SELF-MASSAGE
for
WELLBEING, HEALTH, CREATIVITY
and SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
Of
course it is better to be massaged by somebody else, expert or not, But you can
do it also by yourself anytime, anywhere.
Massage relaxes and soothes away stress and tension from body and mind.
It also stimulates and invigorates the physiological system and restores energy
and vitality. It is recommended to do it regularly for cleaning and
deintoxicating the body. Working on the skin stimulates the blood circulation
and the flux of lymph and contributes to eliminate more rapidly the blocks.
Rub your
hands together vigourously. This will create heat in your hands
and will bring
the energy of your body to your palms and fingers
In the massage with another person there is a positive exchange of energy between the two persons, which should be cut after the massage to avoid interdependence.
Head:
rub your head following the same movement as when you wash your head. You could
also tap your fingertips on the scalp, quickly and rhythmically, starting at the
front of the head and move over the back, then down the sides to the neck.
Then massage both ears together with delicate movements
make facial massage, moving upwards and outwards, starting from the forehead.
Place the fingers of both hands on the centre of your forehead and slide them
firmly towards the temples, which you will massage with circular movements.
Make with your fingertips circles from the chin to the cheekbone, from the nose
to the ears. Then massage the nose delicately up and down.
Neck,
shoulders and arms: Begin
the stroke from the base of the hair, knead firmly from the base of the neck
outward to the top of your arm and back. Make loose fists and keeping your
elbows and wrists relaxed, drum quickly the shoulders, and arms starting from
the right arm then the left. You can also make circular movement with firm
pressure.
Using all fingers, sweep with a firm action underneath the centre of the
collarbone to your armpits. Firmly knead the arm from the wrist to shoulder,
using the opposing hand. Rub with circles the elbows
After circular massage at the articulation of the hand, grasp one hand with the
opposite hand and using thumb and fingers, massage the palm and back the hand
with firm circular motion. Firmly squeeze each finger from base to fingertip.
Chest
and abdomen: The
chest is massaged smoothly with circular movement (for women only around the
breast). At the level of the sternum, sweep delicately up then down.
Place your right hand on the abdomen, stroke gently with clockwise motion.
Starting from the center, Make small circular movement getting bigger and bigger
till covering all the area. Repeat the same exercise with the left hand.
Back,
lowerback and buttocks:
This part will be more difficult for self-massage. Begin with your
hands at the top of the lowerback. then sweep them upwards
and downwards, back, lowerback and buttocks (The back could be massaged
easily through the yoga self -massage)
Thigh,
leg, knee and foot: Start
with the right side then the left. Place your hands on the ankle and work up to
the knee, stroking firmly. Work upward to stimulate lymphatic drainage. The
thigh muscle is large and dense so you can work deeply .
Place your hand one on the top of the foot and the other one on the sole of the
foot. Massage smoothly from the toe to ankle, pressing firmly with your thumb,
then ankle to toe. From the heal to the toe make firmly small spiral movement.
Finish the foot massage by grasping each toe and firmly massaging to its tips
and massage between the toes.
Massage
with oil or lotion
Using a suitable oil or lotion enables you to glide over the skin and
mould to the body’s contour. Massage lotion, easily absorbed by the skin, is
particularly nourishing and good when you are applying stronger, deeper strokes.
Massage oil with essential oils has beneficial effects, on the body, mind
and emotions.
It is recommended to do self-massage every morning or every two days,
before a warm shower or bath. The
massage itself requires 10 minutes and 5 minutes more for the oil to be absorbed.
Prepare the oil by warming it slightly.
Use sesame, sweet almond, wheatgerm etc as carrier oils. Few drops of
essential oil could be added.
Dry
massage
Treating the skin with a dry brush or a glove of rough silk, stimulate
strongly the skin, the circulation and the metabolism. Therefore it is adequate
for fatty skin, obese and slow metabolism, also when you feel that your body
need an intensive stimulation, for instance during a cleansing detoxification
period, convalescence or after use of medicines and antibiotics.
10 minutes of dry massage is better in the morning, followed by 10minutes
warm bath to eliminate toxins and dead cells.
Since
the dry massage stimulates strongly the circulation, it should be done carefully
and gradually.
