Massages & treatments
How to Prepare for Your First Massage Visit: A Checklist
What to eat, wear and tell your therapist before your first massage or Thai herbal compress session. Arrive relaxed and get more from every minute.
By touch of balance5 min read
To prepare for your first massage visit, eat lightly an hour or two beforehand, drink water, arrive ten minutes early and wear comfortable clothes. Write down any injuries, medications or pregnancy, and decide which areas you want worked on or avoided. Then tell your therapist how much pressure you like before you lie down on the table.
What should you do the day before your first massage?
Most of the preparation happens before you walk through our door. It isn't complicated, but a little thought the day before makes the session itself far calmer. At touch of balance, we've noticed that guests who arrive rushed spend the first part of the treatment just catching their breath, and that's time they've paid for.
Here's what we suggest:
- Drink a normal amount of water the day before and the morning of your visit.
- Eat a light meal one to two hours ahead, so you're neither hungry nor full on the table.
- Shower beforehand and skip heavy body lotion, since it can make oil or herbal compresses slide unevenly.
- Make a short note of injuries, recent surgeries, skin conditions, medications or pregnancy.
- Leave jewellery at home so you won't need to remove and track it.
- Plan to arrive about ten minutes early, which gives you time to fill in the intake form without feeling hurried.
- Keep the hour after your appointment free so you aren't jumping straight back into traffic or meetings.
Why the health note? General guidance on massage safety advises telling your practitioner about any health conditions before treatment, because some techniques need adjusting [1]. We'd rather know too much than too little.
What type of session should you book first?
This is where people overthink. Many assume they should book the longest, strongest treatment to "get their money's worth." That's backwards. A first visit is partly about learning how your body responds, and a moderate session usually tells us more than an intense one.
Our full-body treatments start from 75€ for 60 to 90 minutes, and an 80-minute full-body session is 110€. If you want a sense of how the options differ before you choose, this table helps:
| Option | Who it suits | What to wear | When to wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic full-body massage (60–90 min) | First-timers who want general relaxation and tension relief | You undress to your comfort level; you're covered throughout | Fever, acute injury, or the first days after surgery |
| Thai herbal compress therapy | Guests who like warmth and slower, pressing work | Same as above; the compresses are applied over the body | Very sensitive skin or known allergies to herbs |
| Longer 80-minute full-body session | Returning guests who already know their pressure preference | Same as above | When you're short on time afterwards |
The herbal compress option deserves a word. It's the oldest Thai therapy, practised for over 400 years, using warm compresses filled with natural ingredients. It feels very different from oil massage. Is it right for a first visit? Often, yes, if you like heat. Not sure? Ask us when you book.
For a deeper look at choosing who treats you, read our guide on questions worth asking a specialist.
Should you speak up during the treatment?
Yes. Always.
Here's the common wisdom we disagree with: plenty of people believe a good massage should hurt, and that staying silent through discomfort means they're getting real results. Actually, pain makes muscles brace and tighten, which works directly against what we're trying to do, so pushing through it often leaves you sorer and less relaxed than when you arrived.
A typical scenario looks like this. A guest lies down and says the problem is the lower back. As we work, the tension turns out to sit higher, around the shoulder blades and the side of the neck, and once we shift attention there, the back eases too. That only happens because the guest tells us what they feel as we go.
Try this: agree on a simple scale before we start. "One" means barely there, "five" means stop. Saying "three, please" mid-session is perfectly normal. You can also tell us if the room is too cool, the music bothers you, or you'd simply prefer quiet. Our training, including a top certification as a wellness expert from the Fitness Academy in Berlin, means little if we can't hear you.
Curious about the session itself, step by step? Our post on what happens during your appointment walks through it from arrival to the moment you sit up.
FAQ
Do I need to undress completely for a massage?
No. You undress only to the level you're comfortable with, and many guests keep their underwear on. You'll be covered with a sheet or towel the whole time, and we only uncover the area being worked on. If you'd rather stay more clothed, tell us and we'll adapt the technique to suit.
Can I eat right before my appointment?
It's best to avoid a large meal in the hour before your session. Lying face down on a full stomach is uncomfortable, and you won't relax as easily. A light snack is fine if you're hungry. Being starving isn't ideal either, so aim for something small one to two hours beforehand.
What should I tell my therapist before we start?
Mention any injuries, surgeries, medications, skin conditions, allergies or pregnancy. Say which areas bother you and any you want avoided. Share your pressure preference, even if it's just "gentle" or "firm." At touch of balance, this short conversation shapes the whole treatment, so don't skip it.
Is it normal to feel sore after a first massage?
Mild tenderness for a day or so can happen, especially if you haven't had a massage before. Drinking water and moving gently usually helps. Sharp pain or soreness lasting several days isn't normal, so let us know if that happens and we'll adjust the pressure next time.
