Your Massage Starts Before You Arrive

Hello Beautiful Sunshine!

In today’s episode, we’re diving into what it really means to prepare your mind, body, and spirit for a massage. This is all about honoring the vessel God gave you through intentional rest, hydration, and informed care. We touch on why preparation matters just as much as the massage itself, how to advocate for your needs, and how faith shapes the way we slow down and allow our bodies to reset. 

You’ll hear:

• Hydration as the foundation of a good massage (00:45) 
• Why your intake form actually matters (02:30) 
• What massage is and is not—including why communication is essential for comfort and informed consent (04:53)
• Thoughts on your nervous system, blood pressure, anxiety, and lymphatic function (07:36) 
• Preparation 2-3 hours before you massage (13:26) 
• Creating massage goals (22:23) 

Finally, we close with a reflection on biblical rest. The reminder that even God modeled rest for us, and that when we withhold rest from our bodies...well you'll find out what happens.

My hope is that this episode gives you clarity, peace, and permission to slow down, so your next massage becomes not just a luxury, but a moment of stewardship, healing, and sacred renewal.

This podcast is produced and managed by iMoves Management.

Creators and Guests

Host

Ann-Jerrica Artis

Massage Therapist and Podcast Host

TV

Producer

Tahjma VanBuren

Podcast Producer

What is Sacred Vessel Restoration?

Find biblical inspiration for your health and wellness journey! Sacred Vessel Restoration explores the powerful connection between faith and natural healing.

This podcast is devoted to holistic wellness through a biblical lens. Covering topics like massage therapy, holistic medicine, movement, maternal health, natural remedies, and self-care. Rooted in scripture, this podcast is for those seeking to honor their bodies as God’s temple. Join us as we renew the body and restore the purpose God has placed within you.

Let’s learn, grow, and walk in wellness through faith together!

Hosted by Ann-Jerrica Artis of Gifted Healing Massage and Bodywork LLC

Speaker 1 00:00:00 Unfortunately, if you don't give your body the rest, it needs the rest. It was designed to have. It will take it and it will typically take it in violent form. Hey beautiful sunshine. Welcome back to Sacred Vessel Wellness. Today's episode is about massage. I know, yeah, we're doing it again. Last time, we talked about what you do after your massage. This time we're talking about what you do before your massage. So I've got a couple things for you. First off, take a deep breath. Relax. This should not be a stressful process. Please don't stress yourself out before you come in. We just have to do more work, right? That's not what we want to do. But what I do need you to do is hydrate. We have so many things going on in life, and I know some of y'all don't like water. I understand. but if you don't give your body the water it needs, considering that it's largely made of water, then you may feel kind of crappy after this massage.

Speaker 1 00:01:24 And that's just not what we need in our lives. Okay, so get your water, get your electrolyte pack, or even better, infuse your water with some vitamins. And I mean fresh fruit. So cut up a lemon. Throw it in your water. Cut up a cucumber. Throw it in there. If you're gonna be a little fancy, a little sprinkle, a little razzle dazzle of some Himalayan salt. You can use table salt, but Himalayan salt has more, more minerals in it. So it gives you a little bit more of what you need. Right. Okay. You're hydrated now. So proud of you I love this. Okay. Now we're going to take a couple steps back because you should be hydrating days before your massage. Right? So this is the recipe for the week before. Hopefully you live a life of hydration. Your skin will thank you. We talked about that in our last episode, but you're hydrated. Great! Now at least 24 hours before your massage. Baby, I need you to go complete your intake forms.

Speaker 1 00:02:30 I know it's a lot of paperwork. It's a lot of questions. You're looking at that paperwork like and and why do you need this much information about my life? Let me tell you what intake forms give us the medical information we need to make sure we do no harm. Massage therapists have promised to do no harm. It is a part of the fiduciary agreement. I know, crazy word. It means do no harm. Essentially. your intake forms ask a lot of questions about the areas we're focusing on, and it's helpful if you know whether we're working on that area because you had an injury, because you pulled a muscle, or just because it's been sore for the last two days, and maybe you slept weird. if you've had a surgery and we're working near a joint and that's your problem, we need to know that you don't want your massage therapist pulling on a joint that was replaced. It could cause more damage and not do the best healing work possible. Right. Also, there's a little segment to ask if you're on any medications or allergic to anything.

