Massage

Massage
is one of the easiest ways of attaining and maintaining good
health and well being. It’s 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.

ABDOMEN

It is natural to rub your stomach when it aches, and any form of
massage, however basic, is extremely comforting. It is also good
for menstrual cramps. Lie down to massage your abdomen with your
knees bent up.

1.
Stroke clockwise around your abdomen with one hand following the
other in a circle, using the whole surface of your hands.

2.
Knead all over your abdomen with your fingers and thumbs. Then
roll onto your side to knead your hips and bottom. Turn onto your
back and stroke around your abdomen again.

3.
Pummeling hips: To wake yourself up after a massage, pummel your
hips and bottom vigorously. Stand up and with loosely clenched
fists, pummel the area very quickly. Not only does this leave
you feeling refreshed and energized, it also improves the circulation,
muscle tone and skin texture. Keep
your wrists very flexible. Flick your hands away as soon as you
strike the skin.