laying on the table and not worry about being naked or what a therapist might think about how they look like. For women I insist on the removal of the bra in order to massage the back properly. If they are uncomfortable when they turn, I drape them with a towel.
Different countries and massage types have various laws and regulations in regards to nudity on the massage table. For instance, in the USA it is mandatory to use draping and/or wear underwear during a massage, while in France there is no such law and it is common not to use draping and be completely naked on the table.
Various massage techniques also benefits from various levels of undressing. Thai massage, Shiatsu and others can easily be done while the client is fully dressed, as long as their clothes do not obstruct or hinder movements, or sit too tightly. Massage Créatif, Californian massage and other full body treatments greatly benefits from full nudity since the clothing obstructs the long smooth movements and breaks the massage rhythm. Deep tissue massage, Swedish massage and other massage form which work on particular zones only requires that the area being worked is nude.
Many therapists leave the buttocks covered during a massage, which is in reality a great shame. There are five large muscles in the buttocks which serve to connect the back with the legs. By ignoring these muscles, the back and thighs can't be completely treated as tensions are not only is found in one area, but also in the neighbouring ones. For example, to treat a lower back pain, the muscles at the buttocks will also need treatment since they are connected to the back muscles.
Bottom line is that the client must always feel comfortable and relaxed with the level of nudity, and the therapist must always respect this. A person who is very conscious about themselves and being naked can't relax fully, nor let go and receive the treatment to the maximum effect.
The body can react to the intimacy of a massage without there being anything sexual in it. Therapists are taught that this is a natural reaction and not to pay attention to it, or even let the client know they have noticed anything.
For men it is natural to get an erection while receiving a massage. It is a physical reaction triggered by nerves and physical stimuli to sensitive areas. Women also can get physical reactions, though these are usually much less visible.
The more worried and stressed a client is about physical reactions to a massage, the more likely it is going to happen. It is a little trick our mind plays, and the recommendation is to breathe deeply, focus on breathing, try and ignore the physical reaction and just allow oneself to enjoy the massage. There is nothing sexual at all in getting an erection or another physical reaction to a massage.
The more used to getting a massage one is, the less is the risk of any physical reaction. The client can relax more and the 'taboo' of being touched has been 'broken' and become a natural thing.
A therapist must never touch the genitals or nipples. These are off-limit areas due to the intimacy of such a touch, nor is there any therapeutic benefit to such massage. A woman's breasts are not massaged either. A massage can be a sensual enjoyable experience, but it must never become sexual.
If the genitals happen to be in the way during the massage that area is just not massaged. There are plenty of techniques which can be used instead, and many surrounding areas which can be treated without having to relocate anything.
To sum up. Nudity is normal and non-sexual. Erections do happen and are completely natural. A massage therapist is trained to ignore such reactions. And a massage therapist will never touch any private areas.
Nudity in massage will always be affected by regional customs, culture and laws. While many massages clearly will benefit from full nudity, it is not always possible to do so. The most important aspect is to find and do what the client feels most comfortable with.
A massage therapist must always adhere to the wishes of the client. If the client is uncomfortable lying naked on the massage table, she can't relax properly and the massage will be less efficient. A person who is worried about her appearances and at unease being naked will automatically tense her muscles and be slightly stressed over the situation. This is of course counter productive to the purpose of getting a massage and as such it is better to cover the client as she requests even if it makes the massage less effective. The comfort of the patient will make up for what might be lost in the massage.
The second most important aspect is what the massage therapist feels comfortable with. If the massage therapist is uncomfortable being around a nude person, she will focus on that aspect instead of concentrating fully on her massage and the connection with the client. At worst, she might even distance herself, detach herself from the treatment and not listen to the clients signals well enough to give the best massage.
It is of utmost importance that the client trusts the massage therapist and can fully let go, and that the massage therapist feels confident and at ease with the situation. Massage therapy is a two way communication where the two partners need to attune to each other. And should this communication fail, the massage will become mechanical and without any depth or full relaxation.
Different cultures have different views on nudity. In Denmark it is not illegal to swim naked at public beaches, in France you can find film-posters with a topless woman carrying a baby, while in the US it's forbidden to even show a nipple on television before midnight. These differences in cultures can not only make the client feel uncomfortable lying nude on the table, but also the make the therapist feel unease by giving the massage.
In some places, for instance France it is common to receive a massage undraped and nude. Especially for those unfamiliar with massages and customs, this can leave the client with confusion as to what sort of massage he or she will be receiving. It then becomes even more important that the massage therapist has a proper appearance and is dressed in a manner that shows seriousness and professionalism.
Finally, there can be local laws and regulations that must be followed. In some places it is set by law that a massage therapist must drape their clients, while in others there are no regulations at all. There will also be various rules and advice on nudity and draping depending on which organization the massage therapist belongs to or which school she has been attending.
