Self-Massage Technique

• Maintain an attitude of nurturing and love toward yourself and your body.
• Keep your attention on the part of your body you are oiling.
• Apply oil sparingly unless you are having a shower or bath afterwards.
• Use small amounts of oil, adding more when necessary.
• Use both hands and adapt to the contours of your body.
• Work in circular movements and long strokes working from the extremities towards the heart.
• Try a twice-daily routine to start.
• On arising use invigorating and stimulating oils.
• On retiring use sedating and relaxing oils. Before treating clients, use protective, clearing and balancing oils.

Sequence

1. Work oil into hands.
2. Use thumb to press and rotate all over palm area. Grasp each finger and gently pull and twist from base to ends.
3. Use thumb in circular motion to work between the bones on the top of the hand.
4. Pinch with thumb and index finger and rotate in webbing between other thumb and index finger.
5. Stroke firmly up arms to shoulders and into armpits.
6. Knead area between elbow and shoulder.
7. Start at wrist, use thumb in circular movements working to elbow.
8. Work thumb and fingers in circular motions around elbow.
9. Apply oil to toes, especially around nails.
10. Work over tops of feet.
11. Cross foot over other leg and apply oil to sole of foot .
12. Use thumbs to apply circular movements to the sole of the foot.
13. Manipulate each toe at the base and gently pull to ends.
14. Work oil up legs.
15. Use circular motions to massage around knee.
16. Squeeze alternately one hand then the other on calf and thigh muscle (milking).
17. Lie on your back with knees bent. Place one hand on abdomen with other hand on top of it. Work in a square shape with the direction of the colon; from right pelvic bone to right hip, across to left hip, down to left pelvic bone and across to right pelvic bone.
18. Sitting up, work oil onto chest, working around breasts, make alternating horizontal strokes, first with one hand and then the other, from each side to the middle of your body.
19. Work along collar bones and around shoulders, kneading shoulders with a firm squeezing action between fingers and the ball of the hand.
20. Using fingertips in small circular movements, work up and down back of neck, move gently on the front.
21. Oil the parts of your back that you can reach easily or use a massage tool with rollers or a sponge on a stick to get the hard to reach areas.
22. Lie on back, clasp knees and rock back and forth to massage lower back and stretch out the vertebrae.
23. Use finger tips and rotate in anti-clockwise direction on temples.
24. Press with fingertips on forehead.
25. With index finger tips press into inner edge of eyebrow beside bridge of nose and rest weight of head on fingertips.
26. Using index and middle fingers of both hands, press in at jaw joint and move in a circular motion.
27. Pinch with index finger and thumb on ear surface and rotate moving fingers to cover entire area.
28. Apply fresh oil to your hands and hold them over nose while inhaling deeply several times.