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Neck Massage Sequence
Most people massage their friend's neck while they
sit in a chair. We suggest that they lay on the floor,
face up. Position yourself by sitting on the floor,
behind their head, facing their feet. It will be
helpful to use a little bit of vegetable oil as a
lubricant between your hands and their skin. For
optimum access to their neck, it will be helpful to
have them remove their shirt and to place a towel or
blanket over their chest for comfort and warmth.
Before we begin, it is important to note the areas
that can be accidentally injured with too much
pressure. The first is the front of the throat. DON'T
ever (without professional training) massage the front
of the neck and throat area. Also, note the white dots
on the photo above. These dots indicate the
approximate location of the bones in the neck. These
bones, or "processes", point directly out of the sides
and out of the back of the neck. Don't push on these
bones with pressure thinking that they are just
stubborn spasms.
Begin the massage with gentle pulling motions,
alternating hands, squeezing the neck between your
thumb and fingers. The pressure should be placed
between the white dots shown above.
Use your fingertips alternately, making circles
along both sides of the spine. As you approach the
head, gently lift the neck and head with the
fingertips, allowing gravity to slowly glide your
fingers along the base of the skull. Use alternating
hands to push on the shoulders, while using the other
hand to support the head. Begin probing, gently, with
your thumb between the white dots.
Use your fingers and thumbs to find tight muscles.
These will feel like thick spots or bands of tension.
Apply pressure, gently but firmly, to these tight
areas and slowly work them out. Always stay in contact
with your friend and see if your pressure is too much
or too little. Carefully glide your fingers along the
sides of the spine until you are at the base of the
skull and balance the head on your finger tips. If
your hands aren't used to this kind of weight, don't
be surprised of this causes your fingers to lockup and
cramp. After their head seems to melt under its own
weight into your fingertips, gently make small circles
in these muscles.
After you have sufficiently worked the neck areas,
begin soft, circular strokes in the temple area. While
most believe that the "temples" only consist of the
area next to the ear (center photo above), the
temporalis muscle actually extends in a teardrop
pattern beginning at this area and extending back at
least four inches along the sides of the head.
Close the massage with gentle strokes with the
thumbs across the forehead, eyebrows, cheeks and chin.
Don't forget to give the ears a little rub with a
gentle pulling.
Option for side work...
You can also try working on your friend's neck
while they lay on their side. It is important that
they have pillows to bolster their legs and head. Try
pulling down on the shoulder, alternating hands and
pulling down on the muscles along the neck's sides.
You can also do thumb work from this position and
achieve excellent results because of the advantage of
leverage.
I wish you well as you learn to massage. Using your
hands to help others can bring incredible
satisfaction. Good luck and practice often.
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