Self-Massage/Scalp Massage/Back Massage/Neck & Shoulder Massage/Foot Massage
Here's the truth ladies.......
Self-love and -compassion are key for good physical and mental health, well-being, as well as keeping depression and anxiety away. Often times women leave self-care as a last priority because they naturally nurture friends, co-workers, family members, children, and spouse first, leaving themselves feeling tired, sore, and drained of energy.
Your body needs love. Period.
Self-massage is so beneficial for anyone who needs to incorporate more self-love into their life. By learning and actively using these self-massage techniques, you will accustom to put yourself top on the priority list, because you need to.
Allowing yourself time to nurture your own body and soul with loving physical touch will help to relieve headaches, muscle tension, and stiffness. When you’re feeling like your best, brightest self is when you’re the best you. Take self-care and self-love seriously!
Starting from top to bottom this is how to love your body with self-massage.
Scalp Massage
This is the best feeling ever! I would pay my hairdresser double just to add on a few more minutes of scalp massage when she shampoos my hair.
It turns out it feels amazing when you do it on yourself as well. The best time to give yourself a scalp massage is right before you hop in the shower or bath.
Use about a teaspoon oil to lubricate your scalp, we recommend coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, or almond oil. Stay away from canola or vegetable oils, these oils are not beneficial for your skin. Feel free to add in a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to really treat yourself. Using oil will help to cleans the scalp for a deep clean since oil attracts oil, this will draw out the sweat and bacterial that is in the scalp and hair follicles.
Starting with your hands at your temples place the pads of your fingers (do not use your nails) at your hairline, massage your scalp in circular motions moving up towards the top of your head and back again. Repeat this motion 3 times.
Moving towards the back of the head where your neck and base of your scull meet. This is a place that can carry plenty of tension, so give it some extra love. With one hand on either side of your head, position your thumbs on the base of your scull and your fingers will rest upwards on the back of your head, as though your hands are cradling your head. Using your thumbs press down on the base of your scull and massage with an upward circular motion.
Keeping your hands and fingers in the same position work your way around the entire scalp in a circular motion going towards the center of your scalp and back out towards your hairline. Make sure you massage every area of your scalp. Do this several times until you feel a release of tension. When your finished hop in the shower and shampoo and condition as usual.
Scalp massage feels so wonderful and also has therapeutic benefits, it’s used to reduce stress, ease headaches and migraines, uplift the mood, and also promote hair growth.
Neck and Shoulder Massage
Before massaging start with a stretch by releasing your shoulders and letting them drop down away from your ears, then slowly roll your head down towards your chest and hold this position for 30 seconds, repeat if necessary. Once you feel a nice stretch and release in your neck muscles resume a comfortable neutral forward looking position with your head. Starting at the base of your scull place your index finger and middle finger in the center so your finger tips are touching. Massage in circular motions moving slowly down towards your shoulder blades then back up to the base of your scull. Repeat this at least 3 times.
Moving on to the shoulders pick a shoulder to start with and warm up your trapezius muscles by gliding your opposite hand back and forth over the area. Now squeeze the muscle with your hand several times going from one side of the muscle to the other. Make sure your shoulder is fully relaxed and your arm is dropped down and squeeze the band of muscles between your beck and shoulder blade. Start at your neck and mover towards your shoulder then come back. Do this several times moving side to side. Apply the appropriate amount of pressure for your body, this should feel relaxing not painful.
Next using only your fingers apply a press and hold motion back and forth working the back side of your trapezius. Repeat this process on the other shoulder. Then roll both shoulders up and back 10 times slowly.
Shoulders are one of the places that can carry plenty of tension and pain, as well as carrying emotional irritability. Daily carrying around groceries, laundry, back-packs, kids, and every day worries results in increased shoulder tension, so this is a really great self massage technique to relieve that pain, tension, and stress.
Mid Back (grab a tennis or tension relief ball)
Start by giving yourself a big hug, wrap your arms around yourself grab onto each shoulder blade and pull slightly giving yourself a nice stretch.
Switch arms and give yourself another hug again grabbing onto your shoulder blade and giving a nice gentle pull and hold.
Now grab your ball (grab one from Amazon here) and position yourself with knees slightly bent and your back against a wall. Start by placing the ball between your shoulder blade and spine, lean back slightly to apply pressure, then use your legs to move up and down rolling the ball along your spine. Repeat on the other side.
Lower Back
Sit in a comfortable position on the floor with your legs crossed. Place both hands on your back just below your ribcage, position your thumbs resting on the muscle that runs on either side of your spine and your fingers fanning outwards towards your sides. It will feel like you are cupping the base of your ribs. Now apply pressure with your thumbs and notice any sore spots on your muscle. Using circular motions massage the muscle moving down towards your hips then back up towards your spine. Do this slowly at least 3 times.
Moving down to your hip area take your finger tips on either side of your spine and massage up and down your sacrum in small circles. You will be moving from between your hip bones down towards your tailbone and back. Repeat at least 3 times. Finish with a side stretch by placing one hand on the floor a foot away from your hip, then lifting your opposite arm straight up to the side and over your head and lean into the stretch to really feel it in your side body. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Feet
Make a fist and use the knuckles if your index and middle fingers to massage the arch of your foot in circular motions. This will break up any scar tissue in your foot, and release tension. Continue this movement down into the heel of the foot and then finish with the pad of the foot.
Next, cradling your foot with both hands rest your thumbs in the center of the pad of your foot, apply pressure and squeeze your foot with your hands and use a pulling motion moving your thumbs outward, repeat this moving down towards your heel and back up 3 times.
Stand up and place your ball under your foot on the floor lean some weight onto that foot to apply pressure and roll the ball around your foot relieving any remaining tension. Switch feet and repeat.
Your Body Is Loved
Thanks for taking the time to learn these self-love massage techniques, be sure to bookmark this webpage so you can come back to this article whenever you need it!