Nothing better than starting the day (or ending it) with a relaxing self-massage that will free you from muscle tension and relentless stress. Learning to relax with breathing techniques or meditation can help us release stress. But what about our body? With every muscle that has been tight during work or exposed to too much exercise? Definitely, a relaxing massage would be the solution.
Self-massage is a home therapeutic method. Your main goal is to treat yourself. It is based on the application of massage techniques such as: friction, rubbing, kneading and vibration. Interested in learning some techniques to give yourself a self-massage, release accumulated tensions and relax when you do not have the possibility of going to a professional masseur? You’ve reached the right place – in today’s article, we will teach you some easy steps to perform a self-massage. Enjoy!
To give yourself a self-massage, you need to learn some massage techniques. Not all techniques are suitable for all body parts.
- The caress: this technique can be used throughout the body, it consists of always stroking downwards the part of the body that you want to self-massage (legs, neck, etc.) this technique relaxes the area and prepares it for a deeper massage.
- Light pressure with the index and middle fingers: This technique can be used on the muscles of the back, neck, and calves (from the knee down). With both fingers of both hands, a massage is always performed from the center outwards.
- Kneading: similar to kneading a dough, this technique is used in the soft parts of the body (thighs, hips, belly if there is excess fat in the area)
- Repeated touches: this is one of the techniques used to finish the massages. A constant tapping is performed with the palms of the hands or the tips of the fingers, on the massaged muscles.
To achieve an excellent self-massage you must follow the following steps:
- Start by massaging your neck using the finger pressure technique and a few drops of massage oil. From the center of the neck outwards and with firm pressure, you will eliminate the tension accumulated in the area.
- Continue the same technique across the shoulder blades, on each side, and with the opposite hand.
- Finish the massage in this area with the technique of repeated touches.
- Massage your feet, one at a time, using the light pressure technique. You can incorporate the kneading technique that will have a very relaxing effect. Remember that the feet have nerve points for all parts of the body.
- Finish the foot massage with the repeated touch technique.
- Massage your calves first with the gentle stroking technique and then with kneading. Use a few drops of massage oil.
- Finish the massage in this area with the technique of repeated touches.
Some of the changes you will notice are the following:
- Improves blood circulation.
- Reduces stress and releases tension.
- Helps eliminate fluids retained in the body.
- It enhances sleep quality.
- Improves the appearance of the skin.
There are some tools and accessories to get the most out of them, you can use some of these elements:
Chinese de-stressing spheres: it is a very effective ancient technique with which you will be able to eliminate stress and accumulated tension in your neck, shoulders and back in general.
Essential oils for relaxation: essential oils have medicinal and relaxing properties. If you use them to perform a self-massage, they greatly enhance their effectiveness.
Automatic massagers for the back: automatic massagers can be a very good option to relax after a tiring work day. Meet some of the most effective and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Make a place for yourself this weekend and learn how to perform a self-massage, we promise you won’t regret it! Have you ever performed a self-massage before? How was it? And if not what are you thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.