Massage
strokes
Smooth
flowing strokes are the best way to apply oil or lotion. Your body could be
relaxed, invigorate and stimulate by using hands and strokes in different ways.
Deeper strokes release emotional and muscular tension.
Tapping,
pummeling and squeezing strokes can be applied. The vibration created with
tapping stokes revitalizes the body.
Pummeling
invigorates by boosting the circulation towards the skin and stimulating the
nerve endings.
Squeezing
strokes help restore you after a tiring day by alleviating tension from tight
sore muscles.
To
strengthen and enhance the effect of the massage, you can use
tools, such as rough material, wooden
tools, vibrating
massagers, crystals , chromopuncture etc...
The
type of massage will depend on your constitution, your mood, your
strength etc....
VATA
slow
and light
15-20mn
PITTA moderate, 15-20mn
KAPHA
Vigourous
15-30mn
The 3 most important Nadi are located in the spine: Ida (lunar)- Sushumna- Pingala (solar)
There
is also the possibility to massage the acupuncture points along the meridians..
I- lung
V, air
II-Large intestin
V,
air
III-Stomach
K, earth
IV-Spleen
K, earth
V-Heart
P. fire
VI-Small Intestine
P,
fire
VII-Bladder
V, air
VIII-Kidney
V, air
IX-Pericardium
K, water
X-Triple warmer
K,
water
XI-Gall Bladder P, fire
XII-Liver
P, fire
To be effective, you must concentrate deeply on what you are doing. The exercise should be done slowly, with total synchronizattion of your breath, mind and hand movements. It could be done sitting, lying, standing or in a specific Yoga posture, which will enhance the effect. repeat the movement 3, 6, 10 or 30 times.
eyes : for liver
problems, strengthening of the eyes, eyes disorders (cataracts, astigmatism,
nearsightedness, glaucoma, bags or puffiness under the eyes.
nose : for allergies,
runny nose, blocked sinuses, strengthening of lungs
ear : for good
hearing, ringing and partial deafness, for
weakness of the kidneys, stimulation of the pineal
gland.
mouth:
+tongue: opening of the heart
+ saliva:. Natural healing water, germs
killer, prevent teeth decayu, increase the digestive system’s capacity to
absorb nutrients
+lips
and gum : stimulation of the meridians that supply energy to the mouth, teeth
and gums
+teeth
: protect the teeth, tighten the
joints of the body and keep the teeth healthy
face: stimulate the skin and facial muscle, reduce the formation
of wrinkles
thyroid: help the
metabolism to eliminate more toxins, improvement of the digestion and absorption
of nutrients.
hands, arms and upper body : strengthen arms and hands, tone the
muscles, nerves of the arms, increase the circulation of the blood, energize the
heart, lung, and heart contrictor meridians
lung: for any kind
of lung problem, strengtehn the entire breathing system, for full absorption of
energy, strengtehn the immune system.
heart: heal and prevent problem and diseases, keep the heart
strong and healthy,
breast: for degenerative problems of breast, to
keep the breast strong and healthy. To develop small breast.
abdomen: strengthen the intestines, colon, internal organs in the
abdomen., correct constipation, diarrhea, strengthen
the spine, adjust the posture.
stomach: helps
stomach pain, ulcers, over-acidity, flatulòence, indigestion and stomach cancer.
liver: keep the
liver functioning properly in filtering toxins
kidney: stimulate the adrenal glands, and the kidneys. For lower
back pain,. Strengthen the eyers. Keep the skin smooth and beautiful. Encourages
strong sexual feelings
lower back: strengthen
the spine, the muscles aroubd the abdomen, vertebrae, tail bone and kidneys.
anal opening exposed to sunlight: in Paschimotanasana, (standing
pince) wash the body on outside and
inside., for hemorrhoids, polyps, cancer of colon or anus.
lower body and sexual glands: reverse degenerative
problems of the lower trunk, restore the youthfulness of the body.
Increases the circulation to the toes, feet legs, and organs throughout the
abdomen.. frees the pelvis and joints. Strenthen the nerves, stimulates the
kidney, liver, spleen-pacreas meridians. Cure sexual problems, menstrual
problems
toe: restore the proper circulation of the muscles and tissues in
the body.
internal organ: strengthen digestion and elimination.
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