Back Massage

Back Massage Techniques and Tips

The back is where the most time is spent in whole body massage. So, it should be done carefully and accurately. This is also the region in which most people acquire the most amount of tension.

First Steps In Your Plan

1. Keep your partner, face down, with their face down or off to one side. You should be standing at the head of the table (near the head of the partner). Start with your hands on either sides of the back and create strokes down the body.
2. Work on their neck region, and stroke downwards, and slightly off to each side of the body.
3. Their are tension baring muscles in the neck area, with the use of your thumbs work into these muscles, but not too hard. Make very small circles, and work it very slowly.
4. It is highly important to avoid any sudden movements, which will disturb your client who is in a relaxed atmosphere.

Upper Back Massage

5. Position yourself at one side of the client. Hold the top of his/her right shoulder with your right hand and with your left hand on the lower back. Gently, move both hands in the center direction, so that they meet up.
6. The shoulder blade should be worked gently. This is done by forming your hands in a cup, and holding the bottom of the right shoulder. Use our thumbs or fingers to work the blades. Repeat the same procedure on the other shoulder.
7. The spine should be highly avoided, unless you are using very very very light strokes.

Lower Back Massage

8. Position your body, near the lower back of your partner. Work gentle strokes across the body, with some overlapping motions.
9. Oiling the lower back, starting from the bottom-up, is the best solution.
10. Hold the hips, and move your hands right up to the shoulder region. Stroke back down to the hips. Oiling your hands before this procedure will help.
11. Place small cushions under the upper chest of the client, if it helps you.

Massage For The Chest

The chest region is quite strong, as it bears the heart. So, some care should be given while massaging this area.

1. Work the upper chest area first, with your fingertips. Your motion should be generated outward towards either side of the body. Repeat for the lower chest region.
2. Using tiny circle motions, work right down the breastbone to the belly. The motion should get very very light, as it gets lower and lower.
3. Position your hands on the upper chest, with your fingers pointing outward, and press gently and glide your hands out of the body. This gives an idea of exiting tension.

Shoulder and Neck Massage

After the back, the neck and shoulder region is the second most common place where people bear a lot of pain. Especially for those who work in a siting state, this would help greatly.

1. Have your client lie on their front, and oil them up working up the body. Oil the upper chest region as well.
2. Work from the upper chest, right up to either side of the shoulder. The neck region should be included in as well.
3. Gently, create small circular motions along the back of the neck area.
4. Just for some relaxing and soothing feelings, give gentle sensual glides along the neck region to the chin area.

Facial and Head Massage

This massage is one of the most pleasurable ones that one can recieve. Many people get shocked with the after effects, and they come back asking for more. This is best if it is done after the back massage.

1. Form a cup with your hands, and place them on the head. Place the thumbs on the forehead and fingertips around the temples. Carry out gentle strokes on the forehead and work your way up the hairline.
2. Gentle presses in-between the eyebrows with your thumbs would be nice.
3. Softly, and getting firmer, massage the temples, using your fingertips with the use of circular motions. Continue the same motion down towards the chin.
4. Using your fingertips, draw a line from the upper lip to the temple, just along the  cheeks.
5. Firmly press and caress the upper and lower region of the eye sockets.
6. Place the ears between your thumbs and fingers, starting from the lower region to the upper.
7. Create a pulling motion of the ear, and again beginning with the lower ear region.
8. Form a cup with your hands and put them over the  ears and hold for a couple of seconds and release.
9. Avoid the throat, as it can be very dangerous.

Head Massage

1. This will consist of massaging the scalp. Placing one hand under the head as support, and using the other to massage.
2. Lightly bring your fingers through the hair, and follow to the mid crown region.
3. Avoid, step 2, if the client has a lot of hair or if you feel the task would be rather hard to carry out.

Setting Up The Massaging Environment

It clearly important to keep the massaging environment very neat and clean. Another plus, is that the area should have a warm and comfortable to it, to make your client feel at home. Some techniques listed below will enable you to create a warm, friendly and comfortable environment.

1. Dim the lights in the room, to increase the effect of a more relaxed atmosphere. Candles would be idle in this situation.
2. Fairly turn up the heat in the room, to keep your client warm. You do not want them to get cold.
3. The time of your appointment should be one where you are not lazy or busy with anything.
4. Try to wear some light clothing, and not something tight, this often will distract you.
5. Try to keep clean, take a shower, clip your nails. You do not want reek when your client is there.
6. Try to avoid wearing jewelery on you, this may hurt the client during the massage.
7. Bundle up your hair, if it long.
8. If the client or you wish to play music, make sure it is something very soothing or sensual.

What You Need

What you will need is a very strong massage table or firm/soft mattress. You may also need several small cushions or pillows to support the client during the massage. Towels and sheets needed to cover the client if needed, and some massaging oils would be handy.

Various Massage Oils

The various types of massage oils include mineral, peanut, olive, almond, peach, apricot, soya and sunflower.

Various Oiling Tips

1. Only obtain the needed amount of oil needed, for the area it is being applied on. When using too much oil, will make it harder for the masseuse to work on. It will make the body surface very slippery.
2. The suggested amount needed for both hands is only a mere half a tea spoon of oil.
3. With a sliding motion with your hands, apply the oil surface on the body, on which you want to work on.
4. If anyone wishes, an essential oil can be added for a more relaxing, stimulating or soothing feeling.
5. It would nice to keep the oil in a reachable location, maybe on a small stool or cart for easy access.
6. Avoid spills on your client, and do not pour the oil on your hands, when the client is directly below.

Last Precautions For The Masseuse

1. Try to relax quietly for a few minutes before beginning your massage.
2. Take some breathing trips.
3. Loosen up your mind, and forget about all the problems or thoughts you may have.
4. Imagine that every thought or problem is exiting your body through each exhale signal.
5. Lastly, keep your hands warm. This can be done by shaking both hands together.

My Massage Tips

Welcome to MyMassageTips.Com, the online destination to learn how to give good massages for others.

On this site, you would be able to locate information on massage techniques, types of massages that are available, the equipments needed and the idea and therapy behind it.

Massaging is recognized as a really old but most simplest types of therapy and is mainly a technique based totally on stroking, applying pressure on the various joints and painful areas. Massaging is an art, which requires years of practice and experience.

With the right techniques, massaging can work out the soft tissues in ones body, mostly this is known to improve ones muscle tone.

Many people use massaging for relaxing, soothing, healing, tension-less, pain, improve breathing.

This is only an idea and not limited to any of those that are mentioned.

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