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Nicole discovers how good a massage can feel in this episode of Zen living. Zen Living Episode “Benefits of Massage” Nicole Tomlinson: I don’t know much about massages but I know it’s got to feel good. Well we will see how good it really feels and all the benefits of real massage, when I get one. Next on Zen Living. This is Joli Offield and she is going to work her magic on me. Hi Joli. Joli: Hello. Nicole Tomlinson: I am really excited. Joli: Well I am really glad this is a really fun process. Nicole Tomlinson: I just wanted to get a little more information. What should I be looking for? What constitutes a good massage? Joli: Well there are a lot of different modalities and body work in massage. Really I just think someone who listens to you as a massage therapist and listens to the client. And what they are really looking for. What can I accommodate for you? Nicole Tomlinson: What did you do to become qualified to become a massage therapist? Joli: In the state I am in we had to do a three hundred hour course. And then we also had to do what you called continuing education units. And then after that you just continue to take more tests and make sure that you are still certified for the state. Nicole Tomlinson: So when one is investigating a spa to go to what should you look for? Joli: Well cleanliness for sure, you know you want to make sure that the face rest that we are going to put up here in a minute. It has a clean disposable or a clean sheeted cover. Also the sheets themselves. You want to make sure that those are clean. Often times they are a little wrinkled or something, but you want to make sure they are clean and the place should look fairly put together. Number two is that there is some sort of certification hung on a wall somewhere. You want to make sure that there is a licensed person. Nicole Tomlinson: Great, well you want to get started? Joli: I do. So what we are going to do is I am going to walk out of the room and I am going to let you undress to your level of comfort. I will knock before I come in, and you just say you are ready. And then we will just start the massage. And what I am going to do is I am going to tuck this in so I can get all the way down to the lower back, here. To the sacral border that is here. Nicole Tomlinson: So what are the benefits of massage? Joli: Well some of the benefits are circulation, your repertory system, your skeletal system, your muscular system. Also circulation. And like I said flexibility for those who are doing sports massage. And just all over relaxing relief. Nicole Tomlinson: Who benefits the most from massage? Joli: I think everyone benefits from massage. You know my clients aren’t just really one person. They wear many, many hats throughout the day. They are athletes, they are a parent, they are an employee, they sit all day in front of a computer and they have a lot of things that they need worked out. And a lot of muscle tension. And sometimes just a place to meditate and breath. Nicole Tomlinson: Cana anyone get a massage? Joli: Those are the thing called contraindications. And contraindications typically mean that you shouldn’t get a massage either in a specific area, or for all over body. If you have a contraindication like an open wound, or a rash. That might be a place that a therapist should really avoid, and you should be aware of so that you can tell the therapist when you go to get a massage. Nicole Tomlinson: What about pregnant women? Joli: Pregnant women are so lovely to massage. Absolutely, and one of the things that you want to look out for is that if you are passed your third trimester that the therapist sets up a place for you so that you have plenty of bolstering and pillows. And it is a nice comfortable place for you to relax. You should always lay on you side, and you shouldn’t stay on your back too long. So what you really want to do is you want to check with your medical practitioner before you go and get a massage. Before I doze off I would like to thank my talented massage therapist Jolie, if you can I definitely recommend fitting in a massage every so often. I am Nicole Tomlinson, and from all of us at Zen Living, thank you so much for watching. And we will catch you next time, peace.