What gets me wondering is why some supposedly bona fide "naturist" therapists charge a LOT for the privilege? Surely that's going against all this altruistic stuff that we read about.
I totally agree Melanie. My view is that I save on the laundry costs; less towels and massage uniforms to wash! I believe my massage price is fair and dont amend it based on whether or not it is draped, undraped or naturist.
In the
If you receive a naturist massage here in the states at a naturist resort or club, the price is generally less expensive than one that is not inside a resort by about 1/3. Usually, in a resort, it is generally a therapist who may live there year round and doesn't see the need to charge more - actually, all of the massages we have received in a resort are naturally naturist style!!
But out in the world the price is generally the same as if it were not a naturist massage we have found
Each to their own I guess!
Ok, I dont have much of an input into this kind of topic but I have recently been chatting to a man who lives in Australia and he told me he swears by Ka Huna Massage (hope thats how you spell it) He said it was similar to Lomi Lomi and also he said he always has it given when he is naked and undraped.
Now he has really virtually sold it to me. Not one part of his explanation sounded sexual nor seedy, he in fact tried to explain that it is a massage on another level. More connecting the client and therapist on a holistic spiritual level and helping the soul in way. Not sure if this is making sense but i cant remember word for word but i was almost convinced. He made it sound like i was the mad one wanting to keep my underwear on and said its just a way of life over there that people wander the beach daily half naked showing the beach their bits n pieces so whats the problem with showing someone who is trying to help you physically and spiritually. I see his point.
Maybe its about time we should start appreciating our bodies a lot more instead of wanting to hide them away, I am not saying we should all be exhibitionists but our bodies are not just "sex" objects but we are sensual, spiritual beings. I know its late and i am just waffling but it all makes sense in my head!!!!
He really did give me a whole new take on it, I just think the UK is behind the times in a lot of ways!!
Ka huna massage is lomi lomi, specifically temple style lomi lomi, not Auntie Margaret lomi lomi, which is relatively prudish compared to temple style. http://www.celtickahuna.com/ are in Ireland and trained with the Australian school that calls lomi lomi ka huna massage.
I do temple style lomi lomi, draping is minimal, it doesn't interfere with the flow of the massage, except for when the therapist is turning the client over. The therapist turning the client over is not done by all practitioners, you've got to be fairly confident in your ability to cope if someone slides off a table, or if you are strong enough to lift the client off the table. If the therapist is not turning the client, using a bit of draping that's smaller than a hand towel does not require a lot of fiddling/tucking/adjusting/correcting/ wasting time etc for the therapist. Now if a client is wearing underwear underneath the bit of draping that is smaller than a hand towel, THAT requires a lot of fiddling/tucking/adjusting/breaking contact with the body, and can affect the flow of the massage. Ka huna in Australia is well known for the fact the client needs to be naked UNDER the draping. A lot of ka huna therapists are fairly casual about the draping, the school is casual, the students are casual, the practitioners are casual, but not all practitioners do undraped ka huna, depending on their insurance/professional body ethics, they may or may not be allowed to, but then ka huna practitioners are generally fairly casual about insurance/professional body membership. The ka huna c ourses don't cover any anatomy, so they are very much about the feel, not the why.
I don't care what a client is wearing under the draping, I explain no underwear is recommended for lomi lomi and LaStone, any other style, I don't care either way. If they leave underwear on, I can work around it regardless of style.
I agree with Reiki_Yorks!
However I'm not a naturist and would never carry out a massage naked, however I can understand the concept of the client being naked as it makes the massage more continuous and flowing. Saying that I wouldn't advertise it and if a client had experienced a naturist massage and was wanting to be naked, it would have to be women only!
Sorry guys but I'd feel too uncomfortable.
