Not sure what to expect at your first reiki massage? Here’s a full rundown.
Trying a new body service can be intimidating, especially when it’s combined with something as “out there” as energy work. My intention with this blog post is to lay it all out in a simple way so that you can decide for yourself if this treatment will be right for you. And if you’ve been in for a treatment already, read on to discover the reasoning behind the techniques I use!
My hands cradling the head of someone who is relaxing during a reiki massage.
How to find me:
I’m working with Empire Beauty Studio in Fredericton, NB on Sundays and Mondays!
The address is 535 Beaverbrook Court - it’s on a funny little side street off of Dundonald, very close to the Regent Street intersection and Greco. It’s a long beige building with vines growing on the front (pictured to the left). You can park for free on the street in front of the building, or in the parking lot around the side.
The building is locked on Sundays and after 5pm, so I’ll meet you at the front door at those times. Otherwise, you can find the studio near the smaller front door on the left (Suite 150).
Accessibility:
This building is wheelchair accessible, but my services are not! To access this treatment you’ll need to be able to undress yourself and get yourself on the massage table. You can bring an aid for this if you’d like though! You’ll also need to be able to turn over on your own on the table.
This service is 18+: I’m not open to treating kids or teens at this time!
When you first arrive:
Welcome to the studio! When you get here I’ll be waiting to greet you with a warm smile, and the question “do you need to pee?”. This may seem a little personal, but there’s nothing like being 40 minutes into a relaxation massage and needing to go, so I mention it first thing so we can get it out of the way. If you need to, I’ll walk you to the restroom down the hall so you don’t get lost.
When we get back to the studio I’ll ask you to remove your shoes and then I’ll have some paperwork for you to fill out in our waiting area. It’s a very brief health history (only one page with large font) so it won’t take long to finish. I’ll ask if you’re sensitive to natural aromas so that I can cleanse the treatment room with a cedar and sage blend* while you’re busy with that form.
*The aromatherapy that I use in this treatment:
This is Chiiyaam, an incredible smudge spray from a Canadian First Nations company in Quebec called Invocation. It was created to be used in hospital settings, by a man named Blue Eagle who needed a smoke-free alternative to the traditional practice of smudging. He traveled to France and learned perfumery from some masters of the craft before returning to Canada and combining this new knowledge with indigenous plant wisdom and local plants. After 2 years of experimentation he created Chiiyaam, whose name means peace in Algonquin.
Before your treatment:
When you’re done filling things out I’ll have you follow me to my treatment room, which is dimly lit and cozy. I’ll read over your health history and ask for clarification if I need to and then I’ll give you a quick explanation of the service to make sure we’re both on the same page. I’ll say something like: “I usually do this treatment as a full-body relaxation massage, and I’ll be channeling reiki throughout the entire treatment via touch. I’ll massage the backs of your legs, your back, your neck, scalp, arms, hands and feet! Does that all sound ok?”. If you hate having your feet touched please speak up! I’m more than happy to adjust the massage to your preferences. Some people don’t want their hair messed with! Others would rather skip the legs. It’s all up to you and what you’re comfortable with.
Next I’ll explain how to get on the massage table and what clothing to remove. Again, level of undress is totally up to your comfort level. Most people take off everything but (or including) their bottom underwear, but I’ve done plenty of massages over the clothes as well. Removing necklaces and bracelets is a usually a good idea too. Before I step out to give you some privacy I’ll explain where to put your things, and that we’ll be starting with you face down on the massage table. I’ll show you where your face goes, and which sheets to get under. Then I’ll leave the room to wash my hands while you get ready.
After a couple minutes I’ll return, knocking before I come back in the room. I’ll check to make sure you’re comfortable; things like the angle of the face cradle, the position of the ankle support pillow, the temperature of the table warmer and the volume of the music can all be adjusted. Once you’re all good we’re ready to begin!
Prone (aka laying on your stomach):
The first order of business is introducing my touch to your body and energy field. I do this by placing my hands on your back over the sheets and inviting you to take a few deep breaths. I keep these stationary hands on your back for a moment until I feel like I’ve been accepted, and then I do the same thing over the sheets on the back of your legs. This firm and grounded touch begins the relaxation process. You may feel yourself “sinking” into the massage table as this happens.
