12.21.2010

Ear Poking and Butt Slapping, Oh My! (Part 2)

(This is Part 2 of my personal and crazy experience of receiving a massage at one of the so, so many cheap foot reflexology businesses)

My fear at first was that this place might not be quite legitimate in actually doing massages and when I first walked in I thought oh no it’s not! There was a man sitting there shirtless and I couldn’t see below his waist at first and I thought my friend is going to kill me for taking her here and also so glad I’m not alone walking into this. Well, I quickly realized after a more steps inside that he was only shirtless.  Thank goodness. So there was the beginning of the weirdness for the next hour of our lives. Unlike a regular massage, you start off by sitting straight up on the ottoman while they massage your neck, back and shoulders. And, yes we are fully dressed. However, they do work under your clothes at times which really did make me feel uncomfortable. When I normally get a massage I am completely undressed and (usually) am very okay and comfortable with the nakedness aspect of massage. Yet, when this man would move my bra straps up and down my arm and shoulder to work around them that’s when I felt uncomfortable. I will preface to say that during the time of the massage with bra moving and the butt slapping I wouldn’t’ say anything ever felt like he crossed a line and it was sexual. So anyways, it was a little strange and I just tried to think everyone works differently and I’ll just let it go of my not so comfortable level with this.  After all, for me this really is research. I did really go in with an open mind with the thought to see what they are doing differently then me and what I might be able to learn from them. I learned laughter is a good thing!

For the most part, the massage on the shoulders felt good. Overall, my guy did have good pressure during the most of the massage. But some of the odd things he did were when he pulled both my arms straight up in a stretch and then started slapping the triceps, not consistently, just a slap here and there. So after the shoulders, slash arm slaps, you lay down on the over sized chair on your back. I forgot to mention that my feet had been soaking in a warm water tub. So then they massage your feet and I thought oh this should be good, after all it is a foot reflexology business. Ya, well he probably spent only 2-3 minutes on my feet with a majority of that time rubbing (and I mean rubbing) just the tip of my big toe. I guess I thought it would be more massaged instead of just rubbed. I did hear my friend say that it was a little too hard on her feet (and she loves her feet massaged). During her whole massage, her guy did not have good pressure, his was mostly painful as I heard her tell him over and over it was too hard. Then simply they work their way up the legs, arms and then face and head. In between the massage part is when they do what is called percussion. I would gather most massage therapists know how to do it, some may use it. Personally, it is something I find rather annoying. And for this massage it was definitely annoying, especially when it just felt like he was slapping my body around. Another one of the other weird things he did was when he massaged my fingers and toes are he popped his fingers off of mine. I don’t mean he popped my fingers, I mean he squeezed the tips of my fingers and somehow made a popping (snapping?) sound with his fingers and it just plain hurt. Again, during the massage I would hear my friend either laugh or tell the guy he was hurting her. Part of her laughter I'm sure was just due to the nervous uncomfortableness she felt. As her guy would slap her around he would giggle. As she said, “he kept giggling at my ass shaking so much”.  Ya, hearing your 'massage therapist' laugh for no apparent reason as you are receiving a massage can make you become really self-conscious!

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

12.15.2010

Ear Poking & Butt Slapping, Oh My! (Part 1)

Recently I decided to get a massage at a competitors place, one of those really cheap $19 “foot reflexology” hole in the wall places. I have seen quite a few people on Facebook post that they are going there and thought it was time to check them out and find out why. I knew it would be a different then my normal full body massage, but didn’t expect it to be so different. It was the craziest massage I’ve ever had and this is my experience with them as well as a bit of inserts of my massage therapist friend who went with me and her experiences. I will say I laughed a lot during the massage at some of the absurdities that happened as well as my friend having to tell the non-English guy speaking over and over that he was hurting her. Again the craziest massage and as I posted on Facebook after the fact: “I have never had my ass slapped so much during a massage!”

Though part of this place’s business name is “Foot Reflexology” it really is anything but that. The premise of these places is that you receive a full-body massage fully clothed, even though they are called foot reflexology. I don’t understand why, I walked into a multi-purpose room that has about 16 chairs and ottomans that everyone is in, not like a spa with a private room. These are not the funky massage chairs you usually sit face forward in, rather more like over-sized lazy boy chairs that can lay completely flat and actually are comfortable. It was similar to walking into a Mani-Pedi business with large chairs and everyone is out in the open.



For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

12.06.2010

Holiday Massage Gift Certificate - Santa Clarita Valley

Every one is always looking for that 'perfect' gift to give.  Massage therapy can be the perfect gift.  You give the gift of relaxation, the gift of health and health care, the gift of de-stressing as well as giving someone some precious time for themselves.  Plus you can save time by just picking up the phone and ordering your custom made candle gift certificates now!



For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, 'Like' my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter.