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Go Often.
Honestly, there's nothing more enlightening than experience. Learn what you like, what heals and nurtures your body and soul. The actual act of visiting a spa is truly the only way to discover what works for you. The more you try, the more you will learn what you like (and don't like) and each visit can increase your ability to reap its benefits.
Frequency can also help you define the outcome of your session.
Ask Questions.
Inquire about the menu. It will save both you and the spa receptionist a lot of time if you have taken a moment to look at their treatment menu online or as a brochure. Make note of the things that interest you and ask the spa receptionist if she thinks any of these are right for you based on your experience level, preferences and health concerns (if any).
Understand Your Treatment.
Knowledge is indeed a powerful tool when leveraged on spa treatments. Being informed about how a certain therapy may be able to affect you can deepen your session — both emotionally and physiologically.
Drink Water.
It's crucial to drink plenty of it before, during and after your visit. Water hydrates the body's tissues on a cellular level, prompting the system to cleanse itself and function with fluidity. Just as you would want to hydrate before a workout, well-watered muscles (including those of the face) respond better to the activating pressures of massage, allowing the therapist to work more deeply.
Sufficient hydration also encourages the removal of toxins. Flushing your system will reward you with compliments on how great your skin looks, how well rested you seem, etc. Drink up.
Eat Lightly.
The days preceding your visit can help prepare you mentally and physically for your treatment. Cutting back on (or eliminating) sugar, caffeine and hard to digest foods like red meat will prime your system to detoxify with ease. You're also likely to feel lighter, happier about your body and more in tune with yourself. Plus, it increases the likelihood of your "staying clean" afterward, to extend the bliss of your visit and more fully reap its rewards.
Take Your Time.
Visiting a spa means you're taking time out for yourself. Allow for plenty of time before and after your booking in order to transition from your real world to the spa world. Taking the time to unwind and slow down before your appointment will make your visit more pleasant (mind) and more beneficial (body). And, with most spas running like clockwork with no more than 10 minutes between sessions to allow for prepparing the room for the next client, every minute counts. When you're late, spas can't afford to give you that time at the other end of your treatment, which means you've just taken your 50-minute massage down to a 40-minute session. Suffice it to say, your body would have loved to soak up the extra attention.
Speak Up.
A good spa session requires that you communicate what you like — or at least don't like. It could be pressure, music, conversation, scent, temperature … don't accept what you don't want. You are in charge.
Although it's common courtesy to avoid aggressive communication, in a spa it is particularly unproductive. You may well be disrupting the perfectly peaceful experience of fellow patrons who were wise enough to get what they wanted. Consider the cause and effect of your comments; most therapists really are doing their best. One need not dismiss the entire spa out of hand; sometimes we have simply been paired with the wrong person. It's also possible we weren't willing to let someone please us either.
Learn to Relax.
Relaxing the muscles and settling the mind are a great assist to your therapist. Even if you're dead tired, it's not always easy to relax (although practicing the first tip — spa often — can help free you of any anxiety or unease). Various mind-over-matter techniques like deep breathing and visualization come in handy and help bodywork go deeper. Relaxing helps keep your mind in your body or at least in the room.
Stay Calm.
Unless you're someone who finds massage or any other spa treatment super-energizing, you may not want to plan a strenuous day or host a dinner party for 10 afterward; savor the moment and let the healing sink in.
Book In Advance.
It is all too common to look forward to spa-ing but find the spa fully booked upon arrival. Call ahead. This is truly one of the only ways to get the time, therapy and results you want.
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