Seated back, neck and shoulder massage routine
Massage should always be done in a quiet, calm, comfortable space. Make sure your partner is comfortable. If seated, they should have both feet flat on the floor, and hands resting in their lap. Check in with them regularly to ensure nothing you do is uncomfortable or hurts.
- Rest your hands lightly on your partner’s shoulders.
- Deep breathes
Ask your partner to shut their eyes and take three deep breathes. They should breathe in slowly, hold their breathe for a count of three, and then breathe out slowly for a count of three. Each time they breathe out press down on their shoulders. - Brisk back rub
Step to the side of your partner. Keep one hand on one of their shoulders to gently support them. With your free hand rub one side of the back briskly using the palm of your hand. Work from the top of the back to the bottom and back up again. Repeat on the other side of the back. - Effleurage the upper back and shoulders
Effleurage the upper back and shoulders using the whole hand, fingers together, using slow rhythmic strokes. Start with three smaller circles over the shoulders and then follow with three bigger circles over the back and shoulders. - Kneading the shoulders
Place one hand on each shoulder and squeeze and lift the flesh away from the bones. Repeat six times on the shoulders. Work on both shoulders at the same time. - Arm kneading
Squeeze gently all the way down the arms and back up again – work on both arms at the same time. - Kneading the shoulders – two hands working together
Place two hands on one shoulder and knead the shoulder. Squeeze and lift the flesh, passing it from one hand to the other. Option to also knead the outer upper arm. Repeat on the other shoulder. - Friction circles up the sides of the spine
Small, firm, friction strokes using the balls of the thumbs or the fingers working up either side of the spine and then across the top of the shoulders towards the neck. - Option: work around each shoulder blade
Use small firm friction circles made with thumb or finger tips to work around the edge of the shoulder blades. - Scoop up the neck
Stand to the side of your partner, rest one hand on your partner’s shoulder and scoop up the back of the neck with your free hand. Repeat three times. - Friction circles up either side of the neck
Stand to the side of your partner and support their forehead with the palm of one hand. With your free hand, use your finger and thumb make small, firm, circles either side of the base of the neck. Repeat as you work slowly up the sides of the neck. - Occipital bone pressure points
Using thumb and forefinger, push gently up on the base of the occipital bone at the bottom of the skull, either side of the top of the neck. Hold for six seconds. Move your finger and thumb a centimetre away from the top of the spine and repeat. Keep going as you work along the bottom edge of the occipital bone out towards the ears. - Shampooing the head
Stand behind your partner and use both hands to massage the head with a shampooing action. - Hacking
Hack gently across the tops of the shoulders, upper back and arms. Keep your wrists loose throughout. - Rest your forearms on your partner’s shoulders and gently rock backwards and forwards.
- Brisk strokes down the back to finish off.
Always get up slowly after receiving a massage and have a glass of water.
Indian Head Massage Routine
Make sure your partner is sitting comfortably and that you are also comfortable.
- Three deep breathes
Begin with your hands resting lightly on your partner’s shoulders, ask them to take three deep slow breathes in and out. Let your hands gently rise and fall with their shoulders as they breathe in and out. - Head strokes
Using both your hands, gently stroke the head downwards towards the neck. - Finger rotations
Use a shampooing action to massage the scalp using your finger tips. Work all over the scalp. - Palm rotation
Use the palm of both hands to support the head on opposite sides, gently rotate your palms to loosen the scalp. Move your hands to different positions so you work on the sides of the head and the back and front of the head. - Finger tip friction
Position one hand on the side of the head for support. With your free hand use your finger tips to firmly rub from one side of the top of the head down to the bottom of the head. Repeat slowly working from front to the back of the head. - Head strokes
- Finger vibration over the scalp
Using the finger tips of both hands vibrate the skin of the scalp. Lift your fingers off, move to another area, and repeat until you have worked on all areas of the scalp. - Finger combing
Comb the hair gently with your fingertips from the front to the back of the head. - Caterpillar kneading
Stretch out all your fingers and thumbs, work the whole of the scalp, from the front to the back and along the sides in a caterpillar movement – bending and straightening your fingers alternately. - Squeezing the head
Place your palms on either side of the head, just above the ears, and squeeze in and gently lift up, hold, then release. Move to the side of your partner and repeat, placing one hand on the forehead and one hand on the back of the skull, squeeze, lift, hold pressure and then release gently. - Tabla movement over the entire scalp
Create a raindrops effect – use the tips of your fingers to tap gently all over the head to give the feeling of raindrops. - Finger combing
- Finger rotations
- Heel of the hand rub under the occipital bone
Stand to one side of your partner. Place one hand on the forehead and tilt the head slightly forward. Use the heel of the other hand to rub firmly along the edge of the occipital bone. (If working with long hair hold it up on the top of the head, and use the other hand to rub.) - Champissage on the head (light hacking)
Keep your fingers and wrists loose and relaxed, make a prayer position with your hands and then with both hands simultaneously softly and quickly hack all over the head. Start with your hands close together above the top of the head and then work down the sides of the head with your hands moving apart. - Hair plucking
Use your finger tips to pluck the hair the way a chicken would peck at the ground. - Hair pulling (optional)
Push your outstretched fingers (palms of the hands facing upwards) through the hair, trap hair between your fingers, make a fist and gently pull upwards, hold, and then release. - Finger rotations
- Gently stroke over the head and then hold the head for a few moments.
Indian head massage: Neck massage routine
- ‘Wing’ Effleurage over the neck
Use the back of your hands to stroke up and down over the neck. - Thumb pressure up the neck in two rows
Tilt the head slightly forward. Put your thumbs on either side of the spine at the base of the neck (never apply pressure directly onto the spine). Push gently, count to three, release and then repeat with your thumbs a centimetre higher up either side of the cervical spine. Repeat five times as you work up to the bone at the base of the skull.
Repeat this process with your thumbs starting at the base of the neck but slightly further away from the spine. - Thumb rotations along the edge of the occipital bone
With the head still tilted slightly forward, place your fingertips on the top of the head, cup the head and then use your thumbs to rotate along the occipital bone. Work both sides at the same time, from the centre out towards the ears. (With long hair ensure your thumbs are underneath the hair.) - Wing effleurage over the neck
- Finger or knuckle circles over the trapezius muscle either side of the neck.
Ask your partner which movement he/she prefers and check whether they like firm or lighter pressure. - Kneading over the splenius capatis muscle (at the base of the neck)
Stand to the side of your partner, place one hand on their forehead to support their head. Use the fingers and thumb of your free hand to gently squeeze, rotate and then release the splenius capatis muscles. - Pressure points along the occipital bone (at base of skull)
Stand to the side of your partner and support their forehead with your hand. Use your thumb to push in and slightly upwards on the base of the skull, hold for three seconds, release, then repeat as you work along the base of the skull bone. - Wing effleurage over the neck.
- Head strokes, back strokes
Gently stroke down from the top of the head several times to ‘brush the hair’ with the palms of your hands, then stroke down the back from the shoulders to the bottom of the back using both hands. - Rest your hands on your partners shoulders to finish the massage.
