Massages & Sensory Deprivation Tank?

[NeedleinA]

So, there have been some fairly intense (emotional) threads before, this is not one of them.

My wife and I went to Miami a couple of months ago for her birthday. Her big thing is she loves massages at the day spa. I'm "okay" with them at best. I never feel like I'm really relaxed, always an edge of tension with a stranger touching me. I only will do couple massages and refuse to have a "male" for either of us. I did get tricked into getting a facial by myself while in Miami. I swore it was supposed to be a couples facial, but it wasn't. 

Apart from a massage, has any one tried a Sensory Deprivation Tank before? They seem a little different (hippie type). 

1. Do you get massages? 
2. Massages by the opposite sex?
3. Massages without a spouse?
4. Tried sensory deprivation tank before?
5. How do you feel about your spouse getting a massage without you?

Just for fun thread, but obviously I've thought about it before

 

Edited March 7, 2016 by NeedleinA

[Guest]

I've never had a professional massage (just hubby), but I've been thinking about it. I used to cringe at the thought of having a stranger put their hands on me, but some chronic aches are changing my mind. A professional in a clinical setting, working out those knots, sounds pretty good to me. 

 

I don't think I could ever in a million years get Faramir to agree to a massage, couples or otherwise. 

[NeedleinA]

15 minutes ago, Eowyn said:

A professional in a clinical setting,

This might make all the difference. We have only done massages in day spas, not in clinical settings. I will mention, this not a regular thing for us, just on special occasions, otherwise we might break the bank. 

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Needle, Im amused (in a fun way) that you don't want either of you to have a "male". So your wife needs a same sex masseuse, but you get the opposite sex? Convienent...LOL.

No, I've never had a massage. It sounds fun, but...we'll for (obvious reasons?) that is just not something I would be comfortable with. I don't really touch people outside of my family and I don't want to be touched. When I recognized that it put an abrupt halt to my goal of being a nurse LOL.

For others it's fine. I would care if my hubby had a massage (from a male or a female).

[Guest]

I have had about ten professional massages after being introduced to them by my wife.  I was initially a little uncomfortable, but if you get them at an actual spa and not a "massage parlor", there is nothing wrong with them and they are not sensual or whatever in any way.  I am slightly more comfortable when a male does my massage, but I have had them done by members of both sexes, as has my wife.  It really isn't a big deal, and I know active church members who happen to be massage therapists.

I will say that I generally tell the masseuse to not go into the gluteal region (the rear end).  Otherwise, while the masseuse never directly massages the rear end, they go surprisingly low on the back, and I have been somewhat uncomfortable when they go too far down on the back, though this is a personal preference and is not necessarily "wrong".

 

[NeedleinA]

19 minutes ago, LiterateParakeet said:

Needle, Im amused (in a fun way) that you don't want either of you to have a "male". So your wife needs a same sex masseuse, but you get the opposite sex? Convienent...LOL.

Oh trust me LP, I knew the moment I typed that, someone would jump on the double standard. My wife just saw this thread and left the room laughing at me and my jealous double standard too

[Vort]

I have had massages before. I once had a massage given by a man, which I expected would be great. It was not. Unless the massage is given by my son (or, presumably, my brother), I do not enjoy massages from men. It is obviously a subconscious psychological thing that I prefer women, and the fact that I am only comfortable with a woman (known or unknown) massaging me sort of makes me suspicious. I have no problem with my wife getting a massage; I trust her implicitly. Strangely, she wants a massage only by a woman. I have noticed the same phenomenon with physicians.

[Guest]

I don't see the appeal of the sensory deprivation tanks.  I thought it was considered a form of torture.  I see the allure of weightlessness.  But all the other stuff seems like it would be very disturbing.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

I don't see the appeal of the sensory deprivation tanks.  I thought it was considered a form of torture.  I see the allure of weightlessness.  But all the other stuff seems like it would be very disturbing.

 

I agree, but it would have been absolutely heavenly when I was carrying my twins. Okay, maybe just the weightlessness. 

[NeedleinA]

8 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

 I see the allure of weightlessness. 

I have just recently found out about SDTanks and haven't bothered to even figure out... what is inside that makes it weightlessness... Mormon Jell-O?

19 minutes ago, Vort said:

I have noticed the same phenomenon with physicians.

I am this way with my primary care doctor, male only. In addition, even though a member of our Stake is a doctor in our area, I prefer to go someone unknown to me in my personal life. 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

what is inside that makes it weightlessness

I read some articles (some disturbing) after you posted about these. I'd never heard of them. At any rate, they apparently use a strong Epsom salt solution.

