It’s about time you learned what you’re doing with your hands when it comes to giving massages. You will be proud, and those you love will benefit as well. There are many different types of massages and techniques, but just learning a few of them as you continue reading will be very helpful.
Seek to have your massages done professionally. While it may be easier to ask for one from your spouse, you are certainly risking injury. If someone is not educated in how to properly give a massage. They can easily cause a muscle to be pulled or even something far worse.
Drink water after receiving a massage. As you receive a massage, there are toxins being released from muscles into your body. Drinking fluid helps minimize any side effects and flushes out the toxins. For the first hour, try to drink two to three glasses of water and the following twenty-three hours, drink up to eight glasses.
After you give a massage to someone, make sure that they take a warm bath. This will help to further the effect of the massage and soothe the muscles even more. After this person takes the bath, they will feel more refreshed and looser then they ever had in their entire life.
In order to give a great massage, it’s important that you carefully watch your subject. Watch for grimacing or tensing up. With practice, your hands will have the ability to read the signals their body is giving you. Generally, if they tense their muscles, you are massaging too deep or too hard.
The speed of your hands is important for the kind of massage you are trying to give. If you are looking for a massage to relax your partner, go for slow strokes. If you are looking to work out tired muscles that have been over exerted, faster strokes work better.
When you’re stressed out or feeling emotional, aromatherapy massage is for you. The therapist will use essential oils while massaging your skin. They know exactly which oils will give you energy, relax you or help to bust stress. Lavender is frequently used to calm your mind and body, allowing you some peace.
Consider massaging your body prior to exercising and immediately afterwards too. Massaging prior to working out helps raise blood flow into all of your muscles. And after a workout, a quick massage helps your muscles recover a lot quicker. It’s definitely worth the extra five minutes before and after exercise!
Avoid holding your breath while your massage therapist is working. You may have knots that are extremely painful, yet the therapist cannot massage them out effectively if you hold your breath. Try to breathe through the muscle pain, and use a combination of deep breathing and visualization. In your mind, picture the area and imagine the knot is a lump of butter, melting in the warm sunshine.
Newcomers to massages should go for either a Swedish massage or deep tissue massage. There are a plethora of options, including some that might disappoint you if you have serious knots. Your essential needs will be taken care of by these as you learn of the rest.
As time passes, speed up. The beginning of a massage should be slow and easy to allow the person to become acquainted with your touch and loosen the muscles. After some time, you may move your hands faster across the body while applying harder pressure.
Let your masseuse know of your music preferences. Many people enjoy relaxing music playing during their massage, however some do not. If you prefer a quiet environment while you get your massage, speak up. You can also specify a particular type of music or even request ambient noise such as bird songs or ocean waves.
Eat some food about 30 minutes prior to a massage, but don’t eat too much! You don’t want to feel bloated for the experience. You want just enough food that you feel relaxed. If you go in hungry, you’ll be that much more stressed for the entire time period of the massage.
Sit still and calmly for a couple of moments following the massage. Your body has gone through a lot while being massaged. Getting up too fast can cause problems. You may even feel sick or a bit faint. Give yourself a few minutes sitting up to readjust, then move on to standing.
If your shoulders are bothering you, you should try hugging yourself and massaging the muscles you can reach while hugging yourself. This exercise will also help you stretch your entire back. You should try this technique if you have to sit on a chair during most of your work day.
A hot stone massage incorporates heated stones and a gentle touch. Smooth stones are heated and placed along the back and other parts of the body to relieve muscle tension. The massage therapist may also gently press the stones into your tense muscles and then gently rub them in a circular motion to help relieve tension.
Don’t forget that you are boss during a massage and if something isn’t to your liking, mention it. A lot of masseuses tend to talk too much or get carried away with the amount of pressure they apply. This scenario isn’t any different than a server getting your meal right in the restaurant! Always politely state your preferences.
Well, you’re not a massage professional now, but you certainly know more of what to do with your hands. It’s time you put those tips to good use, so get started by practicing on someone. They will enjoy it, and you will be happy that you’re learning so much so quickly.