The first thing I’ll massage is the back of your legs. I’ll uncover your left leg to your upper thigh, below your glutes. Using a natural, scent-free oil and gentle but firm techniques, I’ll massage your calves and hamstrings, scooping under your leg to your knee and then down around your ankles. My intention at this point is to pull source energy down from your crown to your legs and into your feet. I want to ground you and open up a channel through the bottom of your feet for energy to flow freely from. While massaging the legs I often imagine that I’m loosening up the bound roots that connect you to the earth and her deep wells of lifeforce energy. Once I’ve treated both legs in this way, I’ll move on to the back.
My hands massage the back of someone’s leg during a reiki massage.
Your back is very important. It gives easy access to the spine, for one thing, which is where the chakras are located. Chakra means wheel in Sanskrit, and in Ayurveda these spinning wheels are vital energy centres that have the power to affect our wellbeing and enjoyment of life. There are 7 primary chakras that begin at the base of the spine and travel up to the crown of the head (read more here). In addition to this, the back is often a great place to unwind deeply. Based on my experience, when asked where they hold their stress, most people say “in my shoulders”. When asked where they hold their trauma, most women say “in my hips/low back” (and men don’t often have an answer, though I think it’s probably in their neck/jaw). When asked where their trouble area is (in a massage context, not aesthetically), most people refer to their back or neck in some way. This massage is not therapeutic, but it isn’t soft either. The body needs the correct amount of pressure to relax, and the pleasure of having aching muscles massaged is ancient. My hands seek out these areas, and with a firm hand and repetitively slow strokes I’ll press into the rigid muscles around your hip bones and alongside your spine, and the hard knots in your raised shoulders. The sheets will be pulled down toward your hips and tucked gently into the top of your underwear (if you’re wearing any) to protect them from oil.
While working on your back I’ll be assessing your energy field for blockages. I like to start at the low back because treating the chakras from the bottom up makes the most sense to me. Your root chakra, which is the first one, forms the base for all of the others. It’s located at your tailbone, which is an area that I won’t be putting my hands on directly, but that is positively affected by the work above in the hips and below in the legs. While we’re working on your back I’ll also be investigating your sacral, solar plexus, heart, and lesser known thymus chakras. I’m trying to feel more than just your physical tissues. An energetic block feels like pressure and heaviness in my hands and forearms. An overactive chakra feels like sharp buzzing. I stay tuned into my own body too, because sometimes I’ll feel the answers for your body suddenly mirrored in my own. To you, this work may feel like sudden heat or cold in an area experiencing energetic release. Some people report sudden numbness or tingling that lasts just a moment. Emotions and memories coming up “out of nowhere” are also very common. So far no one has complained that any of this is terrible in any way, so don’t be concerned that it’s going to be this huge uncomfortable thing. The energy is very gentle and supportive, and the effects of this support can be felt well into the rest of your day and evening. This can be in terms of physically feeling good, having an amazing sleep, having a good cry and releasing emotions that have come unstuck, or getting sudden insights and inspiration. I suggest clearing your schedule and having your journal and comfies ready at home.
My hands massaging the back of someone’s neck and the base of the scalp into the hairline.
I’ll work your whole back and up the back of your neck to the base of your skull, spending extra time on areas that could use the attention. I like to include some work with pressure points, like the Heavenly Pillar located on either side of spine near your head. These points open up energy channels and allow for ki to flow smoothly (read my blog post “what the heck is a reiki massage?!” where I explain ki in greater detail). Having good flow of ki from the body to the head and back again is important for mental tasks like memory, focus and problem solving.
When I’m done with this part of the massage I’ll drape a warm, damp towel over your back. This is so soothing, and also gets some of the oil off your back! Then I’ll pull the sheets up over your shoulders before running my hands down your back and back up again, and then down your arms to rest briefly at your elbows. This is a moment that I love because it reminds me of a safe, grounding hug. Then I’ll give you the first of two scalp massages! This time I’ll be focusing on the energy points and channels from the base of your skull to the crown.