Speaker 1 00:03:44 I get it sometimes telling people what medications you're on feels like, no, I don't want to explain the medical conditions I have. I don't want to explain the anxiety or the depression, I get it. But knowing that also helps us Cater the session to your actual needs for the day. For the entire time that we're seeing you as a client or patient. So those are really the biggest parts of it. We're also going to ask you about any other medical conditions you have. And there is a list baby heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure. Did you know that massage therapy can help reduce your blood pressure? Something happens when you relax, when you take a deep breath, which most of us don't do during the day. Okay, so, injuries, any surgeries? Just because the surgery was not on a joint does not mean we don't need to know about it. Okay. I love you so much. now, let me tell you a little bit about what massage is and what massage is not.

Speaker 1 00:04:53 Massage is working on soft tissue and muscles. Okay. I get to manipulate the muscles in a way that helps relieve tension, stress, pain, and discomfort. I don't focus on your spa and I am not a chiropractor. That is outside of my scope of practice. we use the phrase scope of practice to say anything that we learned in school, anything that we are able to do as massage therapist. Now, I don't crack backs and actually let me not do chiropractic care like that. I do not facilitate spinal adjustments. Okay. Chiropractic care is amazing and crack backs makes people scared of it. It's actually quite delightful if I'm being honest. I do not prescribe medications that is outside of my scope of practice. You can ask me about a thing that you're going through. Say your shoulder has been bothering you and you get really weird cramps in it. We can talk about some potential options that might help. Including stretching. I get to help you with stretches. That's in my scope of practice. If I have different certifications, there are massage therapists out there with acupuncture certifications or stretch therapy certifications and different parts of massage therapy that get to do different things right.

Speaker 1 00:06:18 You can check out what certifications we have and then go from there on the services you need for future appointments. But if it's not in our scope of practice, if it's not something we're certified to do or something we've gone to school for, it's not safe. We could possibly do harm and therefore we don't do it all right. But if that's something you need, most of us have some pretty amazing networks of massage therapists we can get you in contact with to get that work. Okay, now massage therapy gives your body the tools and reset that it needs to heal itself. God did this beautiful thing when he created these bodies, okay. They work well when they're cared for well. So if we are giving our bodies the time that they need to rest, the time that they need to recover, they work better. I know that sounds crazy. Every day is hustling, I get it, but some days have to be rest. Okay. Seventh day. On the Sabbath day, he rested. That was a command for us to.

Speaker 1 00:07:36 I know you want to work seven days a week for three months straight. Think you're okay, baby? Take a moment, please. We do not fix your body. We work with your body for it to heal itself. We have so many systems. Our nervous system, our our lymphatic system, or in part, our immune system, lymphatic and immune system can be at times used to talk about the same thing that do the work. They just need a break. Sometimes they need a reset. So if you're thinking of massage as a nervous system reset, let's talk about why you should get one. I've touched on immune support. You can help your body lower your blood pressure. A thing happens when you take deep breaths and when you relax, which most people unfortunately don't do during the day and some people don't even get at night, right? So massage is one of those few times in life where you're sitting down or you're laying down, you're breathing and you're relaxing. That can help reduce blood pressure.

Speaker 1 00:08:58 It can help With anxiety and depression. Many people that suffer from anxiety hyperventilate. And at some point you're realizing, oh, I may have not been taking breaths at all today. Those little shallow. That's not a breath. A breath is think. Four seconds. Inhale. Four seconds. Exhale. Did you do it with me? Do you want to try it now? That is so important for our bodies. They need breath. They need the oxygen. Our brain will literally tap out if it doesn't get oxygen. There are medical conditions that we see when people's brains don't get the oxygen they need. Because they're not breathing, right. We don't want that. We want the best for our bodies. Okay. Now we've we've talked about anxiety, but what about the aches and pains of life? Okay. Yeah, I got you. some of us have older bodies than what we wish we did, but we bless God for the bodies we have because they are moving and functioning and giving us so much and doing so much work for us.

Speaker 1 00:10:23 So we're going to do massage because it helps relieve pain. The work of the soft tissues and the muscles can help your body both flush out metabolic waste or the stuff that your body has used and or produced by keeping you alive all day, by digesting your food, by regulating your heart rate and your breathing right? Massage helps your body get rid of some of that or send it to the places in your body, i.e. your lymphatic system that works throughout your entire body. And what that does is it gives your body the the it puts all of the things in the places to flush it, the correct places. So if you have swelling, that doesn't quite make sense. Massage could help reduce that swelling and it puts the excess fluid back into circulation for your lymphatic system or for your cardiovascular system. Your heart and vein system, if you will, to release it, whether that's through your sweat, through your urine, or through your poop, your feces. Yes, those are important things. I hope you pooped today.

