Things to have
- massage cream or massage oil. If you don’t have this you can use baby oil or any vegetable oil (olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, etc), it leaves the skin extra soft. Never use moisturizers, hand or body lotions, they dry our too fast and you have to keep reapplying too often.
- Two or three towels (two to use under their knees, then they are laying on their back or to use under ankles when they are laying on their stomach, and the third to cover them if they feel chilly)
- Maybe a pillow to use under your partner’s head
- Maybe a bolster to sit on (make sure you are comfortable and never sit in any awkward position to work on)
- Loose fitting close, you must be able to move freely and easily.
Key stress zones
Primarily
Most tension concentrates on the neck, shoulders, between the shoulder blades, upper, lower back and hip area.
We all experience tension in this areas at some time, the neck, shoulders and back, our buffer between mind and body and tighten to restrain uncomfortable emotions. Attitude towards work and responsibility are reflected here; when relaxed the neck shoulders, hip and back are very important for a balance body.
Secondary
Face, hands, legs and knees.
Face muscles tense in order to hide vulnerability and present an acceptable mask to the world. Key points of tension are the mouth, jaw and around the eyes.
Hands tend to get overworked and overused tremendously, key points of tension the base of the thumbs, between the fingers and heel of the hand.
Legs and knees.
This area reveal the stand you take in the world and so reflects self-images. Rigid legs are an unstable foundation and indicate emotional insecurity, the knees manifest feelings towards fear control, submissiveness and weakness.
Giving and receiving massage
Massage is two way of flow of touch and respond, a mutual exchange of energy. The hands which both give and receive, and the muscles – these are the instruments of communication. Through your hands you perceive and discover the uniqueness of the person you were touching. Through the muscles they receive the gift of your touch, the caring contact and movement. For the healing power of massage to come through, both partners need to understand their role in the exchange, both need to give and to receive – the receiver by giving his trust, by surrendering to the giver and the giver by being open and sensitive to the receiver needs. Massage can be the form of meditation with both participants being present mentally and physically in the moment.
Benefits of massage
- Massage can improve blood circulation, helps the cardiovascular system carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells, tissue and the internal organs.
- It also helps breakdown waste products and toxins trapped in the muscles, assisting decongestion and elimination.
- Helps boost your immune system by increasing the flow of lymphatic fluid
- Directly affect the nervous system which carries messages to all parts of the body via spinal cord.
- It prevents injures by keeping the muscle fibers loose, relaxed and free of toxins
- In the event of injury or surgeries massage can help speed up the healing process.
In overall massage allows you to more freely let go of mental physical and emotional stress.
Deeper pressure and strokes
Deeper pressure on the muscles helps release emotional and muscular tension. Using hands, thumbs, fingers, knuckles, heel of the hand, the forearm or the flat of the elbow penetrate the muscles gently. Use them when you are familiar with the partner ‘s body and when you are more confident with softer more basic strokes. Prepare the area with soft rounded strokes, be sensitive to your partner’s ability to relax under deeper pressure and always check that the pressure is comfortable, lighten it if your partner tenses, deeper strokes should not be rush. Move very slowly, working with your partner’s breath and the willingness of the muscles to let go of the tightness. Do not start of finish doing deep work abruptly, add pressure graduate and lessen it as you complete the movement for a smooth finish. When using knuckles and elbows use the flat surface, do not use sharp, bony part of your body. Tension forms to protect the body and will release when ready, always respect a person’s tension and never demand or expect change.
Massage back of the body (laying on the stomach)
Back
To massage the back, lay your partner down on his or her stomach, arms by the side. Bring your hands down gently onto the upper back, then begin to travel down the center, alongside the spinal column. At the base of the spine let your hands divine and curve around to the side of the buttocks, then pull slightly up the sights, across the shoulders. Repeat until the back is thoroughly oiled.
Do not walk on your partner’s back and don’t apply direct pressure to the spine or shoulder blades, it can cause or increase injures.
Neck and shoulders
Start to work more deeply with your thumbs rolling strokes in the fleshy triangle at the top of the shoulders and the base of your partner’s neck. Use small, firm strokes, working increasingly deeply to release any tension, check that your pressure is acceptable to your partner. Stop at any point where you feel knots and work in small circular motion in the middle of that knot. Do not keep going back and forth over the same knot, this can be annoying to your partner. Just press in the middle of the knot and increase pressure very slowly. Using alternate hand rhythmically and with firm pressure knead around the shoulder blades and along the side of the rib cage, as well as on the shoulders itself letting your hands follow the contours.
