1. Breathe. Deep breathing during your massage centers your mind and relaxes your body.

2. You’re the Boss. This massage is all about you. Massage therapists appreciate specializing a session based on your needs. Silence is not golden in the massage room.

3. Be Specific. Do you want more pressure? Less? Is the room too cold? Would you like the entire session on your back, neck, shoulders, fingers, and feet? The more you tell your therapist, the more they can customize the massage to fit your needs.

4. Release and Let Go. Avoid helping your therapist by turning you head or lifting an arm. The therapist is working, not you. This can take practice. If you find yourself doing it during a massage, go back to number one and breathe deeply; visualize yourself relaxing that body part, as well as others.

5. Be There. Enjoy the moment. Stop formulating your to-do list, or thinking about where you’re off to next. Focus on your body. Feel the touch and allow yourself to get lost in it.