In our primitive days, before cell phones, before computers, before the Industrial Age, we knew all about self massage.
Combs did not exist. So we untangled our hair with our fingers. There was no soap. So we used "elbow grease" to clean our bodies. We didn’t have shoes. Our feet were naturally massaged by the earth.
Somewhere through the ages we lost "touch" with our own bodies, forgetting the naturally pleasing art of self massage.
Self massage is self explanatory. It is about listening to your body, especially the parts of you in pain. It is a way to understand your body through touch, to acknowledge its complaints and remove stress through the creative use of your own hands.
When we feel a headache coming on, it is natural to rub our temples to alleviate the pain. Yet we forget to keep rubbing until the pain is gone.
With self-massage you become tuned into your own body so you can recognize swelling, knots, cramps and other signs of stress by touch. You do what is necessary to make yourself feel better.
Getting to Know You
To become involved in self massage, you must be in the mood to pay attention to yourself; to stop, look and listen to your body. Your body constantly voices its needs and complaints. Sometimes, because of where we are and what we are doing, we block out the voices, putting them off until "later". When later comes around, we have forgotten all about the cramp, numbness or pang that first bothered us. The next time we feel the pang, it will be stronger; our problems return to us, bigger and more debilitating, until we resolve them.
Okay, I'm listening, you might say... What now?
Find yourself a quiet, comfortable space where you won't be disturbed.
So that your hands will glide over your skin without friction, you will need oil or your favorite lotion. Vegetable-based oils are better than petroleum or synthetic oils. I prefer Cannabis oil. Keep in mind that if you have never used Cannabis oil before, “go low and slow” until you understand the effects on your body.
To begin, sit down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Ignore any sounds outside the voices of your body. Concentrate on you. What has been bothering you, physically? Are you sitting with your spine straight or hunched? Is there tension in your back or neck? Where do you feel tightness? Or aching? Imagine every part of you from head to foot.
Note where on your body you feel uncomfortable. Then apply the healing energy of your hands to your trouble spots using the following techniques.
Basic Strokes
Smoothing, or "effleurage", feels good on any part of the body, particularly the longer muscles, such as the leg and arm muscles and bands of muscle running from shoulder to neck. Smoothing stimulates deeper circulation and helps rid muscles of toxins.
Pinching and kneading, or "petrissage", tones the skin and gets your blood going; your skin may glow. With this stroke, knead and shape as though with clay and envision yourself giving perfect form to your musculature. Petrissage helps break up the fatty cells that compose cellulite.
Friction is a slow, circular movement of the fingers on muscular knots and cramps, pressure points, and joint areas. Using friction, rub temples and skull to soothe headaches. With your fingers explore the hinge-works of your elbows and knees; see how they work. Your manipulations are therapeutic as well as preventative maintenance.
Percussion, or "tapotement", is a beating, hacking, drumming or pounding using hands or fingers. The part of the body to be massaged dictates what pressure to use. Percussion for a short time will pep the muscles and stimulate your blood circulation. Light percussion for a long time will relax you.
Typically most of us hold our stress in the neck and shoulders and/or lower back. Concentrating self-massage strokes on these areas for at least five minutes a day in concert with deep breathing can make a big difference in your energy level and temperament. Imagine your pain and discomfort vanishing at the touch of your fingertips.
Apply self massage to any part of your body. Increase your repertoire of strokes by listening to what your body wants to feel. At first, self massage may feel awkward to you; like any new endeavor, it takes time to learn how your body wants to be rubbed. Only practice will teach you the strokes that please your body in particular.