How To Give Relaxing Massages

The vast majority of us are not experts or have a degree as physiotherapists, but this does not mean that on some occasion we may want to give relaxing massages to someone, for example, our partner.

It is only about relaxing, we do not seek to alleviate any back problem. For this are the true professionals. Now, can we offer a massage to relieve tension and loosen up?

Of course. With a few simple guidelines we can provide a moment of relaxation and peace to any loved one. Today in our space we offer you some basic advice.

Preparation of relaxing massages

Since we seek it is above all to relax, the atmosphere will be just as important as the massage itself. To do this, we must take into account these simple aspects:

Setting

• A pleasant lighting where the light is not very intense.
• Instrumental music is recommended. According to this study by the Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile), music can help reduce stress significantly.

• We can aromatize the room with a mild fragrance.

Materials

• Towels
• Napkins to dry excess oils.
• To perform the massage you can use moisturizing milk or essential oils.
• Essential oils have the advantage that they take longer to absorb into the skin and offer therapeutic benefits, such as relief from anxiety. This is stated in this study carried out by the Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, (Brazil), which also emphasizes lavender oil as the main author of the improvement of symptoms.

Best position

The first thing we think of when giving a relaxing massage is that the person must be lying down. Well, experts recommend that if we do not have experience, it is best to give a massage with the person sitting. This can help you to sleep better as the Pedro de Valdivia University (Chile) points out in this study.

With the person in a low-back chair, it will be more comfortable for us to move. If we are lying down, it will be more complicated for us and in some bad movement we can get hurt ourselves with a whiplash or back. To do this, l or we will be the following:

• Choose a chair without a back or with a low back.
• Let the person lean forward.
• We can put cushions or towels where you can lean comfortably.

It is in this position that we can carry out relaxing massages in a simpler way for us and avoiding pain due to poor posture.

How to give relaxing massages

Once we have the person relaxed in the chair and surrounded by a good atmosphere, we will begin the massage. The areas that most appreciate a massage are, without a doubt, the cervical region and the shoulders. All overloads are almost always concentrated here, according to this study carried out by the German Clinic-University of Development. These will be the parts that we are going to work on.

Previous advice

We will use the whole hand. Some people limit themselves to giving massages only with the tips of their fingers. This will cause us to get tired in a short time. Use your hands and use your whole body to execute each movement.

Before starting, you must notify the person receiving the massage. You may feel a slight impact when we apply your hand or the oil, so we will ask you to take in air for a few seconds and hold it.

The technique

• We will start by pouring the oil to expand it through light and elongated movements.
• We will use full hands and start at the lower part of the person’s back. The movements will always be upwards, respecting the blood flow that goes to the heart.

• We can perform the kneading or pressing technique very carefully. It involves making circles with your fingers around the area of ​​the shoulders, neck and mid back, exerting light pressure for a few seconds.
• In kneading, the thumb and palm of the hand advance over the section of the muscles that we want to work. This step takes about 4-5 minutes.
• We have to remember that a massage has a sequence and a rhythm. If we start the movements with both hands on the neck and the back, we will not withdraw one of the hands after a short time because we get tired. This will break the rhythm and harmony.
• We can finish the massage with the fan technique. It is just about separating the fingers of the hand a lot (like a fan) to go upwards from the middle back to the neck. It is a technique recommended in this study published by the Portal of the Cuban Health Network. In it we do not apply pressure, we “just drag” up.

To conclude, we must always remember that we are not experts and, therefore,  we will avoid doing relaxing massages when the person has any pain or cervical injury,  we could aggravate the problem. Relaxing massages should be very soft and enjoy the atmosphere and simple physical contact in the same way.