If a massage gift voucher at Body Sanctum isn’t quite in the budget this year, then how about giving the gift of an at home massage to your significant other yourself?
For those of you who have no idea how to give a good massage, we’ve got you! Read through the blog post below and have a watch of our videos to get a quick grasp on the massage basics! In no time at all, you’ll learn how to give a great massage at home using the very same techniques that our therapists use at the spa.
If you do decide to give the amazing gift of a massage this year (once you’ve become a pro from our videos), we’ve even put together a low-cost (but high brownie-points) gift idea for you…
We’ve created a wee Christmas coupon booklet for you to download and use (and you’ll even find some great offers from us in there to assist with each coupon idea!!
Massage Tips & Techniques from our Experts
Key tips to remember throughout your massage…
- Ask your partner how certain pressure feels or where in their muscle they feel the most sore!
- Try to massage towards the heart and use broad surfaces to massage with such as the palms of your hands or your forearm.
Let’s go through each area of the body one by one…
How to give a Hand Massage
Hand massages are constantly underrated for how much we use our hands every day! At Body Sanctum Day Spa, rather than use a massage oil, we like to use a lotion or body butter as they are easier to massage with.
With your partner’s palm facing down, using both your hands, place your thumbs on top of their wrists and all four of your fingers on each hand on the meaty part of the palm of their hand where their hand connects to the wrist. Use your fingers to massage in and spread all the carpal bones and joints.
You can also move up a little to the meaty part of the hand right below the thumb. You can use your thumb and pointer finger to pinch and massage into this Abductor Pollicis Brevis muscle.
How to give a Shoulder Massage
Most of us feel the most sore between our shoulders, so this is a great spot to massage if your partner is feeling stressed. Start by having them lay face down with their head at the foot of the bed, and putting lotion, coconut or grapeseed oil on their back – remember a little goes a long way! By standing on the ground at the foot of the bed, you will have more control and options for moving around to comfortably massage their shoulders.
Using your palm, an easy stroke goes from their neck, around their shoulder blade, and then back up to the neck. If you are having trouble feeling where the shoulder blade starts, you can have them put their arm behind their back to push the shoulder blade out.
Another technique is called petrassage, where you can pinch the trapezius with your thumbs and fingers to get a little deeper into the muscle fibres of the shoulders. Be sure to check in on pressure to make sure they are comfortable. If they want you to go a little deeper, you can use your elbow. For beginners, we recommend placing the elbow between the other hand’s thumb and pointer finger to help guide the elbow to the correct trigger point.
Link to our Youtube video here
How to give a Neck Massage
An easy way to get the neck to release without too much effort is by helping your partner with a stretch. Start by having your partner sit on the ground while you sit in a chair or on a couch. Now place your right forearm on your partner’s right shoulder and up against their neck. Then gently, you will use your left hand to help guide their head to the side so their left ear is attempting to touch their left shoulder.
Another great neck will be for them to move their head from a side stretch to a 45 degree stretch where their chin is attempting to touch their left armpit. These can be quite intense stretches so don’t push too hard or move their neck into the stretches too quickly.
How to give an Arm & a Leg Massage
When it comes to massaging the arms and legs, you can use lotion/oil and your open palms in long, fluid motions towards the heart. This means start at the hand or the foot and move up towards the shoulder or waist. Avoid using pressure on the kneecap, the shinbone, or the back of the knee as these are quite sensitive areas. For an even deeper massage stretch, you can start with their arm or leg bent and place your fist on the bicep or hamstring. Then slowly you will straighten their arm or leg.
Link to our Youtube arm video here
Link to our Youtube leg video here
