The Soothing Art of Massage

Giving a thorough and effective massage isn't only easy - it's fun. For you don't need any familiarity with formal anatomy to give a good massage. Nor do your need the Herculean hands of a burly Swedish masseur. And all that's needed in the way of equipment is some padding to lay on the floor and some vegetable oil.
Do you and your partner have a few idle moments and a warm and private room? Then you're ready to begin learning the soothing art of massage. Read on - and enjoy.

The first instruction is: Don't use your bed for massage. A bed is too soft to provide a finn enough support. So, instead of bouncing around on yours, take two or three blankets, fold them lengthwise on the floor, and cover them with a sheet. You can also use foam as a padding; or move a single mattress on .to the floor. But whatever padding you use, make sure it's at least an inch or two thick, and it should be wide and long enough so that when your partner lies down, there's still room for you to sit or kneel to one side.
Also, you might want to turn off the overhead light; both the atmosphere and your partner will be more relaxed. Bright light that JaIls directly on the face will cause your partner to tense his or her eye muscles.
Keep the room warm and free of draughts. George Downing, author of The Massage Book, cautions. that 'Nothing destroys an otherwise good massage more quickly than physical coldness.' If your partner begins to feel cold, use a spare sheet to cover the body parts that you're not working on.

Now prepare the oil. Why use oil at all? Without a lubricating agent, your hands can't really apply enough pressure and still move smoothly over the skin. When applying oil, put about a half teaspoon into your palm and then spread it smoothly on your partner's skin. Keep the oil near you during the massage; a shallow bowl makes a handy container. Cover the entire surface area you're about to massage-- arm, leg, hand or back - with a barely visible film. Massage experts recommend vegetable oil- but don't use peanut or com oil. Sesame and olive oils are the easiest to wash out of sheets and clothes: You can scent the oil, mixing in a few drops of essences such as clove, cinnamon, lemon" rosemary or camomile
'Does that feel good?'

Before you actually use specific strokes, here are a few general hints. Keep your hands relaxed. Also, apply pressure. You'll probably discover that your partner wants quite a bit more pressure than you had expected. But use the weight of your whole body 'to apply pressure rather than just the muscles of your hands and arms.

Experiment with all,the different ways of moving your hands that you can think of. Move them in long strokes. Move them in circles. Explore the structure of the bone and. muscle. Move slowly - then speed up your tempo. Or use only your fingertips, pressing them finrl1y against the muscles or brushing them lightly over the skin. Gently slap. Or tap. Ask your partner for feedback: Is that enough pressure? Does that feel good?

While you're taking care of your partner, don't forget to take care of yourself. Keep your back straight whenever possible. And don't worry about how much or how little you do. You'll be moving and positioning your body in many new ways; if you don't take care of yourself, you'll end up with sore muscles. For now, concentrate on one or two body parts .at a time.
Although the massage is arranged in a particular order, you should start, wherever you want and end wherever you want. If you decide to work on , more than: a single part, apply more oil each time you move to a new area.
Finally, try to minimize the amount of turning over that your partner has to do. (It's easiest to work on the arms, hands, feet and neck while your partner is lying face up.)
Most of the strokes described here were taken from Dowing's Massage Book and from Psychic Massage by Roberta Delong Miller. These books are excellent for those who want to learn about massage.

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What is Massage Therapy?

Any method of pressure on or friction against, or stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping, pounding, vibrating or stimulating of the external soft parts of the body with the hands or with aid of any mechanical electrical apparatus or appliances with or without rubbing alcohol, liniments, antiseptics, oils, powder, creams, lotions, ointments or other similar preparations used in this practice, under such circumstances that it is reasonably expected that the person to whom treatment is provided ...
Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints. A form of therapy, massage can be applied to parts of the body or successively to the whole body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.
The manipulation of skin, muscle, and joints (usually by hand) to relax muscle spasm, relieve tension, improve circulation, and eliminate wastes. Over 80 types of massage are in use today. Various forms include: acupressure, athletic, polarity, reflexology, rolfing, shiatsu, sports, Swedish, traeger, and watsu.