Grooming
Rubdown rules
By Myron D.R. Mariano
"Pain after your treatment might indicate that the massage wasn't done correctly"
1 Make an appointment. It's not necessary, but it saves you the bother of waiting for a therapist.
2 Bring nothing. Spas customarily provide you with a change of clothes—robe, pair of slippers, and massage shorts (or disposable underwear)—when you book a treatment with them. What you might want to bring are incidental toiletries like a hairstyling product in case you need to be somewhere after your treatment.
3 Enjoy the wet area. "You can always just go to a spa and have a massage," says Rona de Vera of SM Kenko Spa (536-7777, www.networldhotel.com/en). But spas have a Jacuzzi and a steam room so guests "could start feeling relaxed even before they undergo their treatment," adds de Vera.
4 Pick the therapist you're comfortable with. With the proper training, the massage techniques—notably the amount of pressure they can give—of both a male and a female therapist should be the same. (Their training is regulated by the Department of Health and Department of Tourism.) "Some clients can't have a therapist of the opposite sex because of their religion," says Marylyn Joven, general manager of SM Kenko Spa. "But generally, you pick the gender of the therapist based on how okay you are with them seeing you disrobed."
5 Don't worry about getting a stiffy. Longtime spa-goers just brush it off; first-timers agonize over its occurrence. Be the former. "[Getting an erection] is normal during a massage," says Joven. "It just means your body is becoming more relaxed." Same is true with passing gas. "We offer a detox-type of treatment [at the spa], and it's meant for your system to function better. Your fart tells us it's working," she adds.
6 Talk if you feel discomfort. "Pain after your treatment might indicate that the massage wasn't done correctly," says Joven. Notify the therapist immediately if something doesn't feel right during the treatment—don't sit through it.