Beginner's guide to massage at home

Before you start

To make sure everything is just right, think about the room you want to use. There should be no distractions, so no children, pets, or phones, please! Make sure the room is not too cold and without drafts, then light some candles and dim the lights. Ask him/her to lie down on a hard surface like a futon or a firm mattress – you should be able to move around easily. Ask your massagee to disrobe and cover up the intimate bits with a towel. Have some extras available to cover the areas you have already massaged.

Remember to buy massage oil. If you feel like experimenting or know there’s an oil your massagee is partial to, you can mix your own. Essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin but mixed with a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, because essential oils are highly concentrated. Keep essential oils away from your eyes – if essential oil does come into contact with your eyes, rinse it out with a few drops of sweet almond oil, not water, and seek medical attention.

If you use any of these oils in your combinations – ginger, lemon, orange and bergamot – tell the massagee not to go out in the sun for at least six hours afterwards as it'll cause skin irritation.

You shouldn’t use essential oils on pregnant women or children under the age of two. The golden rule is: when in doubt, buy a pre-made blend instead.

Make your way to selected Clicks stores, or Clicks Pharmacies, for the extended aromatherapy range.

At the beginning

Start with the head, neck and shoulders and work your way down to the lower back. Every massage stroke should end where it began. You also need to repeat massage sequences for each side of the body. When you start massaging, check with your massagee that they are comfortable with the level of pressure.

Techniques

Neck and shoulder massage

1. Position yourself at her head, with her lying on her back. Oil the front of the body, starting with your hands on her upper chest, then move down over the breastbone, out around the ribcage, and back up the sides of the body to the starting position. Place your hands on the upper chest, fingers pointing toward each other, and press down, gliding the hands out toward the top of the arm.
2. Cradle the head in one hand and turn it slightly toward the right. With the other hand, glide firmly out from the centre of the chest to the top of the arm, back along the top of the shoulder, and up the back of the neck to the base of the skull.
3. Make little circles along the back of the neck to release tension, then continue down the side of the neck to the chest. Stroke firmly down the side of the neck and out along the top of the shoulder, stretching the neck muscles.
4. Turn the head back to the centre with both hands supporting the head under the neck, and pull gently to stretch out the neck muscles.
5. Turn the head to the opposite side and repeat the sequence for the other shoulder. Return the head to the centre and pull gently.

Make small, overlapping, circular movements up the back of the neck to the skull and then stroke up the back of the head and off. Gently lower the head.

Back massage

1. Position yourself at her head, with her lying on her stomach, face downward or turned to the side, arms by her sides. Starting on her upper back, glide your hands slowly down either side of the spine, back up the sides of the body, and lightly over the shoulders.
2. Turn her head gently to her right and work on her left shoulder. Using both hands, starting at the base of the neck, make firm strokes outward along the shoulder to the top of the arm.
3. Use your thumbs to work the muscles at the base of the neck. Take note of any knots that you find here, working firmly and slowly into the muscles, making tiny circles. Repeat the sequence for her right side.

Upper back massage

1. Move to her right and grasp the top of her right shoulder with your right hand. Place your left hand on her lower back. Draw your left hand firmly up along the side of the spine and move your right hand down to meet it. Continue the stroke, moving both hands upward over the shoulder.
2. Slide your hands down the arm and, taking the elbow in your right hand and the hand in your left, lift the arm and place it behind her back.
3. Cupping your right hand under the right shoulder, use the thumb or fingers of your left hand to work from the shoulder down around the shoulder blade. Stroke upward and over the whole shoulder blade. Use the fingers and thumb to stroke firmly along the protruding bone of the top of the blade. Move the arm back to its original position and turn her head to the other side.

Repeat the whole sequence for the other side of the body.

Lower back massage

1. Position yourself next to her lower back. Placing the first and index fingers of each hand on either side of the spine, with one hand slightly behind the other, make rhythmic, overlapping movements all the way down the back.
2. Oil the lower back. Starting at the base of the spine glide your hands up on either side of the spine to the ribcage, then down the sides of the body, returning to the starting position.
3. Using a friction stroke with the thumbs, make small overlapping circles over the base of the spine, gradually moving up the sides of the spine to the ribcage.
4. Shift your position slightly so that you are facing your partner and begin working on the opposite side of the body. Make big gliding circles moving up the side of the spine, around the ribcage, down the side of the body, over the fleshy part of the hip, and back to the starting position. Using firm generous kneading strokes, work gradually over the entire hip area.
5. Place one hand on each hip, facing across the body. Use forward backward parallel strokes all the way up the body to the shoulders. Changing sides, repeat the above sequence for the opposite side of the body. To finish the sequence, stroke down the whole length of the spine several times using alternative hands.

Tip: Avoid rough or sudden movements as you cover and uncover the different areas of the body. Make sure you place the towel gently and avoid abrupt movements that might be disturbing to someone in a relaxed state.

Remember: Always avoid working directly over the spine, unless you are using extremely gentle, or feathering-type strokes. Work into the muscles either side of the spine instead.