Using the flat of your knuckles on a fist position beside the spine beginning at the base of the neck, push your fist along the groove beside the spine travel down as far as the middle or lower back then glide your hands back to the back of the neck and repeat.
Lower back
Using the flat of your knuckles in a fist position, place your fists on either side of the spine on the lower back (not directly on the spine) using your body weight lean onto your partner’s lower back applying firm to strong pressure evenly and you can also apply pressure on one side and then the other, you can switch pressure back and forth as well.
You can also use your elbows, position yourself on one side of your partner, place your elbow on the opposite side of the spine on the lower back and apply pressure very slowly and increase pressure making sure your partner is comfortable, always check with your partner to make sure you are pressing on the right stress point.
Back of the upper legs (hamstrings)
Apply cream or oil onto your hands and apply it to your partner’s leg. With the flat of your hand do long strokes from the back of your partner’s knee to the buttocks and around to the back of the knee. Do this a few times with firm pressure. Now you are ready to utilize your forearm, place one hand on the floor for more stability and then place the opposite forearm on your partner’s leg, starting from the back of the knee apply firm to deep pressure and do one smooth stroke all the way up to and around the buttocks and come back to the back of the knee. You can repeat this stroke several times, you can do it very slow with firmer pressure or you can do it a little bit faster. If you do it slower it is to separate the muscle fibers and open up the knots of the muscles and if you do it faster it is more to increase the blood flow and flush out the toxins from the muscles. You can do a combination of slow and fast if you like.
Back of the lower legs (calf)
Starting at the lower part of the leg (just before the heel) wring your hands gradually up and down the calf, keep your pressure even. Do this several times, this increases the blood flow and warms up the muscles getting it ready for deeper pressure if needed. Next utilizing your thumbs alternate pressure from one thumbs to another with deeper pressure move gradually up and down the muscles. If you find any areas that feel a little knotted, work that knot with firm circular motion to release some of the tension from there. Always to finish do long soothing relaxing strokes from the bottom of the lower leg all the way to the buttocks to help flush toxins and to make nice with the muscles you just worked on.
Ankle
Holding the foot firmly with one hand use the other to work around the ankle bone with fingers or thumbs, explore around the joint with small firm circular strokes, first at one side of the leg and then the other. Rotate the ankle, holding the legs just above the ankles with one hand grasp the foot with the other and slowly moving around in wide circles first in one direction for a few turns then in opposite direction. Circle the foot to the limit of it’s flexibility. Next push up and down, grasping the ankle with one hand and push down on the toes and boll of the foot of the other, flexing the foot as far as its resistance point. Then pull the front of the foot backwards with one hand and push down with the heel of the other, stretching the top of the foot and the front of the lower leg.
Foot
Stretching the toes is always great, hold the foot with both hands and give it a really nice firm squeeze. Do this a few times, squeeze and release in a pumping motion and work your way down to the arch of the foot. Supporting the foot with one hand work across the soul with the thumb of the other hand making small very firm circular strokes down to the heel and back to the bowl of the foot. Repeat all this exercises a few times until you feel you have done enough work on the foot to make it relaxed. On the arch you may find the most of us have a little knot, apply slowly firm pressure directly on this knot, you can hold the pressure for a minute or so, or you can do very small circular motion. This point maybe a little sensitive at first but it will release the tension that has accumulated there from everyday walking.
Massage front of the body (laying on the back)
When you turn your partner around to work on the front of the body always start from the legs and work all your way up to the arms, hands, neck, shoulders, scalp and finish your massage on the face.
Working the front of the legs
To apply the oil or massage cream place it on your hand (not on your partner’s body), rubbed your hands together and then rest your hands on the ankles fingers pointing up the legs. Then let them glide slowly up. When you near the top curve your inner down the inside thigh while your other hands circles around the hip joint, then pull both hands slightly down the sight off the leg and off the feet. Repeat this several times to spread the oil and to warm up the leg getting it ready for deeper pressure. You can do this stroke as slow as you want or as fast as you want. When you do it slowly it’s more for soothing relaxing kind of massage and when you do it faster it’s more like for sports massage.
