The Book of Massage

The Complete Step-By-Step Guide to Eastern and Western Technique

Lucinda Liddell

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780743203906
• eBook ISBN: 9780743211512
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

A beautifully illustrated introductory guide to the healing powers of a massage, from traditional massage to shiatsu and reflexology. The Book of Massage is the classic guide to the relaxing and healing skills of the hands. Featuring both Eastern and Western methods, it presents step-by-step, beautifully illustrated instructions on everything from traditional massage to shiatsu and reflexology. The Book of Massage offers easy-to-follow techniques for giving the perfect massage, including advice on creating the right setting and suggestions for using aromatic oils and lotions. Now revised and updated with fresh color photos and drawings throughout, The Book of Massage is a simple and comprehensive handbook that reveals how you can experience the myriad benefits of giving and receiving a soothing massage.

Massage

Massage is the sharing of touch – hands on body, on head, hands or feet. And yet massage goes farther than skin deep, deeper even than muscles and bones – a good, caring massage penetrates right to the depth of your being.

The kind of massage we are teaching here is often called holistic, or intuitive, massage, to distinguish it from sports and Swedish massage. Holistic massage treats the individual as a whole, rather than just concentrating on physical conditions, and its movements are generally slower and more meditative. In holistic massage, the attitude of both giver and receiver, and the communication between them, are of paramount importance to the effect of the treatment. The receiver’s role is to be relaxed but alert, concentrating on the giver’s touch, while the giver should try to remain centred and bring an attitude of genuine caring to the massage.

The basic massage we present in this chapter is divided into strokes and parts of the body in order to help you to learn, but it is not meant to be adhered to rigidly. To the receiver it should feel like one continuous sequence in which the strokes flow rhythmically from one to the other. Remember that any tension or awkwardness in your posture will be felt by your partner. If you practise letting your whole body move from the hips, rather than using just your arms and hands, you will soon find that your hands relax and the strokes begin to come naturally to you. With experience you will begin to improvise new strokes and develop your own language of touch as the body beneath your hands suggests possible movements.

When giving a massage, ask for feedback on what feels good, but avoid too much verbal communication, as talking will take your concentration away from your hands. The slower and more rhythmical your strokes are, the more relaxed and safe your partner will feel. Try to arrange to have a massage yourself while you are learning, so that you can experience different speeds and pressures of stroke for yourself.

A good massage affects you on all levels of your being. Physically, its benefits include relaxing and toning your muscles; assisting the venous flow of blood; soothing the nervous system; encouraging the lymphatic flow; and stretching the connective tissue of joints. Holistic massage also affects the energy centres or chakras of the “subtle body” (see p. 189). On a mental level, massage not only relieves stress and anxiety, it also helps you to become more conscious of your body as a whole, of the parts that you are in touch with and of those that feel “cut off”. Once you are aware of where your energy blocks lie, you can begin to try and integrate your body and, in developing a more positive self-image, take responsibility for your own happiness and health.

A caring massage creates feelings of well-being, trust and joy. It can also release a great deal of energy hitherto wasted in tension and, by transforming chronic habits of acting and reacting, effect profound changes on both posture and facial expression (see Body Reading, pp. 166–79). The emotional aspect of massage is extremely important.

On a spiritual level, the benefits of massage are hard to describe, for we are talking of something that is intrinsically indefinable – the essence, the “life force”, the whole that is more than the sum of its parts. But it is not uncommon during a holistic massage for both giver and receiver to attain a state of heightened awareness, of “presence in the moment”, that is akin to the experience of meditation.

Oiling

As you come to work on each new part of the body, you begin by oiling it. This allows you to slide your hands smoothly and evenly over the contours without any risk of friction or jerkiness. It also nourishes the skin. Many people initially overestimate how much oil is needed – in fact, only a thin film is sufficient to lubricate the skin; if your partner’s body is swimming in oil, you will be unable to make proper contact. For most parts of the body, a single application of oil is all that is necessary. But for larger expanses, like the back, or hairy areas, such as the front of the legs, you may need to apply extra oil. Since most oils are quickly absorbed by the skin, each part of the body is oiled separately, rather than all at once, with the oil rubbed into the skin by long gliding strokes.

Oils and Containers

There is no need to buy ready-made massage oils, which tend to be expensive. You can equally well use a vegetable oil, such as grapeseed, sunflower or safflower. Almond oil is very pleasant but costly; olive oil tends to be a little viscous. You can also use mineral oils, such as baby oil, although these are less easily absorbed. If you do use a plain oil, you may like to scent it with an essential oil, using five drops to an eggcupful of base oil. In aromatherapy, essential oils containing plant hormones are rubbed into the skin for specific therapeutic purposes. For those untrained in aromatherapy, it is best to stick to “safe” relaxing oils, such as lavender, chamomile or sandalwood, as some essential oils are contraindicated in certain conditions. Keep your oil in a corked bottle or a flip-top plastic bottle. The latter is more convenient as it is less likely to spill during a session. If you have nothing else, a bowl or saucer will do, but you must be careful not to knock it over, especially when working on the floor.

Preparations

It is at the very beginning of a massage that you set the mood for the whole session, so it pays to be well prepared. If possible, warm the oil beforehand – by standing the container in hot water or in front of a heater. And try to keep the oil in a safe place where you are unlikely to knock it over. Before applying the oil you should centre y...

Table of contents

• Cover
• About this book...
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Beginning
• Massage
• Shiatsu
• Reflexology
• The Human Touch
• Body Reading
• Anatomy
• Recommended Reading
• Useful Addresses
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• Copyright