Few things in life can take you away to la-la land quicker than a great massage. We need them to relax, unwind and ease tension in our hard-worked muscles! Learn more about how incorporating massages into your busy schedule can benefit you in both mind and body. You won’t be the same after reading!
Hydrate yourself well for forty-eight hours before your massage. Many people know that heavy water intake after a massage is good for flushing the body of toxins and helping with sore muscles. Drinking plenty of water before the massage will greatly increase the impact of the massage and its purging abilities.
After a massage, drink plenty of water to remove toxins from your body. When you have a massage, toxins are released into your body and must be removed. By drinking at least two quarts of water right after a massage, the toxins will be removed. If you do not drink the required amounts of water, you may experience stiffness and pain from the massage.
Are you prone to muscle cramps either brought on by physical activity or sometimes nothing at all? These can be very painful, especially when they are in your calf. Massages can help to prevent your muscles from cramping up by promoting blood flow. You can also massage the area as soon as you feel it beginning to cramp up for some quick relief.
Put your thinking on hold. One of the most difficult, yet essential elements of getting the most out of a massage is relaxing your mental state. Try to start doing some deep breathing while the therapist is setting up. Imagine that, with every inhale, you gather all the nagging and stressful thoughts in your head. On the exhale, envision blowing all of these thoughts out into space, gone forever. Keep repeating until you feel yourself relaxing.
If you are suffering from back pain and traditional back massages are not alleviating the pain, try a hand massage. Firmly press into the meaty area between your thumb and index finger and gently massage. This type of massage is especially effective for muscle spasms and pulled back muscles.
If you want to be a good massage therapist, you need to understand it takes some time to really become good. Start small, practicing on people you know. Then, when you develop a certain technique you can practice your skills on people close to you.
Let your massage therapist know if anything begins to hurt too much. Some massage techniques can cause some discomfort, so you need to be aware of that. Ask the therapist to ease up in certain areas if you find that you are beginning to tense up because something is too painful.
When your massage is complete, rest for a few minutes. A massage involves laying down for an extended period of time. You may be lightheaded and blackout for a time if you get up too quickly.
When massaging someone, open your fingers up so that you can be more precise with the area that you massage. This helps to loosen up the muscles and is also a great technique if you are planning on giving a deep tissue massage. After you massage this way, close your hands back up and use your palms.
An excellent way to give a great back massage is using the “raking” technique. This involves using the tips of your fingers. Make sure that you spread your fingers apart. Begin your massage at the shoulders and slowly move your hands down the other person’s back. Your fingers should move alongside the person’s spine; however, you should not actually touch the spine. While one hand is going down one side, have your other hand go up in an alternating motion.
If you have dry hands or feet, find a good moisturizer and use it for massages. Apply a small dose of moisturizer on your dry skin and take the time to massage the area. Massaging allows the moisturizer to penetrate the skin to its deeper layers, which means you will get better results.
Be certain to massage in a calm environment. The goal of the massage is to help them ease stress and release tension. The person is likely to tense up if the area is noisy. The environment, actually, should be one you could sleep in. Dim down the lights and play soft music to achieve this peaceful effect.
You should take the time to learn more about the human body, especially its muscles and nerves. You will be able to give better massages once you know where sensitive nerve endings are located and have a better idea of where muscles are. You will also understand the pains you experience a lot better once you know more about your body.
It is important that you are very careful when you massage your canine pet. This can cause discomfort in your dog and might even damage his body. Be aware of the body language displayed by your pet. Don’t continue with the massage if the animal resists.
Massage is great for healing. People who have pain because of a number of things like arthritis, tension, migraines or anything else may find that massages help a lot more than regular medications do. Getting a massage is much healthier than using pain medication.
Use movements that are smooth and consistent. Your hands should never feel jerky or harsh to your massage partner. While oil can help your hands to glide over the flesh, you still need to practice gentle techniques that target specific muscle groups. Ask your partner for feedback to ensure that you are helping.
You should now be completely convinced that massages can really do a lot for you, especially if you’re very busy and suffer with aches and pains. Seriously consider what a regular massage can help you with and spread the word to help others. Why not take full advantage of such a simple and easy remedy to so many problems?
