If you are at home, a comfortable but firm surface such as an upright chair or the floor, with plenty of space to move, is ideal. Experiment with light and firm touches and feel how your body responds to both. Your responses can change depending on your mood. Be as inventive as you like, but [...]
Pressing is a stroke performed with the pads of the thumbs. The thumbs can press alternately (as over the palms), singly or one on top of the other (as over the forehead) where the body does not need to be supported. Pressing is used to release the muscles over a specific, usually small, area. The [...]
This is an upsetting problem for children, particularly older ones, but there are treatments that have worked successfully.
By three or four years old, 85 per cent of children are dry through the night, except for the occasional accident. At the age of five, around 10 per cent will still be wetting the bed. By age [...]
Sort out your hand-wash according to the colours and fabrics of the items you wish to wash, referring to any care labels for guidance.
Soak all items, apart from those made of wool, silk, non-colourfast or flameproof fabrics, for a few hours before washing to loosen the dirt. Make sure the detergent or soap powder has [...]
Effleurage is the first massage stroke. It is used to spread oil over the body and to prepare your partner by relaxing the surface of the muscles, it also gives you a chance to ‘feel out’ any areas of tension before you begin. Effleurage strokes are always very gentle, relaxing and reassuring. Effleurage each area [...]
Wringing involves a pushing and pulling, twisting movement of the hands in opposite directions, which has the effect of pressing the muscles in between the hands as they move toward each other. It is used after kneading and squeezing stroke when the muscles have been loosened, and is often used to return the hands from [...]
Kneading is a movement that really is a bit like kneading dough. It is done with the hands working alternately, squeezing and rolling the muscles. It is best used over soft, fleshy areas, like the buttocks and thighs, but can also be used over smaller areas, such as the shoulders or pectorals. The strokes can [...]