Why it's called Swedish massage?
Swedish massage is based on the Western concepts of anatomy and physiology as opposed to energy work that is more common in Asian-style massage. It is the foundation for other types of Western massage, including sports massage, deep tissue massage and aromatherapy massage.
What happens during a Swedish massage?
We lubricate the skin with massage oil and performs various massage strokes. These movements warm up the muscle tissue, releasing tension and gradually breaking up muscle "knots" or adhered tissues, called adhesions. Swedish massage promotes relaxation, among other health benefits.
Before your first massage with Zizu, you will fill our consultation form, and speak about your health condition, problems, injuries or other conditions that we should know. Things you would want tell us include areas of tightness or pain, allergies, and conditions like pregnancy. You can also tell us up front if you have a preference for light or firm pressure.
It's best not to get a massage if you are ill.
After the consultation, we instruct you how to lie on the table -- face up or face down, and underneath the sheet or towel -- and then leaves the room. We will knock or ask if you are ready before entering.
The nudity factor
During a Swedish massage you are almost nude underneath a towel or sheet. We ask you to take off all your clothes except your underwear. We uncover only the part of the body we am working on, a technique called draping.
You usually start by laying face up. We generally start by works your head and face without using oil. After that we continue your massage on your feet, front of legs, arms using various massage strokes that include effleurage, kneading, friction, stretching and tapping. When done with the front side, the therapist holds the sheet or towel up and looks away while you turn over onto your back and scoot down; then we quickly cover you again. Then we massage the back of each leg, buttocks, and generally we finish with your back.
Sometimes work has been done in a different order. If you only have 60 minutes, you can also ask us to spend more time on a certain area. If the pressure is too light or too firm, you should speak up and ask the therapist to adjust it. Swedish massage usually includes some deeper work on areas of specific muscle tension, but if you truly want deeper, more intensive work and firmer pressure, book a deep tissue massage.
