What’s the Best Massage For Your Needs.

At ikatan Spa we find most people don’t really understand or realise what type of massage is best for their needs and that’s ok as we do understand what people need. Our reception staff are trained to ask the right questions and it often surprises our guest that a ‘massage is not just a massage.

While we are in the business of helping guests to improve their wellness, we also know that each different style or massage is specialised to offer help for specific needs and that it is important to seek the right massage for your needs. No one particular massage is better than the other, it all depends on what why you are choosing to have a massage and what result you want from having a massage.

It’s also the reason we do not offer deep tissue, remedial, shiatsu, Thai or every other style of massage at ikatan Spa, because each is specialized and requires dedicated training. We specialise in massage to help with relaxation of the body, mind, and emotions and other massage businesses and therapists are skilled in their massage modalities.  Seeking the right massage modality and therapists is just the same as you would not go to a Dr of Dentistry to seek help with a broken arm.

There are hundreds of styles of massage and each has its unique way of helping a person with what they need from a massage. Some people need a massage for stress, others have been physically active and need a firmer massage to release their muscle tension and more than ever people are having a regular massage to maintain their overall health and wellness. We see more people now, seeking massage for anxiety issues which is better helped with a nurturing style of massage with a focus on helping the mind as well as the physical body to relax.

Massage Can Help You Physically, Mentally and Emotionally.

Massage works on three aspects of the body at the same time and each plays its part in helping the other two areas to totally relax.  Massage Therapists work on the physical body but the mind is reading the sensation, touch, calming of the nervous system or the pain from a deep massage. The mind sends our messages in relation to what it is receiving and translates the sensory touch it feels to our emotions. Does this sensory feel relaxing, calming, ticklish, painful, soothing, nurturing or a number of feelings and this, in turn, relates the emotional feelings back to the physical body to help it relax or it may be feeling tension while it tries to avoid pain from deeper muscle work.

Aromatherapy Oils Help the Mind and Emotional Wellbeing.

The use of aromatherapy oils helps the mind by using the sense of smell to alter our state of mind. At ikatan Spa we find most people are suffering from various forms of exhaustion and while you may think aromatherapy is used for calming the mind, it is also very effective in uplifting or clearing the mind at the same time as calming it. It sounds complicated but is not if you understand the power of aromatherapy, which is proving to be a popular way for people to deal with stress-related emotional and mental fatigue. If you have never had an Aromatherapy Massage, try it, it might just be the right massage to help your wellness. You can also use a diffuser to release aromatherapy into your home or workspace for a very effective way to help your wellbeing and enjoy the aroma in the air.

When Your Emotions Take Over.

Other times a person may feel strongly emotional and by calming emotions, through a massage, (preferably with aromatherapy) where the therapist does a slow, rhythmical, gentle massage it can help relax the body and mind. A deep tissue, Thai, or remedial massage is not the right choice if you feel emotional as your body does not need physical pain or discomfort, this style of massage is known for.

Communication Is Key to Receiving a Good Massage.

Reception staff and massage therapists can’t read your mind, we can however read your body but often guest expect us to know what they want without telling us. There are many guests who like a light massage and others who like a firmer pressure massage but we need to know this at the time of booking so that the appropriate spa Therapist is booked for you.

If you don’t understand the massage styles offered at a day spa or you have not read the spa menu, tell reception staff the reason you need a massage, when you’re booking and they can help you chose the best massage for your needs.

When You Need a Firm Pressure Massage.

A lot of people think they need a firm pressure massage, or it is a waste of time, the no pain no gain type of thinking. In actual fact, it really depends, on what you are having a massage for, as to the style and pressure you should have to achieve results.

Firm massage is best suited to athletes or those that suffer from tight areas that cause postural imbalances. Firm massage is also beneficial when you have areas of congested muscle as it can release the tension, however it depends on what has caused this tension and how often you have a massage. It’s really important to understand that when you require a firm massage like Remedial or Deep Tissue seeing a qualified practitioner who will work with your body over a period of time (6 to 12 weeks with a massage once a week) is what will achieve results.

Do you go for a 10k power run up a hill once a year to improve your fitness? So why would you expect to have a deep tissue massage once a year to release tension?

Best Massage for Tired, Overworked or Stressed People.

Did you know that having a medium to lighter pressure massage is far more beneficial for stress, fluid retention, anxiety, lack of energy,  feeling tired, run-down or overworked? If you want a massage because you are anxious, suffering from insomnia or exhaustion, you need a flowing medium to light pressure massage. If you have a firm massage your body may read this as more stress because if it feels uncomfortable or sore and your mind will interpret this as another thing to deal with, then the emotions are triggered to create tension because your body is hurting.

It’s More Beneficial to Soothe Away Tension.

A medium to light flowing massage At ikatan Spa with our Chi massage is suited to guests who are seeking stress relief, calming of an anxious mind and balancing a depleted body. Chi massage works on the body as it calmed by the warmth of the oil and herbal compress, soothed by flowing hands and it gives the mind peace with aromatherapy essential oil blends. The muscles have a sense of letting go in the Chi massage to release tension because the mind senses the calmness in the body and a relaxed emotional state of being.

Next time you book a massage, don’t be afraid to say why you need the massage. If you don’t tell us how you feel we can’t make you feel better. We need a starting point to apply our expertise and knowledge to help you. When you go to the doctor you tell them how you are feeling or what is wrong and it’s the same when going for a massage.

I hope this helps you understand that not all massages are the same, the advantages of different massages to help with stress and that communication is key to getting what your body needs.