If you have never been for massage before and you feel to nervous or self conscious to embrace this amazing therapeutic tool, perhaps you should try Chair Massage. When I was attending school at Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy, one of my first outreaches was at the hospital in Waterloo giving chair massages to the staff in emergency. I never thought I would enjoy giving chair massages as much as I'm sure our clients enjoyed getting them. Most of our clients were nurses or doctors scooting in to get a chair massage on their break. Chair Massages are a different beast than table massages. The therapist needs to be particularly cautious about their body mechanics, because there is much more bending and squatting with giving this type of massage. I remember watching a Utube video the night before my first Chair Massage to try and expand my knowledge of particular techniques.
Chair massage is a style of seated massage that is typically short -- 10 or 15 minutes -- and focuses on your back, shoulders and neck and arms. Chair massage is done over clothes and doesn't require any massage oil. For chair massage, you are seated in a special chair with your face resting in a cradle, looking down towards the floor, with supports for your arms. Your back and neck completely relax while the therapist relieves muscle tension using Swedish massage moves like kneading and compression and tapotement, which don't require oil.
Chair massage is often offered at high-stress locations like airport spas and trade shows. It's a great way to work out muscle tension before it turns into a full-blown spasm.
Some of benefits of chair massage include:
Increases morale
Reduces stress
Makes employees feel valued
Creates an atmosphere of trust and loyalty
Reduces sick time and absenteeism
Increases accuracy and creative thinking
Decreases workplace injuries
So next time you are at an airport, hotel or trade show, where chair massages are often given; make sure you treat yourself to a 15 minute massage. Its a perk that your body will thank you for. Trust me, You know you Knead it!
