Hands-on Healing :: Holistic Healing

Hands-on Healing
by author Jessica North Oâ€™Connell

Have you ever felt the hands of a friend or loved one on your shoulders and positively melted at the sensation? It feels so nurturing and reassuring, and you can actually feel your muscles releasing all that pent-up stress. If only you could experience that feeling as long as possible, and every day!

Touch is essential to our physical, emotional and psychological well-being. But, all too often in our culture, we suffer from a touch shortage. We get so busy with our daily lives and all the things that need doing that we forget to nurture each other, and ourselves. A restorative, hands-on massage is a wonderful way to aid relaxation and eliminate or reduce headaches, eyestrain, upper limb discomforts and low back pain. Why not exchange the health benefits of simple massage with a friend, or even give one to yourself?

Self-Massage

Sitting upright on a chair, reach across your chest with your left hand to the base of the skull. Work your way down over the right shoulder and towards the wrist, gently squeezing and releasing. Do this three or four times. Repeat on the left side.

With fingertips using moderate pressure, make small circles on either side of spine from base of neck and along base of skull. Repeat this movement along hairline from top of forehead to base of skull.

Gently knead area between neck and shoulder on either side. Shake out hands and drop head forward, chin toward chest. Slowly roll head from side to side, bringing ears parallel with shoulders while keeping shoulders relaxed.

Lift and drop shoulders several times. Make a few circles with shoulders, first forward, then backward.

With left hand, firmly stroke downward from the right side of the neck and off the right shoulder. Repeat on left side using right hand. Shake out hands.

Partner Massage

To enhance relaxation, diffuse a couple of drops of frankincense, lavender or sandalwood essential oil into the air during the massage. Then, with your partner seated on a stool or backless chair, place your hands on her shoulders. Gently knead shoulder area for a couple of minutes, working outward from base of neck at either side of the upper spine.

With fingertips, make small, circular movements from the base of neck to base of skull on either side of vertebrae. Repeat two to four times. Some people also enjoy having their scalps gently massaged.

With heels of palms begin making small, circular movements at the lumbar (lower back) region, spiraling toward hips. Shake out hands.

With thumbs at either side of spine, make small circles, moving upward until reaching shoulders. Move hands off shoulders in a sweeping motion (as if you’re brushing off dust).

With thumbs, make small circles moving along underside of each shoulder blade, working toward either side of spine and upwards toward neck.

Finish with two or three long, sweeping strokes from waist up to shoulders, brushing off at shoulders. Shake out hands.

Fancy Footwork

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Jessica North O'Connell (Hypatia Therapeutics) is a fully qualified aromatherapist, writer and educator with a 30-year background in alternative health practices.

Source: alive #240, October 2002

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