Speaker 1 00:11:46 And if you haven't, let's check in on that. Okay. It's good for you to get rid of the crap. Now, with reducing inflammation, it also helps with people that have inflammatory diseases. So if you or someone that suffers from arthritis or fibromyalgia, there is a very, very large list of conditions that are considered inflammatory conditions. Massage can give your body once again the reset. It needs to give you a break from that never ending or mostly consistent discomfort and inflammation. Okay, so that's why you should be getting a massage. Now before your massage. Ask your questions. I know some people just want to know should I talk during the session or not? Should I talk during the massage session or not? Ask. Your therapist will give you an answer. It may sound something like. I'll talk to you if you talk to me. It may sound like, let's try this time of quiet rest because most of us don't get quiet rest anymore. but if you don't ask your questions and you come in with the uncertainty that being uninformed can cause, at times you may feel more tense or more concerned about the environment you're in.

Speaker 1 00:13:26 But if you're informed, you feel more comfortable, and when you're more comfortable, you can relax and truly receive the work. But just the whole reason we're here, right? We're here for the work that benefits our bodies. So we're hydrating, right? I'm proud of you. I love it so much. Have you eaten before your massage? Now let's be mindful. Laying on your stomach after eating a full meal is not the most comfortable sensation in the world. Alright. right. so have a snack, have something light where you don't feel full so that you can lay on your stomach and enjoy the work versus laying on your stomach and thinking about how uncomfortable you are for that time. Okay. I personally am a French fry girl. I know that's not the most healthy snack, but it's my snack of choice. Okay? Don't judge. I didn't judge you for not hydrating. Get some cashews, get some almonds. Have a burger. Just not a triple burger. Maybe not a double burger.

Speaker 1 00:14:33 Depending on what your ability to eat and be comfortable is. You'll be glad you weren't hungry during your massage, because on the flip side of being full and uncomfortable, is your stomach growling, the whole massaged and you just feel, okay now showering before your massage because it is one of the questions I get more often. Yes. Being clean is nice. We appreciate it. Okay. It doesn't mean you have to take a shower before your massage. If you're going to take a shower before your massage. And no, I'm not talking 20 minutes before your massage. We all have schedules. You may not get home before your massage appointment in the evening. We get it. But when you do take that massage, exfoliate. Why do we exfoliate? Exfoliating removes the surface level of or the surface layer of dead skin cells. So when you are receiving your massage with all of the wonderful oils lotions, that we use during those sessions, you have prepped your skin to receive the moisture well, and it not just sit on the top layer.

Speaker 1 00:15:58 that greasy feeling is in part because our skin can't absorb moisture. When you get a massage and you're like, oh, this feels heavy. That's because your skin is just not prepped to absorb anything. Okay. Now, that also could be because some of our products are a little heavier and some of us as massage therapists, I have my days tend to use a little more lotion oil than really necessary. Right? If you are a texture person and that is something that bothers you, this is one of those questions you can ask. Can I have a towel at the end of my service so I can wipe off excess oil? I know you didn't think you could ask that, did you? You didn't even know it was a question. You're welcome. You're welcome. And if there are any other questions you have, ask them. Please. We want you to be comfortable. And here's a pro tip. If your massage therapist is uncomfortable answering your questions. They may possibly not be the best massage therapist for you.

Speaker 1 00:17:15 Here's the thing. Informed consent is important, and you're only informed if you have information and answers to questions. Some of them are questions you should ask because it's a concern you have. While other questions and information are things that should be given to you. Just because you're coming in for this service is something you should know. On how to prepare for your massage. Now baby, I know you got dressed today. You are cute. You got your rings on, you got your layered necklaces on, you got your three pierced earlobe or three piercings in your earlobe, all with jewelry. You are gorgeous. You're shining like a diamond. And while stud earrings aren't necessarily going to get in the way of any massage unless we're doing pressure points in the ear, which is a thing. So if that's what we're going for, if we're going for acupressure, maybe take those studs out your ears. Okay, but large hoop earrings, those beautiful bracelets you have on the rings on your fingers. And those necklaces, you think, oh, it's just a little piece of metal.

Speaker 1 00:18:32 and that may very well be true, but for some of the techniques we use, that beautiful jewelry, it's in the way. Can we work around it? Absolutely. Okay. We can move around the jewelry, but when we do that, we are often also skipping over that area of your body or that part of your skin. so let's let's take our jewelry off, guys. relax on their own. Weight yourself. Okay. this is a great time. If you are uncomfortable removing your jewelry, or you are someone that has jewelry that is welded on because I do know those pieces exist. If your jewelry doesn't come off, it's fine. Let your therapist know either day ahead of time or not at all. Like that's totally your your decision to make. but be aware that jewelry can impede or slow down our ability to get to certain areas of the body. There's nothing worse than me being prepared to go in on that knot in your left shoulder that you came in here for, and I can't get to it without moving your jewelry.

