Finding the right massage music can make a big difference in how a massage is experienced by the client. The music played will of course depend on the type of massage given, but in the following I will discuss music that is relaxing and aids the client in letting go and receive the massage.
For the Massage Créatif I like to use music that is flowing and soft, but still a bit rhythmic. Music that supports the strokes and gestures I make. Celtic inspired music such as Loreena McKennit, Enya and Clannad is very good. The music is soft and relaxing, and the voices of the singers add an almost dreamlike quality to the sound. Their voices become another instrument in harmony.
For the first session I often use this playlist for a one hour massage:
- Loreena McKennit – The Mystic’s Dream
- Sort Sol – Let Your Fingers Do the Walkin
- Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
- Loreena McKennitt – The Mummers’ Dance
- Enya – On My Way Home
- Jeff Beck – Declan
- Gus – Don’t Fear The Reaper
- Clanned – I Will Find You
- Loreena McKennitt – Skellig
- Porcupine Tree – Collapse The Light Into Earth
- Enya – A Day Without Rain
- Secret Garden – Nocturne
- Era – I Believe
- Dream Theater – Eve
The tracks are ordered so the music will match the part of the body I likely will be working on. Of course, since all clients are different I might spend more time on one part than another. The tracks are not set with a specific part of the body, but rather a general mood suiting the entire massage.
The backside will often benefit from a more rhythmic style of music, something more energized. While soft slow music is best suited for the front. This is where the client will reach the most relaxed state and the music should support that. The two last tracks are very suited for the conclusion, floating away on thoughts, drifting and dreamy while the client slowly returns to the present.
I have more than one playlist so there is variation for the client during a Massage Créatif. I add more tracks by Loreena McKennit, Clannad and Enya, but also tracks like Jade Or – Bielka Nemirovski, Ishtar – Comme Toi, Frédérick Rousseau – La Fille De Pékin, Tibet Project – Tibet and Emma Shapplin – La Notte Et.
As alternative I also enjoy using Vangelis’ sountrack to 1492 – The Conquest Of Paradise or just putting on CD’s with my favourite Celtic artists. For a more quiet and slow massage Jean Michel Jarre -Waiting for Cousteau and Kitaro’s Silk Road series are good options. While for a more energetic massage Era and Enigma are good artists.
The music played during a massage session should match the type of massage and the aim of the massage. Energetic music for a massage aiming at energizing the person and quicken the bloodflow. Slow relaxing music when the aim is to bring the client to complete relaxation.
The music will also be a reflection of the massage therapist and her personality and style. A sort of fingerprint and clue to her philosophies and ideas about relaxation and massage.
Here's a suggestion : Try Peter Gabriel's CD “Passion : music for the last temptation of christ”. With the exception of one track that is way too upbeat, the CD is quite good; On the whole it feels tribal, transe-inducing, african, and suits the mood well for a relaxation massage. Hard to describe really, but worth a try…. I know I enjoy it!
Posted by MasterBaker | Monday 26 October, 2009, 01:04We all find the music styles that suits our personal expression. With my LaStone I'm including Native American inspired music. I discovered a good Native musician named Robert Mirabal who has a soul-touching flute and really makes the mood perfect for the Cocooning and for the LaStone Therapy. Some of his other music is rather modern, a fusion of different styles, though much of it isn't suitable for a relaxing moment.
Posted by Pia | Monday 26 October, 2009, 10:20