Floating along enjoying her massage, Sally is startled when her practitioner suddenly applies a noisy electric percussive device to her back.

Bob grows increasingly perplexed and frustrated when his massage therapist silently holds her hands above his injured knees for several minutes. He wonders when the massage will start.

Every now and then we all need a special treat. Here are some of my favorite indulgences, and I'll go out on a limb to suggest that I'm probably not alone on some of these:

--A big piece of cake (dark chocolate, with raspberry preserves oozing
between the layers).
--An evening with a silly movie or two--as mind-numbing as possible, please.
--Shoe shopping--OK, any shopping. I'm not picky.
--A massage.

In the words of the old song, "One of these things is not like the others ..."

Receiving a massage is a time to rest and rejuvenate as you experience the deeply nourishing effects of skillful touch. As your muscles relax and your mind unwinds, do you ever wonder how to talk with your massage therapist or bodyworker? Here are some guidelines about what to expect regarding verbal communication before, during, and after a session.

Wow!” Linda said as she stood up from the chair and slowly walked across the dining room floor. “My headache is gone. Thank you!”
Had I given a complicated headache treatment or finished a full-body massage session for Linda? No. I had just given her a five-minute, impromptu seated massage while she sat on a kitchen chair. She is the caregiver for one of my elder, homebound massage clients and had been complaining of a headache, so I offered to give her a quick seated massage session.

Q: My massage therapist has birds in her massage room, and they really take away from the experience. Can I tell her they bother me? It is her office after all.