[NeedleinA]

9 minutes ago, Eowyn said:

I read some articles (some disturbing) after you posted about these. I'd never heard of them. At any rate, they apparently use a strong Epsom salt solution.

Okay Eowyn. You can't leave me hanging now. What is the disturbing part? Salt make your shrivel up like a raisin? Basically floating like the old school Great Salt Lake pictures you see?

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

Okay Eowyn. You can't leave me hanging now. What is the disturbing part? Salt make your shrivel up like a raisin? Basically floating like the old school Great Salt Lake pictures you see?

One girl talked about having to work through a panic attack. All talked about losing all sense of not only space but time. That would not relax me.

[NeedleinA]

9 minutes ago, Eowyn said:

not only space but time.

Yes, I did hear about this, I think this is one of the main goals. The "tanks" or chambers did look fairly small, so I could see a claustrophobic panic attack setting in for some folks. 

[zil]

IMO, a sensory deprivation tank would only be appealing to those with strong imaginations.  When I want to work on a story, I find it much easier to do so in a dark room, glasses off, no sound, lying down.  Sounds and things to look at are very distracting.

Otherwise, it could well be a form of torture (depending on the person), or a means of disorienting someone to make them more pliable - especially if used for an extended duration.  I'm reminded of an episode of The Equalizer...

[Guest]

Maybe it's my strong imagination that I'm afraid of.

[prisonchaplain]

4 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

So, there have been some fairly intense (emotional) threads before, this is not one of them.

My wife and I went to Miami a couple of months ago for her birthday. Her big thing is she loves massages at the day spa. I'm "okay" with them at best. I never feel like I'm really relaxed, always an edge of tension with a stranger touching me. I only will do couple massages and refuse to have a "male" for either of us. I did get tricked into getting a facial by myself while in Miami. I swore it was supposed to be a couples facial, but it wasn't. 

Apart from a massage, has any one tried a Sensory Deprivation Tank before? They seem a little different (hippie type). 

1. Do you get massages? 

Yes. I love them.

2. Massages by the opposite sex?

Yes. Males can usually go deeper, but female therapists have a gentler touch, and can sometimes get the pin-point spot that's needing attention more easily.

3. Massages without a spouse?

Yes. We went to the same place once, but were not in the same room.

4. Tried sensory deprivation tank before?

Nope.

5. How do you feel about your spouse getting a massage without you?

She doesn't like them as much, but supports my going. The place I go is a massage school, so we're in curtained areas, rather than private rooms. Also, they have supervisors who can pop in at any moment to check on or help a student-therapist.

Just for fun thread, but obviously I've thought about it before

 

 

[Iggy]

3 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

So, there have been some fairly intense (emotional) threads before, this is not one of them.

My wife and I went to Miami a couple of months ago for her birthday. Her big thing is she loves massages at the day spa. I'm "okay" with them at best. I never feel like I'm really relaxed, always an edge of tension with a stranger touching me. I only will do couple massages and refuse to have a "male" for either of us. I did get tricked into getting a facial by myself while in Miami. I swore it was supposed to be a couples facial, but it wasn't. 

Apart from a massage, has any one tried a Sensory Deprivation Tank before? They seem a little different (hippie type). 

1. Do you get massages? 
2. Massages by the opposite sex?
3. Massages without a spouse?
4. Tried sensory deprivation tank before?
5. How do you feel about your spouse getting a massage without you?

Just for fun thread, but obviously I've thought about it before

 

1. My first massage was a Chair Massage. You sit in a special chair with your face resting in a horse shoe cushion. With all of your clothes on, your scalp, neck, shoulders, arms and back get massaged. I would recommend at least a 15 min. massage. Anything shorter and your don't really get relaxed. Every month where I worked, the employer gifted all of us with a 15 min. chair massage. I LOVE IT. When I moved to AZ, Hubby gifted me with a day at the spa. Facial, bull body massage, mani/pedi, shampoo/set/style. I paid extra for cut. The only part on my front was from my neck to just the cleavage and then my legs. The first masseuse only knew Swedish style. I felt abused and bruised when she got done even though I told her repeatedly to ease up, that it was too rough and hard. The next year, when I called to set up the appointment I wanted to know how long their masseuse had been with them. New gal, NOT swedish style. This one was much better. She was older and she included full scalp massage in with the full body. She never blinked with I told her to not include belly or breasts.

