Touch is one of the five Love Languages for a reason. Have you ever gotten a hug and been overwhelmed with how much you actually need it? As humans we crave touch. We need it. And that's why it's so important to be in tune with your partner's need for touch. Partner massage can be a way to share and feel love, not to mention the many health benefits.
So in the spirit of helping you give and feel more love, we are offering a few techniques to improve your partner-massage game. You can thank us later.
- Warm up the muscles first. All too often, amateur massage therapists jump right into deep tissue massage without properly warming up the muscles. Having warms hands helps, try running them under warm water or offering a massage after a hot bath or shower. Gently work the muscles in a circular or back-and-forth motion applying just a bit of pressure to get them warm. Take a moment to feel where the tension is in your partner's body and ask for their input.
- Use your body weight. Just using your hands will quickly result in fatigue. Instead, lean your body weight into it and use your elbows, forearms, and the balls of your hands. Let gravity apply the pressure. Positioning is important, make sure you are in a position that allows you to use gravity rather than your muscle strength.
- Ease the friction. Always use oil when giving a massage. Pump some Good Medicine Body Oil into your hands and rub your hands together to warm the oil. Enjoy a friction-less, aromatic massage experience.
If your partner is experiencing muscle soreness then, by all means, use our miraculous Muscle Balm. It will increase circulation, speeding up the healing process while relieving pain.
Most of us keep a lot of muscle tension in our shoulders, I know I do. Here is how to really impress your partner and relieve some shoulder tension.
- With oil on your hands, use your opposite hand to the should you want to massage. If you're massaging their left shoulder, use your right hand. Gently press the fleshy part of your hand into their shoulder and rub your thumb up and down the neck. Remember to let gravity do the work!
- As you begin to add a little more pressure your hand will begin to slowly slip down towards their arm. Maintain pressure and let us slide slowly.
- When your hand gets past the shoulder muscle you are working on, simply repeat.
Now you are ready to show and receive some partner-massage love. Remember to share these tips with your partner so they can return the favor.
XOXO
