*I received a free massage from Massage Envy in exchange for my review. All opinions are authentic and my own. 

Sometimes opportunities present themselves that seem coordinated by my inner thoughts. Things that I’ve been wanting or meaning to do bust just didn’t get around to yet. A few weeks ago, I was invited to participate in an opportunity to get a massage at Massage Envy (Rough blogger life, right?) and didn’t want to let this go to waste.

I’m not someone who makes getting a massage or facial a regular part of my routine, but with the amount of stress I put on my body–from taking care of 3 girls, running my own business, and exercising daily — I’ve come to realize that maybe I should. In fact, after the birth of my 3rd daughter, my body just didn’t feel the same. Of course I was a little older, but I had new aches and pains in places that I used every day (wrists, hips, forearms) and I didn’t like it! As I mentioned, I never thought of a massage as something I needed. I always thought of it as an extra expense– it was a treat and not a treatment. However, after learning more about the health benefits of massage, I realize now that massage is another way to take care of my body, the way I do with healthy eating and exercise.

I pride myself in being an example of healthy habits for my girls: we eat clean foods, I exercise daily doing things they love like dance, and I treat myself to “mom time” at the end of the day (They completely understand my need to watch my guilty pleasure Pretty Little Liars). Which brings me back to the massage opportunity. There is a Massage Envy in a shopping center that I visit just about every day (supermarket, pharmacy, coffeeshop, clients), so it’s already in a convenient location. When this opportunity popped up, I took it as a sign to prioritize the ME time. And I glad I did!

I made my appointment for a Sunday afternoon, when I’m usually unpacking groceries and getting things ready for the week ahead. Sunday is not usually a relaxing, low-key day for us, and so it was nice to do something alone and for myself for a day.

When I arrived at Massage Envy Montgomery (follow them on Facebook) 15 minutes early (per their instructions to make time for paperwork), I was immediately taken care of by the attentive staff. After handing in the questionnaire, I was told that my therapist Pete was one of the best. Yay me!

I took a seat in the waiting area, which quickly filled up with what seamed to be regulars to the spa. A few people caught up with the staff as if they were picking up a conversation where they left off last time. That’s always reassuring when a handful of people know the staff well and are obviously long-time patrons.

On a table in front of me was a binder with massage therapist biographies and articles explaining the benefits of massages. What I learned about Pete was that helping others is his passion, and he customizes each session to clients’ specifications (that’s good!). His specialities include sports massage, reflexology and deep tissue.

After a few minutes, my name was called and my very friendly and enthusiastic therapist guided me through the door and into a much longer hallway than I expected. He led me to the room which, like the hallway, was dimly lit and had very soothing music.

The first thing Pete asked was what brought me in that day. I told him I had 3 kids to which he responded, “say no more!” I proceeded to tell him that a) I never follow advice to switch my handbags to my left shoulder, and so my right side is tight and off balance, b) because of my job, I spend hours on the computer and have noticed pain in my wrists, c) I also never stretch enough following my workouts, which has caused my muscles to feel permanently tight, d) I flinch whenever anyone lightly touches my lower back on either side of my spine (which has made getting massages in the past a little uncomforatble), and d) did I mention the 3 kids?

I’m glad I gave him a laundry list of concerns, because that helped him tailor the session to my needs. Since he specializes in sports massage, he used some physical therapy techniques to work through some of my back issues. He also spent more time on my upper back/shoulder/neck tightness, which I had mentioned were some of my main areas of concern.

When it came time for him to work on my back, he kept my sensitivity in mind and used a gentle touch. He was able to tell what amount of pressure and speed made me flinch and was able to adjust his technique.

And then, just like that, my hour was up. It immediately made sense why there was a poster on the wall right above my head that said “Imagine 30 more minutes.”

I was totally in a happy place for an hour and, when it came time to roll off and get dressed, I felt like one my girls when they are reluctant to get off the couch. Most importantly, I felt invigorated and motivated to make this a regular habit. Not only did my body feel better, but I learned a lot about the benefits of stretching and massage. Pete also told me of an ice massage that I could do to help alleviate my wrist pain. He said he did it regularly to keep his hands in top form–since that’s his career!

If you’re like me and have been putting off a very necessary massage treatment, then get your busy butt over to your nearest Massage Envy. If this is going to be your first massage EVER (outside of your significant other or child doing karate chops on your back), have a look through Massage Envy’s overview of the first visit. Everything that I experienced was right on target with their 4-step guide. Give them a try for n introductory 1-hour session at $59.99 (+ tax) and then it’s $69.99 per month if you decide to become a member. Benefits include:

• A customized massage every month, or a Murad® Healthy Skin facial for $10 more;
• Additional massages and facials at low membership rate;
• Unused massages rollover;
• Earn free massages and upgrades;
• Family add-on specials;
• Retail discounts and more.

With Labor Day fast approaching, take advantage of the 3-day weekend to get some ME time. Or you can wait until September 16th, when Massage Envy will be donating $10 from every massage or facial to the Arthritis Foundation as part of their Healing Hands for Arthritis event. Learn more about Massage Envy and find the nearest spa to you at http://www.massageenvy.com.