Written by: Rachel Tice, LMT, RYT200, Breathwork Instructor, Holistic Wellness Practitioner, Owner

You have booked a massage with Sacred Transcendence, and it is finally your turn on the table! Once you have arrived at the Essential Energies building ten minutes before your appointment time, you walk into the building and have a seat. You have a seat and pull out your phone to call/text the Sacred Transcendence team to notify them that you have arrived for your appointment. Your Licensed Massage Therapist lets you know that they will be right up. The Sacred Transcendence office is located in the middle of the Essential Energies building and it is a small walk to the front of the building. The therapist greets you and asks if you need to use the restroom. The therapist directs you to the restrooms located by the Yoga room. After using the facilities, the therapist directs you to remove your shoes prior to entering into the Massage room. This helps keep debris out of the massage room where therapists and other clients may walk barefoot. You take a seat in a comfy seat and are handed in depth paperwork. New clients are required to fill out paperwork to participate in any services at Sacred Transcendence. The therapist explains that the paperwork is extensive so that the therapist can get a better view of what they could potentially encounter within your massage session. Questions about your orthopedic injuries (sprains, strains, breaks, etc.), medications and supplements you are taking, surgeries you have had, as well as a list of pathologies (diseases/heath issues) you have had in the past as well as are currently taking. All this information can also be used in case of a medical emergency where ambulatory services may be needed to be called. This information is kept confidential. Upon completion of the intake the therapist explains that postural assessment is needing to be performed. (Returning clients do not have to fill out paperwork unless it has been a long time since their last appointment and new policies have been implemented. Verbal intake is performed every time you arrive for a massage, energy work or body balancing service. Sacred Transcendence requests everyone arrives ten minutes prior to their appointment time or their appointment may be cut short to respect other clients scheduled appointments.) 

Postural assessment is performed for Therapeutic Massage to visually see what areas of the body are not in good postural alignment. Postural assessment is when we take three pictures of you in front of the posture grid, as well as measure for forward head posture. The images are stored in private and confidential SOAP notes. SOAP Notes are notes about the client, the session and plans the therapist and client has made to aid in the client's wellness plan. Postural assessment is done and it is time to get on the table. The therapist will offer a face cradle cool pack and table heat for your comfort during your massage as well as what type of lotion you would like to use. Sacred Transcendence offers several scented and a non-scented lotion to choose from. Cool packs are used to help with fine lines, wrinkles, headaches, congestion and comfort while lying face down on the massage table. The cool pack is similar to an ice pack but not hard and rigid. It is pliable and is placed in the area of the massage table where you will lay your face while prone (face down). You can choose not to use a cool pack. Table heat is used to help keep you warm on the table as you are asked to remove your clothing except for your underwear. You can become cold during massage as you become more relaxed. If you are someone who wears a bra and are not comfortable removing your bra, please make sure that your bra opens in the back so that your therapist can work on your back while keeping your safe and covered while on the table. The therapist leaves the room, allowing you to undress and get on the table and underneath the covers.   

The therapist knocks on the door, and enters the room after hearing you gave the all clear. The therapist closes the door behind you and approaches the table, placing the cold pack (if you choose to try it) in the massage face cradle as well as the bolster under the feet if it was suggested to start face down (prone). There are other ways to start a massage, but one of the most common ways to start a massage is start face down. The therapist undrapes only the areas of the body that they are currently working on to provide a safe environment for the person on the table. Around half way through the massage the therapist will ask you to turn over onto the other side of your body. (If you started laying on your belly you will scootch down towards your feet the turn over onto your back. You should not have your head on the face cradle, the place where you just had your face.) After the massage is over the therapist will leave the room so that you can get dressed. Once you have dressed and opened the office door, the therapist will come back into the room to book your next appointment, if you want to reschedule and to cash you out. This is the most common experience of someone booking a Therapeutic Massage with one of the Sacred Transcendence team. Our therapists are trained to assess postural dysfunction, what causes postural dysfunction, anatomy, physiology, and pathology. All of this helps make our therapists equipped to help relax the muscular system to aid in postural health, to help with range of motion, as well as to help with longevity. We are beyond thankful for you trusting us with your wellness journey and we look forward to continuing to work with you! Namaste!