Stretching the legs: hold one hand around your partner’s heel, the other across the top of the foot. Lean back until your arms taut, like ropes. Now raise the foot a few inches and lean back from your pelvis, shaking the legs slightly as you pull. Release slowly and repeat two or three times.
Working the knee cup
Overlap your thumbs just above the knee cup anchoring your fingers on the side of the knee, simultaneously draw your thumbs away from each other to make a circle around the bone from opposite direction, letting them cross above and below the knee cup. Do this several times.
Working lower leg and thigh (upper part of the front of the legs)
To work lower leg use the “V” between the thumb and fingers to press slightly along the muscles on either side of shinbone. Move your hands alternatively, letting one follow the other and creating a nice rhythm up from the ankle to the knee and from the upper part of the knee up to the hip and back., do this several times. Overlap your thumbs on the top of the knee (not on the knee cup) anchor your fingers on the side of the knee, let your thumbs circle up and outwards as you move gradually up the leg. You can do this using small strokes alternating thumbs or you can do long firm strokes to the hip alternating hands. You can do this techniques individually several times or you can do them all together several times. Another stroke you can do on the thigh is utilizing your forearm. Place your forearm firmly on your partner thigh and applying even pressure, move your forearm up and down on the middle, right side or left side of the thigh. Do this evenly, make sure your partner is OK with the pressure, repeat several times.
Working the arms and hands
Rest your oiled hands on your partner’s wrist, fingers pointing up the arm, glide your hands up all the way to the shoulders, come around to hold the arm and in a squeezing motion bring both hands down to the wrist again. You can come down in one long smooth motion or you can do it in a pumping motion (squeeze with both hands, release and move down an inch, do this again and again until you get to the wrist).
Lift your partner’s forearm so that it rests on the elbow and hold the hand in one of yours. With your other hands hold the wrist between your fingers and your thumb, laying your thumb across the inner wrist now press down the arm firmly from wrist to elbow, repeat several times.
Stretching the arm: hold your partner’s wrist and lift the arm above the hand. Now pull gently on the wrist to stretch the arm and at the same time stabilize your other hand firmly on your partner’s rib cage, so that you stretch all the way along the arm and side of the rib cage.
Now to open the palm, hold the hand with your fingers on the palm and the heel of your hands on the back. Now squeeze and stretch the hand, open by drawing your fingers the way from one another while pressing the heel of your hands down. Repeat two or three times, you can squeeze and hold for ten seconds or longer.
To work between the bones of your partner’s hand hold the wrist to support the hand, use your thumb and the index finger of your free hand to work along each of the grooves between the bones of the hands from the wrist to the web between the fingers. Now you can move on to work the fingers. Enclose the thumbs and each of the fingers in your hand, squeeze gently but firmly and pull holding the pressure. You can pull and move their thumb or fingers in a circular motion to give more flexibility to the joint. Repeat several times or as desired.
Working scalp
To work the scalp spread your hands over your partner’s head, rotate your hands in a firm motion, you can utilize both hands first or you can do one sight of your partner’s hair and scalp at a time using one hand and then the other. You can also at the same time slowly rotate your partner’s head.
Working the neck
Rotate your partner’s head to one side, make a soft fist with your hand and applying firm pressure you can slight it up and down from the back of the head to the shoulder. You can adjust the pressure according to your partner’s need. You can use one thumb and do the same thing starting from the top of the neck to the shoulder applying very slow but very firm pressure stopping at any point in between where you feel there maybe some tension. Apply direct pressure to that tension area but don’t do it too fast, allow your partner to breath as you are pressing firmer and firmer till you get to the point where is comfortable for your partner. Do this on both sides of the neck.
Working the face
Start from the inner part of the eyebrows, slight your thumbs firmly and out the sight of the hairline and of the head, smoothing the eyebrow line, then draw your thumbs smoothly and gently over the eye from the inner to outer corner and of the side of the head. Always use gentle pressure around the eyes. Then move on to the cheeks. Beginning under the inner corner of the eyes, move your thumbs across the cheekbones to the ears. You can repeat this stroke over the cheeks until you reach your partner chin. When you work around the nose be careful not to close your partner’s breathing passage. Repeat all of this strokes a few times, by this time your partner will be very relaxed or maybe sleeping.
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