After everything we do daily, it’s no wonder that our bodies—and minds—crave a healing, tension-releasing massage to help us wind down and feel relaxed. Often, we want someone to work out the knot in our back or crick in our neck—something your significant other may request from time to time. The truth is, you can offer a therapeutic, at-home massage that provides some of the better-health benefits of massage therapy, like easing pain and reducing stress, while also creating an intimate moment between you and your partner. Enjoying this practice together allows you to connect through the power of touch in a private, soothing setting.
1. USE YOUR BODY WEIGHT
Use your body weight so that you don’t become tired of using your fingers or hands. Among the most significant complaints heard is that one simple massages their partners for a couple of minutes. They then stop due to their hands or arms hurting or aching –this is likely exhaustion arising from improper technique, and it probably has to do with your positioning. Fantastic massage is not as about your grasp and more about your posture and using gravity to your advantage.
2. USE GRAVITY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
So rather than attempting to massage your spouse when she is standing next to you or sitting beside you on the sofa, have her sit on the ground on a pillow. You can then sit on the couch or in a chair as you stand behind her. She may also lie around the ground on some a mat, but if sitting can find some additional stretching in by leaning forward as you massage her spine. In any case, use gravity to your advantage.
3. APPLY SOME MASSAGE OIL
Do not forget that the oil. Do not just put it on your partner’s back, however, like he or she is a salad. Use the oil onto your hands and heat them up before applying them to the areas that you would want to massage. In this way, it will create a beautiful warmth for your partner.
4. KNEAD. DON’T PINCH.
Don’t harm. Avoid pinching or catching muscles. You can avoid this by keeping your palms together and together with your whole hand at the massage. Massaging is like sculpting: When working with clay, then you want to devote some time softening it at first. Likewise having a massage, use soft strokes to warm the muscles up before you attempt to knead them.
5. ADJUST THE PRESSURE ACCORDINGLY
In the beginning, ask whether the pressure is enough. Adjust as needed: When your partner needs a deeper massage, lean in with your body weight. You can also use your knuckles to targets muscles that are really stiff.
6. MASSAGING THE BACK
How to massage the back: With the base of the hand and the pads of your elbows, rub circles up and down along her spine to warm up the muscles. Be careful not to press on the spine itself.
7. USE BROAD STROKES
You can provide a more comfortable massage by using broad strokes, kneading massive segments of the muscle instead of targeting smaller regions, and using the heel of your hand or a loose fist. Even knots and trigger factors may be worked on broadly (and frequently less painfully) just by loosening the whole muscle around the knots. This is essential to keep in mind if your subject has fibromyalgia, because accidentally hitting a trigger point could lead to hours or even days of pain.
8. JUST RELAX
If your hands are tense, the massage will probably feel like it was done with rocks. Don’t overthink or examine, put all of your focus in the present time and FEEL the muscles under the skin. Giving a massage could be a really zen experience, and the more relaxed and in tune you’re, the better the massage will feel to the individual getting it. So relaaaaaaaaaaaax!
9. MORE PRESSURE FOR THE MUSCLES
The thicker the muscle, the heavier the pressure. Thicker muscles can handle (and typically need ) more tension, so don’t be scared to push down on those encouraging lower back muscles or the thick muscles that anchor the shoulder into the neck (the traps, if you prefer names). Alternately, burn on thinner muscles and muscles which extend over bone. And as always, make sure that your subject knows that it’s okay, and you really PREFER, for them to let you go deeper or lighten up.
