Create a Serene Massage Room

I discovered the advantages of creating a serene massage room in my home after my husband was badly injured in a sporting accident. What the Japanese culture had known for many millennia became gradually clear to us. Releasing muscle tension, increasing blood flow and energy flow, as well as realigning the spine, all directly affected Dan's pain and range of mobility.

Since we couldn't afford to pay a masseuse on a regular basis, we decided to create a serene massage room in our basement, where I could treat my husband myself. I'd like to share the steps I took to create this serene massage room, and to weave-in my story of why these steps had helped turn a painful accident into a bonding experience for me and my husband.

The Massage Table

It all began when I saw a massage table at Costco. It could fold and fit in my car. It was affordable and yet high quality. The height of the legs was adjustable, and the head rest could fit on either side. Though not as cushy as the massage table at our Doctor's office, ours has been at the heart of our serene massage room for two years now and we love it.

I recommend positioning the massage table at an angle in the middle of the room, to leave the masseuse plenty of space to move around the table. The person on the table should be able to raise his arms to the sides and front without hitting the walls or door.

Because the height of the massage table legs was adjustable, I was able to set the table very high, which allowed me to treat Dan while standing up. However, on days when I wanted to massage his neck or feet alone, I could lower the massage table and sit on a chair.

The Masseuse's Chair

Creating a serene massage room should work both for the patient and the masseuse. Therefore, find a small stool that's easy to move around the table (perhaps one with wheels), but also make sure it is very cushy and easy to sit on for a long while if necessary. Of all the things I used to create our serene massage room, my cushy stool is my favorite.

Heated Sheet

We created our serene massage room in our empty basement bedroom. But it was always very cold down there. A friend then gave us an electric sheet as a gift. Not only did the sheet heat the massage table to a pleasant warmth, it also solved another problem we experienced during treatments.

Though I would get very warm will giving the massage, Dan would feel cold. Once the heated sheet was added to our serene massage room that problem was solved.

Electric Hearth

To create a serene ambiance in our massage room, we added a small electric hearth. With the door closed, the hearth could heat the room to a comfortable temperature in just a few minutes. And the fake flames created a soothing interplay of light and shadow on the walls when we dimmed the overhead lights.

Dimmer

In creating a serene massage room, lighting plays an important rule. Because we tended to shift the light intensity frequently during treatments, I replaced the light switch on the wall with a simple dimmer. The dimmer was very cheap (at my home improvement store), and it came with simple installation instructions.

Candelabra

To put the final touches to creating our serene massage room we hung a candelabra in the corner. Using the metal chains typically used for hanging light fixtures we were able to lower the candelabra, so I could see the candles at eye-level when I stood beside the massage table. The light of the candles together with the fake fire in the hearth created not just a serene massage room but a romantic one.

Massage Chair

Pain will change your perspective on things. And so it was that we invested in an expensive massage chair that would help treat Dan on nights when I was too tired. In creating our serene massage room we initially thought only of Dan's injuries, but we soon realized that I could get a massage now too. Our serene massage room become the place we visited to relax at the end of long, hard days.

Functional Side Table

Our serene massage room needed a table to hold creams and ointments, as well as support a table lamp and a CD player. We opted for a cheap wine rack that we found in a garage sale. In the small table drawer, I could store all our creams. I stored blankets and pillows on the wine-slot shelves, and I positioned the table near the massage chair so even while getting a massage I could turn on the light or change the music. I could even reach for a blanket. In short, in a serene massage room everything should be at your fingertips.

Music

No matter how well you create a serene massage room, its ambiance will be shattered if you choose the wrong music. My friend gave us a gift of several massage room music CD's. These are soothing and feel as if they set your spirit free. Invariably, we found our favorite massage room CD and we began listening to it exclusively. We never tired of the music, and, moreover, we were able to tell how long the massage had been going on by which track was playing.

Clock

Finally, we learned that in creating a serene massage room that will lock out the world, there must also be a very realistic clock that will keep us in touch with reality. It can be very disorienting otherwise. For one thing, too long a massage would cause Dan to miss his medication times. In addition, we would feel disappointment at seeing that our whole evening had slipped away.

Conclusions

Creating a serene massage room gave me a way to help Dan with his pain. It also helped us come closer. No longer was I asking disinterestedly how he was doing, but I was wondering if my treatment of last night had helped to reduce his pain the next day.

Creating our serene massage room also gave us a place to hide from the world. The candle light, the music, the warmth of the room enveloped us in serenity and shut out the day. It helped us relax and sleep better at night. It gave us time together when otherwise Dan would have gone to bed in pain and I would have sat alone in the living room.

For more of my home improvement ideas, I hope you'll visit my collection of 80 Home Improvement Projects for Women.