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How to Use the Heel of the Hands in Massage

How to Use the Heel of the Hands in Massage

Using the heels of the hands in massage therapy is a way of increasing pressure over large or tight areas of muscle. Instead of using the fingers, the wrists are tilted back and pressure is applied with the heels of the hands, enabling you to use more of your body weight. The heels can enhance squeezing […]

How to Perform Percussion in Massage

How to Perform Percussion in Massage

Percussion is a term for a particular set of movements, the most common of which are pummelling, hacking and cupping. The movements should be performed quickly and all will have a stimulating effect, increasing the circulation to the surrounding area. Personally, I do not use them very often, but they can be quite fun to […]

How to Do Pressing in Massage

How to Do Pressing in Massage

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 […]

How to Massage a Dog That Has Arthritis

How to Massage a Dog That Has Arthritis

Arthritis affects millions of Americans, but this medical condition also affects pets. Dogs that suffer from arthritis experience pain and stiffness in the joints, just as humans do. You can help your pet feel better through massage therapy, which you can perform at home. However, you have to execute the massage in a certain way […]

How to Use Circling in Massage

How to Use Circling in Massage

Circling provides a soft, round movement over the body. The stroke can be used both for far-reaching release, as over the sacrum, or as a soothing, relaxing stroke, for example, over the abdomen. You can either circle with both hands, in alternate directions, singly, or with one hand placed on top of the other. Always […]

How to Use Pulling in Massage

How to Use Pulling in Massage

Pulling is a releasing stroke used to loosen up a whole area rather than a specific group of muscles and is generally used after kneading. As you perform the stroke you pull against the body weight, so that it moves with your hands. The hands should be kept soft and rounded, beginning the strokes just […]

How to Give the Best Sensual Massage

How to Give the Best Sensual Massage

To make your massage sensual, simply approach the strokes in a different way. You can still use the familiar massage movements, but their quality and your intention will be different. Concentrate on the feel of your touch and the responses of your partner’s body, using your hands sensitively to arouse and excite. Let your strokes […]

How to Relieve a Headache with Self Massage

How to Relieve a Headache with Self Massage

A headache can range from a minor, dull ache to the full-blown pounding of a migraine. Instinctively we rub our painful head, but a massage from someone else is even better. Try out the following steps for general headache relief, always checking the pressure: on some occasions you can be so sensitive that only the […]

How to Relieve Arm Problems with Massage

How to Relieve Arm Problems with Massage

Many arm problems stem from tension in the back. Tight muscles restrict the movement of the joints, which causes an over-working of the muscles in the limbs and can lead to the nerves becoming irritated. However, with increasing problems occurring due to bad posture, prolonged computer use or desks at the wrong height, it is […]

How to Relieve Back Tension with Massage

How to Relieve Back Tension with Massage

As anyone who has ever suffered from a bad back will know, the effects can be absolutely devastating. While problems by that stage need professional attention, many difficulties have their origin in muscular tension. Poor posture and tight muscles can seriously affect the movement of the joints, which results in compression and even further restriction […]

How to Relieve Facial Tension with Massage

How to Relieve Facial Tension with Massage

Surprisingly, the facial muscles can store a great amount of tension. When we feel tense, the body immediately becomes tight and closes up. A clenched jaw, gritted teeth and fixed smile all contribute to tight muscles, which are often not felt until released. To counteract these effects, it is important to relax the jaw, keep […]

How to Relieve Hip and Lower Back Tension with Massage

How to Relieve Hip and Lower Back Tension with Massage

Many people suffer from lower back tension, a complaint which often goes along with tightness in the hips. As the support for the rest of the spine, the lower back is extremely important, yet poor posture, strain through lifting, lack of exercise and badly supporting chairs all contribute to making this a weak spot. A […]

How to Relieve Tension Headaches with Massage

How to Relieve Tension Headaches with Massage

Headaches can sometimes be caused simply through tension. Stressful situations, pressures and confrontations, an information overload or overcrowded schedules can all cause persistent anxiety and the release of chemicals within the body. These can build up, resulting in headaches which ore further aggravated by muscular tension brought about as we deal with these situations. However, […]

How to Perform Squeezing and Opening in Massage

How to Perform Squeezing and Opening in Massage

Squeezing Generally the first stroke performed after effleurage, using one or both hands, it is used to tightly squeeze the muscles, loosening tension in preparation for further releasing strokes. Squeezing the limbs is always done up the body toward the heart. Cover the entire length of the muscles in order to get the best results, […]

How to Perform Feathering in Massage

How to Perform Feathering in Massage

In feathering you use the tips of the fingers to gently stroke down the body, alternating hands for a continuous rippling effect. It is one of the lightest, softest massage strokes and one of the most delightful! Feathering is used to conclude after you have massaged each section of the body, or it can be […]

How to Massage the Neck

How to Massage the Neck

Front of the body massage begins at your partner’s neck and is effectively a continuation of the back massage. In fact, the two areas should be seen as one, but it is easier and more effective to massage the neck in this position. As the neck can be particularly sensitive to touch, you will need […]

How to Massage the Joints

How to Massage the Joints

Any work on the joints involves passive movements, your partner totally relaxing while you manipulate the limbs. It feels good and it stretches and loosens the surrounding soft tissue, which may become tight when the muscles tense up. It is also, I think, a lovely feature of any massage. The key is to make sure […]

How to Massage the Face

How to Massage the Face

Having your face massaged feels blissful. A gentle face massage has a positive effect over the whole body and can really act as an aid to deep relaxation. Men and women alike can appreciate the sensation of the face muscles relaxing, particularly around the forehead and jaw. Keep your movements as delicate and precise as […]

How to Massage the Chest

How to Massage the Chest

This massage affords you the opportunity to clear tension in the upper chest, the cause of which is particularly connected to the effects of stress. If you are massaging a woman keep your strokes either in the centre of the chest between the breasts or around the side of the ribs, but never massage the […]

How to Massage the Back

How to Massage the Back

The back is the largest and most important area you will massage all at once and so the massage itself is divided into sections of the shoulders, lower back and spine. The back is a great opportunity to ease yourself into the massage, try out the techniques, and practise the long, sweeping strokes. Most people […]