Ten tips to giving better massages at home with acupressure
Are you tired of lazy or painful massages at home? Are you ready to learn how to support your loved ones at home? The truth is everyone has access to healing touch. The problem is many of us either don’t trust the instincts of our hands or we are simply not paying attention. Ten tips to better massage with acupressure: 1. Tune in before you begin. Lay your hands lightly on your partner, close your eyes and pay attention into his/her breathing. This allows your hands to connect to the muscle tension in your partner’s body. 2. Start slowly. Use gentle long strokes vertically down the back. Most channels run vertically in the body. This can relieve tension along the whole channel. With your hands, feel the differences in the muscles near the spine as well as lateral to it. Make mental notes of where the knots and tight spots are. 3. Remember the rule of three. Common massage mistakes include chaotically jumping around from body part to body part or staying one place too long. The body wants to feel that an area has been addressed but not overdone. Stick with one move three times to maximize the body’s response. 4. Keep it balanced. The acupuncture meridians are bi lateral. It is easy to focus on an area of complaint but since the whole body is connected, working with the left side will enhance the relaxation on the right and vice versa. Basically, you don’t want to leave your partner lopsided. 5. With pressure, less is often more. Many people are under the false impression that unless they dive deep with heavy pressure, they are not accomplishing anything with massage. This is simply not true. The body will guard itself against too heavy pressure. Using too much pressure too soon will result in an increase of tension. Pay attention to the body. If a muscle tenses up or pulls away, you have gone too far with your pressure. Back it off and re-tune in to the breath. Once you have mastered this, you will find points where the body “calls” you to apply deeper pressure. Just make sure it is your partner’s body and not your brain guiding you. 6. The body is connected. Even if your partner complains of neck tension, it is important to focus your efforts through out the body. The channels that go to the neck extend vertically down the back and legs, down the side of legs, and across the shoulders and down the arms. If you work systematically from the neck, down the back, the legs and end with the arms, your partner will appreciate the completeness of your efforts. 7. Use the whole hand. Nothing feels worse then a prickly finger massage. Utilize the surface area of the whole hand. Even though acupuncture points are small, the muscles are large and relaxing the muscles will enhance the function of the points. Make a C shape with each hand. Make long strokes with an open C shape to a closed C shape with each hand. It is similar to kneading bread. 8. Be unselfish. Although your partner is very sexy, it is important to spend a certain amount of time focusing completely on the muscle tension and letting go of the sexual intention. Tuning into your partner solely for the sake of his/her health ultimately will enhance your intimate connection. 9. Remember you are both energetic beings. We are more than muscles and bones. Use your hands to draw the tension out. Even though you may not know the exact locations of the acupressure points, you are still affecting your partner’s body energetically. Loving hands can heal more than muscle tension. 10. Trust your instincts. Touch is therapeutic, have fun with it! Remember to stay tuned into your partners body. Your partner will thank you for your consideration and loving touch. If you would like to learn more specific techniques and acupressure points, come to my Couples Acupressure classes Monday nights. Classes start Monday May 23rd and go through the summer. Sign up online with the Schedule Now at the top of the site.
