Blindfold

[OwieDokie]

I went to the chiropractor, where I don't usually go on Fridays. My previous massage therapist just left, and they gave me this new Asian girl. She was very nice as far as personality, BUT...the massage itself was very rough, erratic, and overall, not very good. I asked for lighter pressure and this girl was doing the chop type thing on my back, hard. I like a lot of lotion, but this girl kept stopping to get more lotion honestly every 30 seconds....The massage would start, stop, start, stop, start, stop.....I wondered when the massage would be over.

Anyhow, my real question is this. When she turned me over so I was looking upward, she put a bandana type blindfold on me. Is this normal? I mean, I don't like the light at all, so I didn't mind, but is this out of the ordinary? It initially made me nervous, kind of like, what the heck is she doing...

 

[Kim C]

eye pillows are very common.
some mt's use a face cloth laid over the eyes.
but a full-on tied behind the head blindfold?
not my style...imo.
great reasons for using an eye pillow:
block out the light when you're face up and the sensory depravation causes you to focus more on the stroke of massage, therefore intensifying your relaxation experience.
unfortunately, the eye pillow had nothing to do with the bad massage you received.

ps. generally i say, "here's an eye pillow to block out the light, if that's okay."

 

[astrospacerich]

I interviewed at a spa that was owned/run by Asian woman. I gave a sample massage to the owner and she made a note to give the client an eye pillow when they are supine. I would have never thought of it. I wouldn't want one, myself.

I have had a client who likes to have a light cloth placed over his eyes when he is supine, and when I do body wraps I use a light cloth then, and considered getting an eye pillow instead. But I just never would want one myself while getting a massage.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I have had eye pillows when I had a massage (only once) and i have to agree to me it was the weirdest thing ever. It actually made me uncomfortable(and yes I was a MT when I had the massage). When they placed it on my eyes at first I was thinking..."ok this is odd" then after a minute or so my mind started racing with all kinds of thoughts along the lines of "why did they just put that on my eyes? Do they not want me to see what they are doing?" It creeped me out and I could not relax at all. Grant it for the most part my eyes are closed when I am getting a massage but if I want to open my eyes, I will. It made me feel like trapped almost. I am semi claustropobic an that made me feel restricted. I will never use them and for now on I know to tell them not to put that on me.

So ace I agree with how you felt 100% and that is why I will never put one of my clients through that feeling I had. You just never know.

 

[Reku]

I use an eye cover all the time. I warm it before putting it on their eyes. I do tell them I am going to put a warm compress over their eyes before I actually do it. I have never had a complaint about it. It is filled with rice and is wrapped in a piece of flannel.

 

[Nurse Beth]

Blindfold

I went to the chiropractor, where I don't usually go on Fridays. My previous massage therapist just left, and they gave me this new Asian girl.

I am not sure why it makes a difference if she was "asian", "white", "black", "pink", "purple" or "brazilian".

Generally eye pillows are used to help relax the client. There is nothing questionable about having a session with an eye pillow or cloth over the eyes when face up. It does help keep the light down in the clients field of vision. Sometimes if it is a rice, barly or husk pillow, the weight will also be soothing. There are also eye pillows with scented herbs.

I don't use eye pillows in my practice.