Massage is not complex. This section develops basic movements that you will need to master to pleasure and relax your mate, include stroking, kneeding, knuckling, pummeling, passive touching. Many other techniques of massage are simply variations. We will demonstrate on the back and arm so you can practice quite easily as you learn.
Stroking
You will use stroking the most in your massage as you glide your hands over the skin with modified pressure. You will use this technique often (for example, applying oil) in a simple stroking motion as you rub an area with fingertips or entire hands. Remember the importance of a steady rhythm in which you vary the pressure and speed of the movements. Here are seven variations of stroking motions.
1. Fan stroking. Start with hands together and move them upward, applying pressure with palms and heels of your hands as you lean into the stroke.
Maintain gentle pressure as you mold hands to body and slide them up the abdomen and lower back.
Fan hands out and lessen pressure as you glide them down and around the sides.
With light pressure move hands back into position to begin the stroke again.
2.Circle stroking. Make a continuous circular motion with hands rotating in a wide curve, with firmer pres sure on the upward stroke.
3. Alternate stroking. One hand strokes upward while the other hand glides down-ward in alternating motions 一the upward stroke can be firmer as you vary pressure.
4.Sequential stroking.
Stroke one hand soothingly down the area, followed im-mediately by the other in a rhythmic, pawing sequence as you lift the lower hand and begin again. Try with very light pressure as well as firmer.
5.Thumb stroking. Place your thumbs on the sides of the spine and slowly move them up and back down with firm, even pressure.
Stroke upward with one thumb and fan outward as you begin stroking upward a little higher with the other thumb and fan outward, re-peating the sequence up the limb.
6.Friction stroking. Circle leg with hands placed side by side and create friction with firm pressure and alterna-tive hand strokes.
7.Brush stroking. With fingertips or the entire hand, sensitize the skin by very lightly brushing an area of the body—often used at the end of massaging a given part of the body.
Kneeding
Kneeding is a tehnique that you can use on larger areas (the soft tissue of the lower back) as well as smaller fleshy areas (shoulders, thighs, and calves). It is much like kneading dough and relaxes muscles as it stimulates blood circulation. You can vary the pressure and rate of kneading as you wish, harder to get to deeper muscles or lighter to just sensuously stimulate the skin.
To knead, place hands on the area and squeeze and roll the flesh between the thumb and fingers of one hand as the other hand and fingers apply pressure.
Glide the hand grasping the flesh toward the pressure of the other hand. Release; grasp the flesh with the other hand as you repeat motion with that hand. Rhythmically squeeze, push, and release as you knead with alternating hands.
Knuckling
In this technique the knuckles apply small circular strokes and create a pleasant rippling effect. This stroke is effective on back, shoulders, and chest, it can also be enjoyed on the palms of the hands or solses of the feet.
Curl your fingers into loose fists, keeping the middle joints of the fingers against the skin. Now ripple your fingers around in small, circular motions.
Pummeling
The important part of this technique, whether you are using a loose fist or relaxed hand, is to use bouncy motions and not strike the flesh. Pull your hand away as soon as it touches the skin so there is no bruising pressure. It helps to keep the wrists loose and hands and fingers relaxed so you can hear them slapping together, and the motion should be brisk as you rapidly stimulate. Sometimes pummeling might be better reserved for the end of the massage, though it can be relaxing if done more gently. It is great for fleshy areas like the back or thighs, where there are heavier muscles.
Relax your wrists and hands and apply brisk, alternating move-ments with your hands in a light, bouncy motion.
Passive Touching
You don't always have to be actively stroking or massaging a body area. Simply placing a hand on a spot as the partner's body feels the warmth or pressure (if applied) really feels good as tissue is stimulated by the passive touch. Passive touch also includes pulling or rotating a part of the body to loosen up and exercise joints without actively stroking.
1.Pressure. Place your hands over the tailbone area and leave them there lightly for thirty seconds— now lean your hands in with pres-sure but no movement.
2. Lifting, pulling, and rotating. Lift your partners arm up and down sev-eral times and gently pull up on it; now slowly rotate it in a circular mo-tion several times, hold it a few sec-onds, and then lay it down.
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