spa etiquette

Dear Tanya, I am a frequent international traveler and have become accustomed to receiving massage in the nude. Will spas in the U.S. allow me to decline draping?

Probably not. While you are entitled to your preference, the profession of massage therapy has worked long and hard to establish therapeutic massage as a non-sexual experience and most states have clear laws mandating draping for the privacy of the client and the protection of the therapist. While I'm sure the spa and therapist will go out of their way to ensure your comfort, these laws are not really flexible. Even in states where no such laws exist, you should take into consideration the comfort of the therapist. While attitudes about nudity are more relaxed in other cultures, much of the U.S. is rather conservative when it comes to being ‘in the buff.' A massage instructor of mine used to always say, the therapist is 50% of the massage. If thetherapist is uncomfortable or distracted by the lack of draping, the massage is bound to suffer for it.

Send your spa etiquette questions to Tanya at editorial@healinglifestyles.com

By Tanya M. Williams, L.M.B.T.