Since moving back to Oregon, the gal who did the chair massages has open up shop that she shares with another masseuse. I go once a year, because she is booked up and I can only get in once a year. I like her. She is not upset or nasty regarding me being LDS and the fact that I insist on keeping my garment bottoms on. My first time for a full body massage, Hubby went with me, and he got a chair massage. He wanted Deep massage and she complied. I was gifting him this for his birthday and paid for a 30 min massage.

2. If my masseuse retires, moves away and there is a male masseur who is just as good or better than her, then I will go to him - -BUT Hubby will always be there with me.

3. Like I said, I go to my masseuse (female) alone. AND always after I have gone to my chiropractor.

4. I have claustrophobia, so would never do a SD tank.

5. Hubby would never go without me. As LDS neither one of us is alone with the opposite sex ever!

One thing I would like to stress is that ALL masseuse and masseur ARE professionals. At least the ones I have gone to here in Oregon and Arizona. They have to go through schooling, put in lots and lots of hours practicing on friends (for no pay) and keep up their schooling when they renew their licenses.

Day spas are just as professional as 'shops' that are just for massages. My chiropractor now has a masseuse in his offices. If I so chose, I could go to his office in the next town, have his masseuse work on my AFTER he has 'seen' me. Hubby just might go if the Dr. also had a masseur. His back/ hip problems are so deep that it just may take a masseur with strong hands and muscled arms to work them out. BUT I like my gal better. She knows where I hurt the most, and after, we sit, drink water and then she 'levels' out my chi.

Too often one thinks of those 'shops' in the back of Adult Stores where prostitutes give 'massages' as massage parlors.

I would love to find a place where I can get a facial though. Man oh man did I love the ones I got in AZ.

[pam]

I've only had a chair massage. A company I used to work for used to bring in a massage therapist once a month and offer them to employees that wanted one.  Only 10 minutes. But I loved them.

As far as the tank, after taking a look at pictures, I would be just fine until they closed the door or lid to them.  Then I would freak out.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

I have just recently found out about SDTanks and haven't bothered to even figure out... what is inside that makes it weightlessness... Mormon Jell-O?

I am this way with my primary care doctor, male only. In addition, even though a member of our Stake is a doctor in our area, I prefer to go someone unknown to me in my personal life. 

As Eowyn said, it is an epsom salt solution.  Regular salt reaches saturation at an S.G. of 1.2 or so.  The epsom salt solution reaches saturation at about 1.3, but they keep it a bit lower to prevent precipitation.

When it is around that level, all parts of the body are kept afloat whether you're breathing in or out, whether you have 20% body fat or 2%.  And even Ironhold's dense skeletal structure would probably be kept afloat..  Then the water is supposedly kept at skin temperature.  But I'd really expect it to be a bit warmer.  All this is to make you feel like gravity and temperature of null effect.

I've had multiple massages.  Two by men and I think they were better than the women.  Only one woman could really push hard enough to get the knots out.  One of the men was a guy in my ward.  As he got close to my glutial region, he said,"Let me know if I'm getting too personal."  Then he shoved his elbow into my hip joint.  It was then I realized that the pain I'd been feeling in my lower back was really a projection from a problem with my hip joint.  So, I've been doing hip stretching ever since.  That part of my lower back is a lot better.

The other man was a Chinese massage therapist--really big guy.  And just by looking at the procedure, it is very different than other massages.  They don't do the circular motion of the shiatsu.  They use their palms in a back-and-forth motion.  And they do it across the muscle rather than down the muscle.  This is supposedly dangerous.  But it sure felt good.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

12 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

Oh trust me LP, I knew the moment I typed that, someone would jump on the double standard. My wife just saw this thread and left the room laughing at me and my jealous double standard too

Just so we're clear...I wasn't "jumping" only teasing.

 

[NeuroTypical]

Some of us have various local news stories equating "massage" with "prostitutes that are exploiting a legal loophole and haven't been shut down by the cops yet".    Interesting thread from that perspective.  Some of you folks are shocking my sheltered sensibilities!

 

[NeedleinA]

9 hours ago, Iggy said:

 bull body massage,

5. Hubby would never go without me. As LDS neither one of us is alone with the opposite sex ever!

So first... of all the types of massages, I would pass on a "bull body massage", trampled does not sound appealing at all!

Second, nice safety precaution you and your husband have in place. 

9 hours ago, pam said:

closed the door or lid to them.  Then I would freak out.

What type of "freak out" I wonder??
Chic - Le Freak (Freak Out)

[pam]

7 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

 

What type of "freak out" I wonder??
Chic - Le Freak (Freak Out)

Hey I love that song.  Used to be one of my favorite songs to dance to back in the day.

[pam]

And FWIW...I still know all of the words.