You don't have to always visit a massage therapist to enjoy the benefits of massage. Massage is a great way to release tension and stress and to improve your overall feeling of wellbeing.
Follow our simple steps to giving yourself a self-massage and you will soon feel on top of the world! With all of these exercises please remember that you don't want to cause yourself any pain. Never substitute self-massage for proper medical treatment. Here's how:
FEET
1. Put one hand on the top of your foot and the other under the sole. 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 each toe firmly, and gently stretch 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 ball.
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. 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.
LEGS
1. Sit on the floor with your feet together and your knees apart, forming a diamond shape.
2. Warm up your legs by moving the left knee toward the right knee and back and visa versa, in a scissor like motion.
3. Now massage your legs with long fluid strokes, from the ankles right up to your buttocks and hips to get the blood circulating.
4. Focus on each leg individually, using your palms to rub in circular motions towards your heart - first from your ankles to your knees and then from your knees to your hips.
HANDS
1. Stroke the back of your hand, pushing firmly up toward the wrist and gliding back gently. Now squeeze your hand all over, pressing it between your palm and your fingers.
2. Squeeze each finger and make circular pressures over the joints with your thumb. 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.
4. Gently slide your thumb up your wrists, towards your fingertips.
5. 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.
6. 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.
HEAD
1. Place your thumbs behind your ears while spreading your fingers on top of your head.
2. Move your scalp back and forth slightly by making circles with your fingertips.
EYES
1. Close your eyes. Place your thumbs at the inside corner of each eye socket, under your eyebrows.
2. Press and gently move the thumbs in tiny circles, working slowly towards the outsides of your eyebrows and continuing this movement all around your eyes, ending back at the bridge of your nose.
BACK
1. Stand up straight and put your hands on your waist, with your thumbs behind you and fingers facing forward.
2. Gently press your thumbs into the muscles at either side of the spine. Be careful not to press on the spine itself.
3. Keep your thumbs pressed in while you move in very small movements; up, down, and around in a tiny circle. Spend extra time where you find a tender point. Stop if it is painful.
4. Move your thumbs gradually, up either side of the spine. Go as far as your hands can comfortably reach.
5. Now gradually move back down your back and press on the bony surface at the base of your spine.
TOP
