How do I or the masseuer behave inside a massage room and what are the proper ethics?

What to expect:

There are a few things that is good to know before walking in to the massage room and meeting with the masseur/masseuse. They will ask you how you spend your time (what you do in your daily life), how you eat, if you exercise and if you do it regularly. They will also go through your medical checklist of prior medical history and ask you about symptoms you might have or something you might be allergic to. So a full consultation is like standard.

Next the massagist will tell you to undress and lie on the table face down with a towel wrapped around you. You´ll be able to keep your underwear on by the way ;). You should be covered all the time from one point to another. The law in north america states that the body has to be covered at all times except the part that is currently being massaged.

Most people do prefer to disrobe completely but keep their underpants on for a more comfortable massage. The massager will step out of the room until you´ve done so and will only return on your verbal queue. Or he might knock on the door to check if you´re ready. This bond of trust between the masseuse/masseur and client needs to be gradually build from session to session to get the most relaxation and effect from the massage experience.

He or she is going to adjust your table to make it as comfortable for you as possible aswell as getting you into the ideal position (and no, it´s not THAT position you might be thinking of). Right about now you might want to mention if it´s to warm or to cold if the massagist doesn´t ask you first.

Usually the massager will start from the top down if not instructed otherwise. After a couple minutes of massaging, you will be asked to turn over facing up.

If you thought there was a "silence is golden"-rule you thought wrong. Many people want and like to talk during a rubdown, of course you don´t have to, but it´s always nice to tell the masseuse that she is killing your back and that she should, for the love of god, stop immediately.

When the massage is finnished the masseuse leaves the room for you to get changed. A tip is not to get hasty while getting up. Rest for a minute or two to let your body readjust. If you get up to fast you might cause a "circulatory shock" (aka dizzyness) to your body. There are a few factors contributing to your "rest time". One being your body mass, another your pulse and bloodcirculation. So don´t get up to fast, it can make you dizzy and be uncomfortable.

A general rule is resting for 30 or so seconds and drinking plenty of fluids afterwards to rid yourself of body toxins. Do not excersize or involve yourself in any excessive activities. Let at least a couple of hours pass after a massage before you do that. I can not stress this enough, this is a very important rule to follow.