Self Massage: The complete 15-minute-a-day massage programme. Jacqueline Young

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       4 The sequence

      To help your initial practice the self-massage techniques have been arranged in a sequence according to body part. This helps you to remember the massage movements and to make sure that no part of the body has been missed out.

      However, this sequence is only a starting point. Once you become confident of the moves, and increase your sensitivity, you will be able to adapt the sequence to your own needs. You must decide the best way for you and be ready to change it as you yourself change.

      In general the sequence moves from the top to the bottom of the body and from the inside to the outside. This is in order to balance energy within the body as a whole and to stimulate the flow of energy from the central organs through to the periphery. Many people today have a surplus of energy in the upper part of the body, through an excess of mental activity and stress, and a lack of energy in the lower body, often resulting from sedentary jobs. Typical symptoms of this energy imbalance are: headaches, eye problems and neck and shoulder stiffness, together with weakness in the legs, cold feet, digestive problems and low back pain.

      By working from the top to the bottom of the body the surplus energy is drawn away from over-burdened areas and used to nourish areas with a weak supply. A marked improvement in many of the above symptoms can be obtained within a short time using self-massage.

      The sequence is divided up according to five areas of the body:

      There is also a brief warm-up section and additional sections on breathing techniques and finger exercises.

      When you are first learning this system it is a good idea to spend a few days on each area exclusively, until you have mastered the sequence of moves. Once you are familiar with the massage for each area you can then start putting them together to massage your body as a whole.

      Alternatively, you can add a new area of your body each time you practise. For example: learn the head and face massage one day; the next day perform the head and face massage followed by the massage for the neck, shoulders and arms; the next day add the third section, and so on until you cover your body in one session.

      Once you are familiar with the system it should be possible to complete the self-massage within fifteen minutes, but the movements should still be relaxed and never hurried. Doing the moves within this amount of time has an invigorating effect on the body. For a more relaxing effect perform the movements more slowly and take as long as you like to cover the whole body.

       5 The moves

      There are certain massage ‘moves’ which you will need to become familiar with in order to do self-massage. These are used at different times during the massage sequence according to the part of the body being massaged. The moves (in order of appearance in the text) are:

      Thumb and forefinger

      Light massage to small areas and bony ridges, such as the eyebrows, is done by gently pressing with the thumbs and supporting with the inside edge of the lower part of the forefingers (Fig. 1).

       Fig. 1

      Alternatively the thumb can be pressed against the ball of the index finger as in the massage of the bridge of the nose (Fig. 2).

       Fig. 2

      Individual finger pressure

      Pressure on acupoints or depressions between bones is given with a single finger, generally the middle or index finger or sometimes the thumb, while the rest of the hand is used as a support. The middle or index finger is used for the acupoints under the eyes (Fig. 3), sides of the ears, the cheeks, etc. The thumb is used for points on the elbows (Fig. 4), wrists, legs and back of the neck. Pressure is either vertical or in small, circular movements.

       Fig. 3

       Fig. 4

      Pressing a line

      When massaging along a meridian line, such as the line of the Governor Vessel meridian across the back of the head, several fingers are used together to get good pressure (Fig. 5). The thumbs are used for support.

       Fig. 5

      Nails

      For sharp stimulation to a specific point, light pressure from the edge of the nail is used. The sensation should be stimulating but not painful. This is used for the point in the labial groove under the nose (Fig. 6) and for the insides of the ears.

       Fig. 6

      Palm squeezing

      To apply pressure to a larger area, such as the shoulders, arms or legs, the open palm is first laid on the area and then squeezed in a rhythmical, flowing movement (Fig. 7).

       Fig. 7

      The fingers and the base of the palm, or the fingers and thumb, move in sequence with one another, and with each release the hand is moved slightly further along the limb or area of the body being massaged. The concentration should be on the releasing part of the movement rather than the squeezing. This technique is also used, with the hands at a slightly different angle, for the waist (Fig. 8).

       Fig. 8

      Stroking

      A ‘stroking’ technique is used for smoothing along the surface of the skin, or over clothing, on the shoulders (Fig. 9), abdomen and back. СКАЧАТЬ