Whichever you prefer. There is no rule that says you have to remain quiet during a massage nor is there one that says you have to make small talk with your therapist. Some people find it impossible to relax while chatting and prefer to focus on the massage or possibly even drift off to sleep a little.
Others are perfectly capable of relaxing while chatting and enjoy the conversation. Some people chat a little here and there and remain quiet for the rest of the session. All are perfectly acceptable. Our rule as a therapist is that we minimize conversation but if the client on our table does, we are happy to converse with you. You can usually tell when the person is done talking and wants to remain quiet for a bit. It is never rude to remain quiet the whole time. I’m not there to be entertained; we are there to give you great bodywork!
I’d really like a massage, but I’m uncomfortable with our body. I’m not sure if I want a stranger seeing me unclothed.
First of all you will remain mostly covered during your session. Despite this however it is important to realize that a massage therapist sees many, many people of many different shapes and sizes. As a professional therapist a person’s body is just another body and, if anything, is appreciated for its uniqueness. You should feel no less comfortable during your session than you would at a doctor’s office, and hopefully after a few minutes much, much more comfortable!
If you are still not convinced, express your concerns to your therapist. If their words don’t make you feel more comfortable then you can always “ease in” to being unclothed by keeping some of your clothes on for the first few sessions until an appropriate comfort and trust level is established.