Then I’ll hold the sheets out while you in turn over onto your back. This part might feel vulnerable, but I’m trained to protect your privacy at all times! I won’t catch even a glimpse of your body.
Supine (aka laying on your back):
Once you’re comfortably on your back with a pillow under your knees and the sheets how you want them (you can lay with your arms in or out!) I’ll pull us back into the relaxation bubble with another mist of Chiiyaam. Then I’ll begin massaging your neck and and upper chest/shoulders, also known as the décolleté in spa lingo. You’ll be uncovered from the neck down to the armpits, so most of your chest will remain under the sheets. I’ll cradle your head in my hands and turn it slowly to one side so I can access the side of your neck. I like to blend this massage from the neck, around the ear, and into the scalp for the second head massage. Then I repeat on the other side. The chakras I’m assessing at this point are your throat, third-eye, and crown chakras. I often find a lot of pent up energy in and around the head. And this makes sense, as we tend to live our lives in the upper parts of our body. My intention is to disperse this energy, to send it downwards into the rest of you. Sometimes relaxing the neck feels like releasing a dam of backed up emotions and energies from the head to the body. I like to place one hand on your heart chakra and one under your neck, to guide this flow in a soothing way.
A photo of someone smiling while I’m massaging their neck.
Next up are arms and hands! I absolutely love this part of the massage because it’s SO relaxing, and something that most people don’t choose for themselves when deciding what to work on during a massage. An energy treatment without arms and hands feels incomplete to me; ki wants to flow down your arms and out of the palms of your hands and the tips of your fingers! It seems like a disservice to neglect that. Our hardworking hands and forearms deserve to be lovingly tended to. So I’ll uncover your left arm and cradle it in my hands while I tenderly work on your biceps and around your elbow before making my way down to the overtaxed forearm tissues. You can let your arm go limp for this, though sometimes people find that to be the most difficult part of the massage. Being unable to relax your limbs for someone else to hold is very common, and doesn’t mean you’re bad at getting bodywork! If I give your arm a gently shake, please know that I’m speaking to your body and not your mind. I’m not telling you to try to relax; sometimes a shake gets the muscles to cooperate.
When it’s time to work on your hand I’ll use an all-natural lotion instead of oil, which gives me a better grip. I’ll hold your hand up, with your elbow bent and resting on the table, and I’ll work on your palms and your thumb and your wrists. Then I’ll lower your hand back down smoothly and massage the length of each finger to complete that limb before tucking it back under the sheets and moving on to repeat the process on the other side.
A photo of me massaging someone’s forearm with both hands.
Finally, when you’re probably almost asleep, I’ll give you a reflexology-style foot massage. This is often interesting for me because it confirms a lot of what I’ve already felt in your body and energy field. In reflexology, each part of the foot corresponds to a different part of the body. Tightness, knots and crunchy bits in your body are often reflected in the feet with incredible accuracy! It’s another example of the brilliance of the body. I like to use lotion to massage the feet as well because I want to be able to maintain firm pressure without slipping around and tickling! Every part of your foot gets attention during this foot massage. When both feet are done I’ll get a warm towel and wrap them up one at a time. This feels nice, but it also gets the lotion off your feet so you don’t slide across the room when you’re trying to get up!
Closing:
After covering your feet back up I’ll take a moment to close the treatment and your energy field before softly letting you know that you can take your time getting up, going slowly because your feet may still be slippery. When you’ve gotten dressed you can come out into the hallway to meet me. I try not to say too much after this treatment because I want you to stay in that reiki massage bubble for as long as possible. But I will usually mention a couple of things that I noticed, either physically or energetically, as well as the general advice to take it easy and drink lots of water! This is also the time that I might mention other practitioners if I thought a different treatment might be beneficial to you. I’ll accept your payment at this time and rebook your next appointment; I suggest every 4-6 weeks as a treatment timeline!
Please note that I am not a medical professional or an RMT. These treatments are intended for relaxation and energy balancing purposes only. I am happy to refer you to incredible and safe RMTs if you’re looking for therapeutic massage!
All photos except the one of the building were taken by Samantha Shea, with Laura Joyce modeling.
