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Learning Aromatherapy Massage - Massage with essential oils

Aromatherapy massage can be part of a healing process, or a way to apply essential oils to the right places. It isn't difficult or complicated. Anyone can do it - to their friends, families and even to themselves.

Use essential oils in all massages. Massages should be carried out with the flow of the body - towards the heart. When massaging children use gentle, comforting effleurage movements. Last, after an aerobic workout, petrissage movements are useful to release toxins and keep muscles supple.

Effleurage

Effleurage is the most useful movement in Aromatherapy massage. It is a series of gentle, soothing stokes, which enable the essential oils to penetrate the body, causing relaxation and calm throughout. Use your whole hands, not just your fingers, in strokes that can be either long or short, firm or gentle. Muscles will be relaxed and nerve endings soothed, stress and tension relieved and circulation increased.

Keep your hands relaxed but firm in this movement.

Petrissage

Petrissage is like gently kneading dough. Each movement should be slow and careful, never causing pain. These movements are often helpful on fatty areas and on backs. They can relax the muscles, increase circulation, aid the release of trapped toxins and help lymphatic flow.

Use slight pressure on your thumbs in this movement.

HEAD MASSAGE

When using Aromatherapy massage on the scalp, put the oil on the fingertips and use the fingers, working all over the scalp.

For migraine and headaches massage around the base of the neck and work upwards to the base of the scalp. Continue massaging this are for a few moments. Use your fingers in firm effleurage strokes to apply the appropriate essential oils.

NECK MASSAGE

Use small, firm circular movements, working from the base of the neck, either side of the vertebrae, to the base of the scalp. Work to the sides of the neck and repeat the movements, this time very gently and work down again. Repeat several times with the appropriate essential oils.

SHOULDER MASSAGE

Massage into the muscles with effleurage and petrissage movements. Using your thumbs and palms, make firm strokes from the shoulder to the neck and back again.

ARMS MASSAGE

Massage up towards the armpit, using effleurage or petrissage on the fatty or muscular areas only.

BACK MASSAGE

Firm or gentle effleurage or petrissage can be used. DO NOT massage over the vertebrae. Start from the lumbar region of the back and with two hands, stroke all the way up to the shoulders. Slide the hands over the shoulders and return down the sides of the back. Repeat this movement as many times as you like (or they would like you to!!!). The longer the massage, the more relaxing it is.

STOMACH MASSAGE

Use circular movements only, in a clockwise direction. Effleurage is the best stroke to use for this.

LEG MASSAGE

Always massage legs upwards. Use effleurage alone or with petrissage on the fatty or muscular areas only. NEVER massage over varicosed areas.

FOOT MASSAGE

Massage from the toes to the heel, thumbs under the foot and fingers on top. You will find this very soothing.

FOR WOMEN ONLY!

For women's reproductive problems, massage using effleurage movements. Begin at the lower back and slide over the hips. Now slide each hand separately over the abdomen and repeat the whole process.