Every time you go to a new massage therapist, they always end up saying the same thing right before they leave you in the room alone:
"Undress to your comfort level"
What does that mean???
If you're anything like the rest of us, you are pretty comfortable in whatever clothes you came to get a massage in.
Well, depending on the type of massage you are receiving, you may need to take some of your clothes off.
Relaxation
Do you leave your bathing suit on when you go soak in a tub after a long, stressful day? Not usually. For a relaxation massage, it's much easier for us, as therapists, to help get all of your muscles to relax if we can access them. Every part of our training for a Swedish massage (which is the term we use for a more relaxing approach) helps us to relax your body, including the part of the massage where we're applying the lotion or oil to your skin, in long, soothing strokes.
We usually start face down, so if you ladies aren't completely comfortable removing your bra, we understand! What you can do is unhook your bra and remove the straps, leaving the cups over your breasts, so that way you feel more comfortable, and less exposed.
As far as your lower body, (underwear or not) it's up to you, because we will NEVER uncover a part of your body that we are not working on at that moment, so there will always be some form of a cover on your body.
Deep Tissue/Therapeutic
For the most part, the rules of the relaxation/Swedish Massage apply to this type of massage, as well. However, when we are doing a deep tissue/therapeutic massage, we like to integrate some stretching into the routine. With stretching, it would be easier to guarantee your modesty if you wear something along the lines of bike shorts or something of the like.
As always, it is about your comfort
In conclusion, here's a little cheat sheet:
You'll be under the sheet at all times!
Shirt- off
Pants- off
Bra- out of the way
Underwear- optional
If you are receiving stretching as a part of your massage, bring a pair of shorts (and a sports bra/bandeau if you have breasts) in order to make sure there are no mishaps
Feel free to ask your therapist if you have any questions