Massage is one of the easiest ways of attaining and maintaining good health and well being. It is a healing instinct, innate in all of us, to rub an aching knee, or stroke a furrowed brow. Headaches, aches and pains, insomnia, tension and stress can all be alleviated with one simple instrument -- our hands.

 

The basis of massage is touch. There is increasing medical evidence to show the great value of touch. Touch is so natural that without it people become depressed and irritable. Observations show that children brought up in families where parents and children touch each other are healthier and more able to withstand pain and infection than those children deprived of touch. They tend to sleep better, are more sociable and generally happier.

 

Despite all the evidence to show the benefits of touch, we are still hesitant about touching each other. We think this is due to a confusion between sensuality and sexuality. Because we are so afraid of the connection between sex and touch, we have formalized touch. There are only a few occasions when adults are allowed to touch each other freely. Massage removes the taboos of touching and allows people to touch in a positive way.

 

Benefits of Massage

Massage has amazing effects on the health of the person being massaged. It improves circulation, relaxes muscles, aids digestion, and by stimulating the lymph system, speeds up the elimination of waste products. These direct benefits, combined with the psychological benefits of feeling cared for quickly produce a wonderful feeling of well-being that cannot be matched by modern drugs.

 

You can easily manage to massage yourself. Use self-massage to energize yourself before school or work in the morning, or to unwind in the evening. You can massage your feet while watching TV, or massage your hands while talking on the phone. You do not need to undress, but you must be comfortable. Use oil if you are massaging on bare skin. Sit in a chair or on the floor, or lie down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.

 

SHOULDERS

Most people suffer from occasional stiff necks, aching shoulders and headaches, so the shoulders are the perfect place to begin self-massage.

 

1. Stroke your right shoulder with your left hand. Mold your hand to the curves of your body. Starting at the base of your skull, stroke down the side of your neck, over your shoulder and down your arm to the elbow. Glide back to your neck and repeat at least three times. Then do the other side.

 

2. Make circular pressures with your fingertips on either side of the spine. Work up the neck and around the base of the skull. Then knead each shoulder; squeeze and release the flesh on your shoulders and at the top of your arms.

 

3. Loosely clench your left hand into a fist and gently pound your right shoulder. Keep your wrist flexible. This springy movement improves the circulation and can be very invigorating if you are tired. Repeat on the other side.

4. Finish by stroking softly and smoothly both hands. Start with your hands on the side of your face and glide them gently down under your chin. Slide your hands past each other at the front of the neck, so that each hand is on the opposite shoulder. Stroke gently over your shoulders, down your arms and off at the fingertips. Repeat as often as you like. This hypnotic stroke is so relaxing and can relieve headaches and tension.

 

LEGS

Knowing how to massage your own legs is very useful whether you are athletic or not. Leg massage can relieve aching after standing too long & help tired muscles recover after exercise. It stimulates the lymph system and regular thigh massage is believed by many to improve the appearance of thighs by smoothing them out & preventing cellulite. Do the whole sequence on one leg first, then the other one.

 

1. First, mold your hands to the shape of your leg, rest your foot flat and bend your knee up. Start by stroking your whole leg from ankle to thigh with one hand on each side of the leg. Begin at the foot and stroke smoothly up the calf, over the knee and up to the top of the thigh. Repeat five times.

2. Knead the whole thigh, paying attention to the front and outside. With alternate hands, rhythmically squeeze and release the flesh. This regular kneading can really improve the shape & texture of the thighs.

 

3. After that step, smooth your thigh by stroking it. Stroke up the thigh from the knee with one hand following the other.

 

4. Pummel the front and outside of your thighs with loosely clenched fists. This bouncy movement brings blood to the surface and relieves stiffness after sitting down for too long.

 

5. Massage all around your knee, stroke the area gently, then apply circular pressures with your fingertips around the kneecap. Finish by stroking softly behind your knee up toward your body.

 

6. Knead your calf muscles with both hands, alternating squeezing the muscle away from the bone & then releasing it. Then gently soothe the area by gently stroking, one hand following the other up the back of the leg.

 

FEET

It's easy to massage your own feet. If you are sitting up, rest one foot on the opposite leg. Bad posture, back ache and fatigue can all stem from unnoticed foot problem. By massaging your feet daily you can refresh your whole body.

 

1. Put one hand on top of the foot and the other under the sole, then stroke smoothly from your toes to your ankles. Glide your hands back to your toes and repeat.

 

2. Support your foot with one hand and work on each toe individually. Squeeze it firmly, and gently stretch each toe with a gentle pull.

 

3. With one thumb on top of the other, do a line of firm pressures down the center of the sole and lines on either side. Then, with one thumb, do circular pressures on the arch and the ball of the foot.

 

4. Support your foot with one hand and make the other into a loose fist. Do knuckling movements all over the sole by rippling your fingers around in small circular movements.

 

5. Then, still holding the foot with one hand, hack the sole with your other hand, Flick your hand away the moment you touch the foot, so that the effect is light and springy.

 

6. Stroke around the ankle with your fingertips, as you stroke up toward the leg and gently as you glide back. Finish by stroking the foot as you did at the beginning.

 

Hand Massage

It may seem surprising that people carry a lot of tension around in their hands. But it’s actually quite obvious when you think about how much you use your hands. Most of our movements are holding, clutching actions, so it is very relaxing to counteract these movements by opening the palm and your fingers.

 

I am sure you can think of all the abuse your hands take in a day. Especially if you use one of these things on the right of the page a lot.

 

1. Stroke the back of your hand, pushing firmly up toward the wrist and gliding back gently. Then squeeze the hand all over, pressing it between your palm and your fingers.

 

2. Squeeze each finger all over and make circular pressures over the joints with your thumb. Then hold the finger at its base and pull it gently to stretch it, sliding your grip up the finger and off the tip.

 

3. Stroke between the tendons on the back of the hand with your thumb. Stroke in the furrow to the wrists doing four strokes in each furrow.

 

4. Turn your hand over and support the back with your fingers. Do firm circular and static pressures with your thumb, working all over the palm and around the wrist.

 

5. Finish the massage by stroking the palm of your hand from the fingers to the wrist. Push into it with the heel of your other hand, then glide gently back and repeat. If you end your massage with your hands, this is a good time to apply a hand lotion to them.

 

This is the end of part one. In part two we will teach you how to do arms, abdomen, neck and face. Wait until you feel all the tension you have in your face after a day at school or work!