From my weekly article at http://www.starkeys.com/blog
I have often been asked the question of nudity during a massage. How much is a client supposed to undress. I always tell them to undress as much as they are comfortable. It is essential that a client can fully relax while laying on the table and not worry about being naked or what a therapist might think about how they look like. For women I insist on the removal of the bra in order to massage the back properly. If they are uncomfortable when they turn, I drape them with a towel.
Different countries and massage types have various laws and regulations in regards to nudity on the massage table. For instance, in the USA it is mandatory to use draping and/or wear underwear during a massage, while in France there is no such law and it is common not to use draping and be completely naked on the table.
Various massage techniques also benefits from various levels of undressing. Thai massage, Shiatsu and others can easily be done while the client is fully dressed, as long as their clothes do not obstruct or hinder movements, or sit too tightly. Massage Créatif, Californian massage and other full body treatments greatly benefits from full nudity since the clothing obstructs the long smooth movements and breaks the massage rhythm. Deep tissue massage, Swedish massage and other massage form which work on particular zones only requires that the area being worked is nude.
Many therapists leave the buttocks covered during a massage, which is in reality a great shame. There are five large muscles in the buttocks which serve to connect the back with the legs. By ignoring these muscles, the back and thighs can't be completely treated as tensions are not only is found in one area, but also in the neighbouring ones. For example, to treat a lower back pain, the muscles at the buttocks will also need treatment since they are connected to the back muscles.
Bottom line is that the client must always feel comfortable and relaxed with the level of nudity, and the therapist must always respect this. A person who is very conscious about themselves and being naked can't relax fully, nor let go and receive the treatment to the maximum effect.
The body can react to the intimacy of a massage without there being anything sexual in it. Therapists are taught that this is a natural reaction and not to pay attention to it, or even let the client know they have noticed anything.
For men it is natural to get an erection while receiving a massage. It is a physical reaction triggered by nerves and physical stimuli to sensitive areas. Women also can get physical reactions, though these are usually much less visible.
The more worried and stressed a client is about physical reactions to a massage, the more likely it is going to happen. It is a little trick our mind plays, and the recommendation is to breathe deeply, focus on breathing, try and ignore the physical reaction and just allow oneself to enjoy the massage. There is nothing sexual at all in getting an erection or another physical reaction to a massage.
The more used to getting a massage one is, the less is the risk of any physical reaction. The client can relax more and the 'taboo' of being touched has been 'broken' and become a natural thing.
A therapist must never touch the genitals or nipples. These are off-limit areas due to the intimacy of such a touch, nor is there any therapeutic benefit to such massage. A woman's breasts are not massaged either. A massage can be a sensual enjoyable experience, but it must never become sexual.
If the genitals happen to be in the way during the massage that area is just not massaged. There are plenty of techniques which can be used instead, and many surrounding areas which can be treated without having to relocate anything.
To sum up. Nudity is normal and non-sexual. Erections do happen and are completely natural. A massage therapist is trained to ignore such reactions. And a massage therapist will never touch any private areas.
Nudity in massage will always be affected by regional customs, culture and laws. While many massages clearly will benefit from full nudity, it is not always possible to do so. The most important aspect is to find and do what the client feels most comfortable with.
A massage therapist must always adhere to the wishes of the client. If the client is uncomfortable lying naked on the massage table, she can't relax properly and the massage will be less efficient. A person who is worried about her appearances and at unease being naked will automatically tense her muscles and be slightly stressed over the situation. This is of course counter productive to the purpose of getting a massage and as such it is better to cover the client as she requests even if it makes the massage less effective. The comfort of the patient will make up for what might be lost in the massage.
The second most important aspect is what the massage therapist feels comfortable with. If the massage therapist is uncomfortable being around a nude person, she will focus on that aspect instead of concentrating fully on her massage and the connection with the client. At worst, she might even distance herself, detach herself from the treatment and not listen to the clients signals well enough to give the best massage.
It is of utmost importance that the client trusts the massage therapist and can fully let go, and that the massage therapist feels confident and at ease with the situation. Massage therapy is a two way communication where the two partners need to attune to each other. And should this communication fail, the massage will become mechanical and without any depth or full relaxation.
Different cultures have different views on nudity. In Denmark it is not illegal to swim naked at public beaches, in France you can find film-posters with a topless woman carrying a baby, while in the US it's forbidden to even show a nipple on television before midnight. These differences in cultures can not only make the client feel uncomfortable lying nude on the table, but also the make the therapist feel unease by giving the massage.
In some places, for instance France it is common to receive a massage undraped and nude. Especially for those unfamiliar with massages and customs, this can leave the client with confusion as to what sort of massage he or she will be receiving. It then becomes even more important that the massage therapist has a proper appearance and is dressed in a manner that shows seriousness and professionalism.
Finally, there can be local laws and regulations that must be followed. In some places it is set by law that a massage therapist must drape their clients, while in others there are no regulations at all. There will also be various rules and advice on nudity and draping depending on which organization the massage therapist belongs to or which school she has been attending.
From my weekly article at http://www.starkeys.com/blog
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