How To De-stress With Self Massage

Many of my clients will ask me after their session if they can take me home with them! That question always makes me smile and feel good knowing that I helped them leave my office feeling better than they did when they arrived.

However, everyone has a massage therapist with them all the time-themselves. Not everyone has the time to take classes to learn professional massage and you won't need to if you read this article. These are all things that you can do anywhere-at work or at home resting.

Let's begin by taking some deep breaths. Why does this help de-stress? Oxygen brings in fresh air that will help relax your mind as well as your muscles and when you breathe out the toxic carbon dioxide is expelled. Something about taking a deep breath seems to automatically drop your shoulders from wrapping around your ears!

Next, let's talk about some of the easy things you can do to massage yourself inbetween your visits to your massage therapist.

Pressure, rubbing, squeezing, tapping, shaking are all some ways you can relieve muscle tension and soreness.

Pressure-Been typing too much and your forearms are tight? Simply place one forearm down then with the opposite elbow, gently lean into the area that’s tight and place the exact amount of pressure on it that feels good. Hold for a few seconds then release. You can repeat this while working up and down the entire forearm. Don't forget about the other arm!

Rubbing-Feels good to rub your forehead right? Slow circular motions feels good on a stiff neck, tired jaws, feet and knees.

Squeezing-This is an excellent way to wake up those muscles. Use your whole hand to give yourself gentle squeezes. Start with your neck and work your way down to the shoulders, arm and then give each finger a gentle squeeze. Vary the speed of the squeezes-fast, slow-you will know what feels good to you.

Tapping-This increases circulation, stimulates the muscles and is very easy to do simply by making a loose fist with your hand and gently begin tapping. This is great for your legs and lower back. (Be careful as the lower back is where your kidneys are!)

Shaking or vibration- Just shaking it out can de-stress and reset achey muscles. Stand up and extend your arms and gently shake them for a few seconds or a few minutes playing around with rapid and slow movements to see what feels best. This is easy and fun to do and it gives you energy while promoting good circulation. Then do the same with your legs, hands, feet. This may seem silly, but laughter is good medicine too!

These tips are simple and something we can do to take care of ourselves, anywhere and anytime. My suggestion is toSelf-massage is an amazingly simple thing we can do to take care of ourselves. We can do it any time, any place, and it’s completely free! By routinely visiting your massage therapist and using thse simple techniques inbetween visits, you will find your stress levels and chronic pain much more manageable!

See you at your next appointment!

Dawn