Swedish Massage
How To Give A Swedish Massage
The Swedish massage involves long flowing strokes which are
usually in the direction of the heart, and it particularly
effective in increasing both circulation and blood flow.
Basically, there are six most basic strokes in Swedish massage,
including effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, compression,
and vibration. In addition, there is usually a form of cream
or lotion applied to the skin in order to reduce the wrong
kind of friction and to allow for smoother strokes. The Swedish
massage is known as the best and the most well known massage.
First of all, you need to create a relaxing and comfortable
environment, and there shouldn’t be anything around
to interrupt, such as children or pets. Besides, it is best
to set the room at a mild temperature and you should create
proper lighting by dimming the lights or using only candlelight
or lighting aromatherapy candles for enhanced effect.
Next, make the client lie down on a hard surface so that
all of their muscles are well supported. If you don’t
have a professional massage table, you might want to use a
firm mattress or a futon.
You should always have the required materials ready such
as hand towels and lubricants. Lubricants are particularly
important, as they are used to relax and to help make smoother
strokes on the body.
You may begin the massage once you have all of your materials
ready. Always begin by targeting the larger muscle groups
first, such as the neck, shoulders, back, and legs.
Begin at the shoulders, and work from there to the neck,
and then down the arms and onto the hands for the maximum
and most pleasurable effect. You can then return to the upper
and lower back, working your way down to the thighs and calves,
and ending off with the feet.
There are three basic strokes, which are the effleurage,
the fan stroke, and the circling hands. The effleurage is
the using of soft and fluid strokes steadily with the palm
of the hand; the fan stroke is done by sliding your hands
up the shoulder blades and then up and over the shoulders,
down to the lower back, basically, you will notice that you
are actually drawing a coarse heart; and the circling hands,
quite obviously, is done by making counterclockwise circular
motions with your fingers always pointing in the same direction.
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