If you have been feeling particularly stressed out, it just might be time to have a relaxing massage. Massages are not only helpful to relax you mentally but physically as well. It helps to promote circulation and loosens up your muscles. Let go of some of your stress with a massage.

If you are an athlete or have excessively hard workouts then having massages regularly is a good idea. Massages can loosen your muscles up before a game or exercise to help them from becoming injured. It can also help after strenuous exercise to help heal your muscles and keep them from stiffening up or becoming painful.

Massages once or twice per week are a great idea. Regular massages can help with both mood and health. Massages allow you to relax and let go of the stress and tension you have been carrying around with you. Although it may not be possible for you, see if you can swing two massages a week.

If you experience stress or other negative emotions, you should try massaging specific points of your body. Target your nerve endings to get your body to relax. Sensitive nerve endings are located along your spine, the top of your head and in different parts of your face. You should try gently tapping on the top of your head, your forehead, cheeks and chin before taking a deep breath.

If you have a massage scheduled, eat lightly beforehand. When your belly is full, you may end up feeling nauseated. Just eat something like a salad, just enough to not be hungry.

Your massage therapist needs to be capable to get to your skin in order to do the massage, so you need to be prepared to disrobe. You will be able to do this in the room alone, and you can leave on your underwear. Once you are undressed and face down on the massage table under a sheet, then the therapist will return to the room.

Put your thinking on hold. One of the most difficult, yet essential elements of getting the most out of a massage is relaxing your mental state. Try to start doing some deep breathing while the therapist is setting up. Imagine that, with every inhale, you gather all the nagging and stressful thoughts in your head. On the exhale, envision blowing all of these thoughts out into space, gone forever. Keep repeating until you feel yourself relaxing.

Now you can treat your back to a high-quality massage without paying the high-quality price required from most masseuse. While being a massage therapist takes a lot of time and training, you should know enough now to give valuable massages to people you know. A good home massage only requires an aching back and some skilled hands.