How to make yourself ready for your bodywork session?

It is always important to ask yourself whether you are physically, emotionally, and mentally prepared for a bodywork session. Are you feeling well enough? Has your medical condition changed? Are you taking different medications, which may affect you differently during and after your bodywork treatments?

Oftentimes, your preparedness for treatments is also influenced by changes in your social environments. Work or your family’s environments may have suddenly unusually stressful. Although your may return to a more relaxed state during your treatment, its effects may make you more vulnerable to other people’s stresses, especially when you live or work closely with them.

Things to bring to your bodywork treatment

The things we suggest you bring are mostly optional. Strictly spoken you are not required to bring anything to your bodywork visit. However, as you progress through your sessions you may identify a few items that can aid your treatments and support the somatic healing experiences that usually follow. Others may simply help you stay comfortable when you leave our practice.

Some of our more experienced clients assembled a small bag specifically for their bodywork sessions. They packed a few items that helps them gain most out of their visits. Some are practical, such as a bottle of water and a change of clothes. Others are of a more personal nature, such as a sketch book, journal, scented oils, and healing crystals for example. Many also pack a change of clothes. Especially when you are new to our bodywork therapies it’s usually best to bring some items that help you stay comfortable.

The following list offers some suggestions on what to bring to your treatments. Beneath this list is another that includes the things you should avoid bringing or doing.

Mobile phone

In this digital age it is hard to go anywhere without our mobile phone. It is therefore very likely you will have it with you when you arrive at our practice. However, please put it on silent or in airplane mode before your treatment starts. Because bodywork sessions give you time to be solely with you it is important to remain uninterrupted.

If others expect you to be contactable during your bodywork treatments time, make sure they understand that you will be switching your mobile phone off during your appointment. Knowing that you are likely to be contacted during your session will help you relax.

Jewellery

We will ask you to remove your jewellery before we start your session, especially those that are worn in the area we are planning to treat. We may exclude your wedding band and engagement ring. Please discuss with your therapist if you wish for jewellery to stay on you, especially when you feel this could amplify the effects of the treatment.

You will not be required to remove pierced jewellery. However, please inform your therapist of their presence, even if they are set in locations that remain hidden from view. Your therapist may prefer not to use certain tools, techniques, and methods in and around these areas, especially when these could lead to adverse effects.

Drinking water

Although we provide fresh drinking water at our practice it is good to bring a flask of your own. This allows you to hydrate yourself immediately before and after your treatment. You may also bring hot or cooled-down herbal tea. We recommend not to consume or bring caffeinated and energy beverages. We do not permit the consumption of alcohol at our practice.

Flat footwear

Generally, you should avoid wearing anything that causes your body to adopt an unnatural position. We therefore recommend not to wear high-heeled footwear before and after your treatments.

Change of clothes

Some of our clients prefer to change from their work attire to a more comfortable outfit after their treatment. As some treatments may cause your body temperature to change it is often best to also bring something that keeps you warm and dry.

Avoid wearing delicate lingerie, including bra’s, panties, and stockings. Instead, wear and select practical underwear, made of natural fibers if possible.

We require you to wear low underwear during treatments, even if you do not usually wear this. In such cases, please bring a pair with you!

Notebook or recording device

Clients also bring a notebook or recording device to journal their treatment experiences. We only allow you to record audio during treatments with our express permission. Photography and video recording is strictly prohibited before, during, and after treatments.

Things to avoid before your bodywork therapy and treatment

There are a few things you should avoid doing before your bodywork therapy and treatment –

Dust, sand, and soil

We are lucky to have a practice that is located close to a large park, walking tracks, and beaches. If you plan to spend some time on one of these beaches before your treatment reserve some time to shower before your arrival. Dust, sand, and soil can irritate your skin during and after your treatments. You may use the shower at our practice if no other option is available.

Body oils and lotions

Most of our bodywork therapies and treatments are typically best performed on ‘dry’ and unoiled skin. We ask you therefore not to use any oil-based body products for at least three hours before your treatment. If you wish to use a sunscreen product before your visit, please select one that can be absorbed quickest.

Scents and perfumes

Please avoid using strong-scented products before your treatment as these may permeate our treatment’s bed linen, tools, and equipment. For bodywork therapy it is important to keep the practice’s temperature, humidity, aroma, and ionisation carefully balanced to maintain an optimal treatment environment. In as much as your oil-based scent or perfume may be lovely we ask you kindly not to bring it into our treatment room.

Deepen your somatic healing experience

We strongly suggest you read all our bodywork care pages before you visit us for your first session. Together, these pages provide a complete overview of the healing journey we wish offer you. All steps are designed to deepen your somatic healing experiences. We also invite you to revisit these pages regularly as we continue to update their contents.