Swedish Massage

Smooth, rhythmic movements and gentle kneading create a full-body relaxation experience. Swedish massage is a welcoming place to begin if you are new to massage, or simply prefer a softer approach.

• Long, flowing strokes
• Gentle muscle work
• Full-body relaxation

What happens in a Swedish Massage

1. A quiet startYou arrive with nothing much to decide. Your practitioner asks about pressure, anywhere to leave alone and whether you would rather talk or stay quiet, then steps out while you get comfortable.
2. Beginning at the backThe session opens across your back and shoulders with warm oil and long, even strokes. The pace is slow and repetitive on purpose, so your body stops anticipating what is coming next.
3. Through the whole bodyFrom there the work travels to your legs, arms, hands and feet, each in turn. Nothing is skipped and nothing is laboured. Gentle kneading follows the strokes wherever the muscles feel ready.
4. Turning overYou turn to face upward and the same rhythm continues on the front of the body, finishing with your shoulders, neck and scalp. A fair number of guests drift off around here.
5. Waking up slowlyThe strokes grow lighter until they stop, and you are left alone for a few minutes. Sit up when you are ready rather than when you think you ought to be.

Who Swedish Massage suits

• Suits the days when you want nothing asked of you and no decisions to make for an hour.
• A sensible first massage if you have never had one and would rather begin gently than dive in.
• If one area needs someone to stay in one place and work, choose the Deep Tissue Massage.
• If lying still feels dull and you would rather be moved, the Thai Combination Massage stretches as well.

Should you choose the shorter or the longer session?

This is a full-body treatment by nature, so the real question is how much of you gets proper attention. The shorter session covers everything at a steady pace. The longer one leaves room for hands, feet and scalp without hurrying, and for the drowsy stretch that tends to arrive late.

What to tell your practitioner

Tell your practitioner how firm you like the pressure, anywhere you would rather was left alone and whether you want quiet or conversation. Gentle means different things to different people, and saying so at the start saves you deciding halfway through whether to speak up. Any preference on scented or unscented oil is worth mentioning too.

For switching off, slowing down and enjoying a gentler massage.