If you have never done this before
Plenty of people get to seventy without ever having had a massage, and then feel awkward asking the basic questions. So here they are, answered plainly.
What you take off
Whatever you are comfortable taking off, and nothing else. Some people keep everything on and we work through clothing or use a seated setup. That is a completely normal session, not a compromise.
You stay covered the whole time. Only the area I am working on is uncovered and it is covered again before I move on. You never have to ask me about this and you never have to explain.
What happens first
We talk. What hurts, how long, what you have tried, what you are worried about. Then I leave the room, you get comfortable under the covers, and I knock before I come back in.
You can stop at any point, for any reason, and you do not have to give me one.
Things people are embarrassed to ask
You do not need to shave your legs. It does not matter what shape you are. It is fine if you fall asleep, and it is fine if you talk the whole hour. Nobody has ever done anything at a massage that I have not seen before, and I promise I am not thinking about it.
Questions
Do I have to talk?
Not at all. Some people chat the whole time and some say nothing after the first five minutes. Both are completely normal and I take my cue from you.
What if I do not like it?
Tell me, and we change it — pressure, pace, where I am working, or whether we carry on at all. Saying so in the first ten minutes is not a complaint and it is not awkward. It is the most useful thing you can do.
What do you need to know about me before we start?
Any medications you take, anything you are being treated for, and any surgery in the last year. Blood thinners in particular change how I work. None of it is nosiness — it decides what is appropriate, and it is easier said on the phone than remembered on the table.