November 25, 2007
Two Important Aromatherapy Massage Tips
Timing
A full-body massage can take up to one hour to complete. However, if you have only ten to fifteen minutes to spare, it is better to give a shorter quality massage to just one part of the body than to whizz through the whole sequence. The head, face, neck and shoulders, the hands and/or the feet, or a back massage, which includes the neck and shoulders, are good short-time areas. Interestingly, by giving good massage to just one part of the body, the relaxing or energizing response will spread throughout the whole mind/body complex.
Dealing With Muscle Tension
You may come across areas of the body that feel stiff, taut, grainy or even lumpy. Small nodules under the skin are caused by bunched-up muscle fibres and an accumulation of waste products. Sometimes these are so hard that beginners mistake them for bones! Soothe away any tension you may find by stroking the surrounding area. Once the area is sufficiently warmed and relaxed (after about five minutes of gentle rubbing and kneading), you can apply thumb pressure directly on the taut or lumpy area. Be sensitive to your partner's responses and ease or deepen the pressure accordingly. When applying the pressure, it helps if both you and your partner exhale with a long sigh whilst the pressure is being applied, and inhale as the pressure is released. Avoid causing intense pain. Instead, your partner should experience what can only be described as 'therapeutic pain', a dull sensation which will elicit a groan of relief. There is a world of difference between 'therapeutic pain' and that which causes one to shriek (and thus causes the muscle to contract even harder to protect itself). The only way to understand how freeing the sensation of 'therapeutic pain' can be is to experience it for yourself.
