Research shows that music has a great impact on massage therapy. The right music can relax the client’s mind, allowing the body to follow. The relaxed muscle tissue is then more responsive to therapeutic touch which helps achieve the client’s goals of stress reduction and pain relief. The wrong music in contrast can cause the client to become agitated, feeding anxiety. The result is tense, stubborn tissue and a lackluster massage. But what is the right kind of music for you?

“What people say soothes them, soothes them, even if it’s heavy metal,” says music therapist Joanne Loewy, DA, director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. “The most important aspect is how it is incorporated in your life.” everydayHealth.com

When selecting music for your massage, I suggest thinking about the time before, during, and after the massage.

Before the massage, take advantage of the short drive to Adel and listen to music that puts you in an upbeat mood. Consider the drive part of the therapy- a chance to switch gears and transition your thoughts to personal well being.

Music during and after the massage depends on what you have planned. Is this a quick lunchtime chair massage with the goals of feeling invigorated? Bring in something that pumps you up. Needing to clear your head before a big event? Select something that focuses your mind.

My collection includes bluegrass, folk, sitar, piano with seascapes, classical, and rainstorms- which I rotate as my mood suits. Please feel free to bring in your own sound selections- I have a CD player, with USB jack and Radio. I have given massages while listening to a book-on-CD and The Best of Dio- whatever soothes you, works for me.