Treat Yo Self And Your Friends With Better At-Home Massages

There are plenty of reasons to be feeling stressed right now.

For one, there’s post-pandemic anxiety causing people to worry as groups head back to the office, vaccine statuses remaining unknown, and families dealing with changing regulations for their kids.

For another, this summer has been a wild one, weather-wise. Poor air quality records were broken in Tahoe, the Pacific Northwest faced all-time high temperatures, and Hurricane Ida ended up one of the costliest hurricanes on record.

All in all, we’d say it’s a pretty good excuse to treat yourself to a little rest, a little relaxation, and a little me time.

And what better way to let loose and have the stress melt away than with a massage?

But we wanted to think about it a little differently. Because we’ve all been going through these stresses together, we’re proposing a focus on treating yourself that you can share with others, too.

So here are a few easy tricks to improve your massage technique - for yourself, and your friends and family.

Improve Your At-Home Massage Technique

We may have certain expectations about setting up our at-home massage spaces. Throw on some music and candles to set the mood. Get some oil. Try not to give an accidental deep tissue massage.

You know, the basics.

Here are a few other ideas that can make a massage that much more relaxing:

• Don’t Lather On Too Much Oil - In fact, pour a bit on your hands first to warm it up before applying. And if you need an easy, go-to option, grapeseed and coconut oil can are nice, natural choices.
  
  
• Go Big, Then Go Small - If you’re feeling generous and ready to give a full-body massage, start with a back massage first, go to the legs, the neck and arms, then the feet for a fully relaxing experience.
  
  
• It’s Form, Not Force - It can be tempting to use your hands to apply all the pressure, but keeping your back straight and using your body weight will help you apply a more even pressure throughout the experience.

Tools For Better At-Home Massages

Like any indulgence, massages can start as something simple and sweet and become costly with Theraguns and massage chairs reaching up into the hundreds of dollars range. 

If you’re just getting started, don’t stress out about the best way to feel better. Back Intelligence suggests it can be as easy as four simple tools:

• Tennis Ball/Massage Ball
• Your Hands
• Foam Roller
• Trigger Point Massager

Like the last bullet point suggests, these tools are especially useful for trigger point massages. These massages are great at attacking problems we’ve all been developing from sitting in the same place for too long.

This is also where an important distinction comes in. When you’re treating yourself or a loved one to a surprise massage, you may focus more on the environment and a general routine. If you’re taking the time - say, for example, if you have active or latent trigger points - it could be time to consider some professional guidance.

After all, professional care is self-care worth treating yourself to, too! And recognizing that it is something you deserve is an achievement unto itself.

What about you? Any tips or tricks you use to make for a super relaxing massage?