If you’ve never given a massage before, there are a couple of different techniques to do your research on before you start working on muscles.
Before you get started, it’s important to remember that if the recipient has any neck, shoulder or back pain that they should seek out a professional massage therapist to assist them with what could be a serious injury. Without proper care, your massage could turn into a trip to the physiotherapist.
If this is the case, many professional massage therapists also do home visits; and you could even book two at the same time for a couples’ experience in the comfort of your own home.Here are Discover Massage Australia’s top picks for at-home massage techniques will help you get started.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage is great for relieving chronic stress within a specific area of the body, and is usually done using your elbow. Don’t go too hard or too fast, as this type of massage can be painful. Instead, ease into creating more pressure and ask your sweetheart if the pressure is OK for them.
Full Body
A full body massage can mean many different things, as it uses a variety of techniques including Relaxation and Deep Tissue. Ideally, a full body massage targets the feet, legs, hips, back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands and even the face. The best way for beginners doing a full body massage is to ensure your hands are well oiled, and you are making long, smooth strokes down the body with cupped hands.Aromatic
Adding aromatic oils to your massage oil will truly enhance the experience and help further relax your partner. Scents such as chamomile and lavender have a calming effect on the mind, allowing them to completely relax both physically and mentally.
When in doubt, make sure you increase pressure slowly, and work on making long smooth motions down the body. By watching and listening carefully, you can take verbal and physical cues on comfortability levels whilst you’re massaging them.
DIY
As previously mentioned, DIY massage on the areas you can reach are very beneficial for stress relief and self-care.
To help with tired eyes, place your thumbs at the inside corner of your closed eyes and create gentle, small circles whilst moving your thumbs to the outer corners of your eye. Doing this technique for five minutes will improve circulation to the area and uplift stress. Headaches can be eased by placing your fingertips on the front of your head, and applying gentle, circular pressure as you move to the back of your head. Then, repeat the process in reverse. Ideally, you’ll want to do this for 20 minutes, and don’t forget to finish up by applying additional pressure to your temples. Massaging your neck with hooked fingers, or using the palms of your hands to massage your shoulders is something we all often do absentmindedly. Giving these areas some proper attention throughout the day will release pressure and help relieve stress.
At-home massage
Finally, it’s important to mention again that if you or the person you are massaging are suffering from any neck or back pain, seeing a qualified massage therapist will ensure the pain and symptoms are managed correctly. If you want to find out more about becoming a qualified massage therapist, Discover Massage Australia will be able to assist you with a number of courses around Australia.