In the early days of my business I had a caller who wanted a massage but as a naturist wanted to be totally undressed - at the time I was not happy to do this and said so and tried to offer several other therapists who would be happy to - this caller rang me several times trying to persuade me to massage him to the point that I felt bullied -
Yes, this just happened to me too. I;m a new therapist and was completely shocked a grossed out when some old man asked me to stare at his body for an hour and a half. I'm sorry, but my price would double/triple if I had to stare at an old man's body for that long. I know I am going to offend people on this, but I married the man I did because I CAN (and love to) look at him naked. I didn't become a therapist to stare a naked people, I became a therapist to help people with their muscle aches and pains and encourage stress relief and relaxation, and because I enjoy to give massage. And that's that!
I do not think I am in the right place and time in my life to massage old naked men. I would however consider it if it was a female, but funny that....females don't feel the need to ask for something like that! Ha! Men....lol
I'd keep quiet about the "attractive young girl" bit if I were you!
I think we need to remember that we are massage therapists, as therapists we treat people in all states of undress, regardless of age, gender, creed, race or disabilities.
People do come in all shapes and sizes and they all require the same care, and attention irrespective of their looks.
Yes, this just happened to me too. I;m a new therapist and was completely shocked a grossed out when some old man asked me to stare at his body for an hour and a half. I'm sorry, but my price would double/triple if I had to stare at an old man's body for that long. I know I am going to offend people on this, but I married the man I did because I CAN (and love to) look at him naked. I didn't become a therapist to stare a naked people, I became a therapist to help people with their muscle aches and pains and encourage stress relief and relaxation, and because I enjoy to give massage. And that's that!
I do not think I am in the right place and time in my life to massage old naked men. I would however consider it if it was a female, but funny that....females don't feel the need to ask for something like that! Ha! Men....lol
Reading the comment by leasianna, one would easily come to the conclusion that given the right price - my price would double/triple- she would be willing to stare, or even massage an old mans body.
"Ha!...lol"
A.
I've had lomi lomi massage completely unclothed and loved it. I also had a hot stone massage where I was asked whether I was comfortable being unclothed as it was possible to get better sweeps over the hips etc, again no problem at all.
Well said Paul. I tend to keep my own council and not post too frequently but 'leasianna's' comments moved me to stick my oar in. Maybe because I'm a 64 year old male therapist! I can't remember the last time I 'stared' at a clients body. Young, old, fat, thin, black or white. As a Lomi Lomi practitioner I look beyond the flesh to the 'body within'. Quite often I masage with my eyes closed. I don't want to get to 'spiritual' but I treat the person. What they look like is immaterial.
I have to agree with Pauls comments as well
I had absolutly no idea what this male client looked like or how old he was - the point I was making was that at the time when I was new and nervous I didnt want to have a naked man on my couch and despite offering details of a couple of therapists in his area he kept ringing me, trying to get me to change my mind and I felt bullied.
This was a few years ago now and I am more relaxed around male clients and also have been working in a clinic which has a largely male clientel (osteopathy clinic) - like one of the other girls said in a prev post I trust my gut reaction to callers male/female
At the time I was new and mobile and ItEC were so anal about covering everything up
Dont old men need massages too? People of all ages, sizes, shapes, wrinkles or not, saggy bits or not, deserve to be treated as the PEOPLE they are not just bodies that you label as "old and wrinkly" because they do not fit the stereotype of what you like to look at naked. You shouldnt even be starring at the body for an hour, you should be treating the person as the whole person they are. Massaging with your hands and intuition not your eyes. Get over yourself. Did he actually ask you to stare at his body for an hour or to massage him for an hour? Dont for a second assume that its just men who ask for naturist massages as i know male therapists who have women ringing up for naturist etc. A good therapist comes from within and no matter how highly you rate your own level of attractiveness you just made yourself possibly the least attractive therapist by your short sighted comments. I only hope your clients dont pick up on your attitude as you are massaging them. Remember one day you will be old and wrinkly so will your partner!!!
I think a section
I agree, perhaps a special forum in the Lifestyle section is appropriate