The massage message has been growing. In days past, massage seemed confined to seedy shops on Alcoa Highway or upscale salons only visited by the rich and famous. In other words, you don't have to be an expert in the lingo, just be reasonably able to describe what ails you. Which is how most massages start, with the therapist asking some simple questions, after which they leave the room, you take off as much clothing as you are comfortable with removing, and slip under a sheet. A session with Rawls generally starts with a light coating of lotion, which keeps her hands from sticking and pulling your delicate skin, and long, smooth Swedish strokes that warm up the muscles.
Detailed work follows, usually concentrated on a trouble spot, like the shoulders or lower back.
An hour later, limp as a noodle yet oddly energized and focused, you leave, ready to face the bleak heart of January, the Koosh in your coffee, and all of your looming deadlines. This, indeed, at the risk of sounding like a new age flake, is what it feels like to be nurtured and at peace. You're allowing yourself to heal. Metro Pulse . Info Booth .