Speaker 1 00:19:51 For every massage movement that I use, every time I have to do the the movement, you have to move the jewelry and then you're like, oh, I forgot it. So take it off before your session and if you need to set an alarm before your session to say, take off your jewelry. Sometimes as massage therapist, actually often as massage therapists, we will not ask you to remove something clothing or jewelry unless you ask us about it. And here's why. Because we are respecting your boundaries. We go through a lot of training and we learn a lot about different boundaries. And one of those boundaries is a physical boundary. That means that when I say undress to your comfort level, some people leave their underwear on, some people take them off. Everything important will be covered by draping at all times. We will only drape the area of the body we are working on. If I come back in after I've given you that and you're on the table and you've decided to keep your socks on.

Speaker 1 00:21:02 Unless we already have a great professional relationship and I'm very comfortable saying, hey, did you leave these socks on on purpose? Most of the time we will just pretend the socks are a part of your body. We will pretend the jewelry is a part of your body and we will mention it. So ask the question or take it off. It's totally up to you. We've talked about it, but we're going to go back over it, because I really need you to understand. Preparing your mind and body for your massage includes relaxing and breathing. Okay. Now, how do you relax? Everyone relaxes differently. Some people can't relax in that dead quiet. some people can't stand the background noise. Find what works for you. If you are able to come to your massage a few minutes early and sit in the car and just relax. Play on your phone. Listen to music five ten minutes before your massage. Do that just because we're finishing up with our last client and we aren't able to let you into the office, doesn't mean you can't be here a few minutes early to just breathe.

Speaker 1 00:22:23 There is nothing for most of us anyway. There is nothing more stressful than having to rush to a place and then run in because we're behind schedule. So do yourself the break the service of getting there a few minutes early. Take a deep breath. Listen to your favorite song. Okay, now you're coming into the office. You've asked all your questions ahead of time. You're hydrated. You've had your snack. You've showered, you've exfoliated. Now it's just time to breathe. Tell me a little bit about what aches today because typically intakes are done once a year. so what are you feeling today? What are your problem areas? What do we want to focus on? How do you want to feel at the end of your massage? I don't always ask my clients that, but it's a great question. And if you know how you want to feel at the end of your massage, this is a great time to tell us. Hey, these are the parts that are bothering me at the end of this massage.

Speaker 1 00:23:31 I want to feel relaxed. Or if the end of this massage I want to feel less pain, less stressed, or here, here's one I don't hear very often, but it's an option. At the end of this massage, I want to feel energized. Why does it matter? Because we are able to tie in different massage techniques based on what your goal is for this service. Okay, so now you're on the table. You've asked all your questions. You feel comfortable with your massage therapist, you're informed, and it's time to breathe. Why do we breathe during massage? Deep breaths. Activate the rest and digest. Or the parasympathetic part of our nervous system. Why is that important? We have our stress and fight or flight, which is our sympathetic. And then we have our rest and digest which is the parasympathetic. During massage, activating our rest and digest portion of the nervous system allows the work to be more effective. So let's take the time to take a couple of deep breaths. your massage therapist may also be able to help guide you into that.

Speaker 1 00:25:02 Guide you into deeper breath, because the work that we are getting ready to do will benefit you for the next 24 hours, the next 48 hours. We might even get a couple weeks out of this. Who knows, maybe even a month or two. You never know. But we want you to get every benefit out of this service. Most of your favorite massage therapists love what they do, and they want you to feel the benefits of the work in the best way possible. Okay, so get your rest, get your massage, and feel amazing afterwards. Now that you've decided to get your wrist, I would like to bring it back to the Bible. Right? Because Sacred Vessel Wellness is all about understanding that the vessel we were given is a blessing from God, and we are learning to care for it and honor it through a biblical lens. Okay. Why is massage important? It activates your nervous system or relaxes your nervous system and provides rest and recovery. We've talked about the Sabbath, okay.

Speaker 1 00:26:23 Everything we do has a purpose. Everything God did served a purpose. And most of the things he did, if not all, are still serving a very large purpose for humanity. So surely if our God is intentional and he took a day to rest, we as image bearers, as people that he has placed on this earth to represent him deserve rest. Yes, I get it. You're busy. You're doing all the things. Use. Rest is still important and unfortunately, if you don't give your body the rest, it needs the rest it was designed to have. It will take it and it will typically take it in violent form. So give your body what it needs, get your rest and hey, get a massage on your rest day. I love you my beautiful sunshine and I hope you have an amazing day or night. I will talk to you next time. Bye.