If
you work in an industry where you use your hands a lot,
then you know how tired your hands can get. The benefits
of a relaxing hand massage can give tired hands new life
again. It can be performed almost anywhere: at home, work,
or school. You can easily perform a basic hand massage on
yourself or someone else, with or without massage oil.
Here’s how:
You can
begin by applying a small amount of massage oil to the
hands, if you’d like. A few good oils to use for massage
are vegetable, sweet almond, Jojoba, olive or grape seed.
·
Stroke the back of your hand using small circular motions
while pushing up toward the wrist and gently stroking it
back.
·
Next, stroke each finger using the same circular motions
while apply pressure to the joints.
·
Hold each finger at the base and pull and stretch it
gently towards the fingertip.
·
Turning the hand over so that the palms are facing down,
stroke the areas in between the tendons using a small
circular motion and then gently apply pressure to the
webbed area in between the fingers.
·
Using the same circular motion, stroke the knuckle of each
finger and continue down to the fingertip.
Turn the hand back over and apply a firm, but gentle
circular pressure to wrist and palm.
·
Stroke each finger using small circles beginning at the
base and work your way up to the fingertips. Use a gently
squeeze and pull from the base out to the tips of each
finger.
·
You can finish the massage by using the heel of your hand
to apply a firm kneading pressure to the palm of your
other hand and repeat.
·
Now repeat the steps above to massage the other hand.
·
For a final touch you can apply a scented moisturizer to
the hands.
Tips:
·
If you find that you can’t apply enough pressure to the
massage just using your fingers, you can use small massage
toys, balls, or the eraser end of a pencil instead.
·
If you have the time, you can set the mood for a really
relaxing hand massage by adding candles and soft music to
the massage.
·
You can add an essential oil to your massage oil to give
your senses a nice refreshing lift. Try adding peppermint
or eucalyptus to stimulate the senses. If you rather have
something a little more calming, try lavender.
·
If you’re trying the massage on someone else, ask him or
her if the massage feels okay. You want to apply enough
pressure for the massage to be enjoyable, but you don’t
want that person to be in pain.
If you
enjoyed the above massage, why not visit your local
bookstore for a book on massages. You can also visit your
local library if you’re on a budget.
