One way we can heal one another is through massage. Massage is a wonderful way to increase our well being through touch and using essential oils for added healing. It relaxes and heals tired muscles, rejuvenates our spirits and can promote a peaceful sense of being.

Showing love through touch is so natural to us. We express this healing, nurturing love when hugging our children, holding hands with friends, rubbing and playing with our animals and making love to our partners.

Massage soothes away anxiety and eases away the tension in tired or aching muscles, allowing the person to feel comforted and serene.

In fact there are tremendous benefits to massage. On the most basic level, regular therapeutic massage is one of the most effective ways to deal with stress and stress related illness. It is used by many for the relief of injuries and certain chronic and acute conditions. Some of the benefits of massage include:

• Calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of relaxation and well being.
• Reduces tension and anxiety and so benefits one’s state of emotional well-being.
• Improves blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
• Stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away the body’s waste products and so is great for detoxification.
• Prevents and relieves muscles cramps and spasms.
• Massage therapy can help with pain management in conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, and muscle spasms.
• Increases flexibility.
• Enhances your immune system.

There are many techniques that you can learn and incorporate to give a pleasurable massage as well as following your instinct and listening to your patient’s body. The flow of your patient’s muscles (or lack of) will guide your hands to give the best massage.

How to begin:

• Make sure the room is warm and quiet or you can play soothing instrumental music.
• Ensure that your partner is comfortable and warm. Use pillows and towels to help you with this.
• Start off by doing three deep relaxing breaths with your partner. Breathe in and out deeply together.
• You are now ready to start.
• Shake your hands a bit first to help them relax.
• It is better to always pour the oil you are using into your hands first and then smooth it over your partner.
• Add more oil if you feel your partners skin is getting dry.

Technique:

• Use rhythmic flowing strokes.
• Place your hands on the lower back on either side of the spine and slowly and firmly stroke up the back over the shoulders.
• Glide your hand down the sides of the body and back up a few times.
• Knead the muscles to help them relax as you would knead dough.
• Use your thumbs to make circular pressing movements up either side of the spin, circling your thumbs outwards.
• You can ease tension from your partner’s neck by cupping the fingers of one hand around your partner’s neck. Stroke upwards from the base of the neck towards the hairline.
• Towards the end of a massage do some soothing techniques like running your hands gently down your partners back.

You will instinctively be drawn to use movements I have not listed here. Trust this and enjoy giving the massage. The general rule is to follow the direction of the muscle and keep moving your hands. Don’t massage in one area for to long as this will only agitate the skin and hurt the muscles and skin.

What oils to use:

You will need carrier oil which forms the base of your healing massage oil. Essential oils are too concentrated to use as is. I recommend you use either Jojoba oil, Almond oil or rosehip oil as a base oil – view our carrier oils

Once you have chosen your carrier oil, you can add a blend of essential oils, the choosing of which can be great fun. Here is a list of essential oils to choose from depending on what healing your partner or friend requires:

• Lavender Oil – this oil is balancing, relaxing and calming.
• Marjoram Oil – this oil is great for relieving muscular and period pain. This is a good oil to use for after sports stiffness.
• Bergamot Oil – has a wonderful uplifting scent and is good for promoting a confidence and positivity within the individua.l
• Chamomile Oil – both Roman and German chamomile have excellent calming properties, but Roman chamomile is more effective for irritation, impatience and feeling disagreeable. It is also a great oil to use in treating PMS and other menstrual and menopausal problems.
• Ginger – this stimulating essential oil positively affects your mood and revives the mind. It is also stimulates a sluggish circulation and is useful for fighting cellulite and boosting your lymphatic system.
• Lemongrass – it is an uplifting oil that can be used with success for combating cellulite and revitalizing a tired body and mind.
• Patchouli – this essential oil is great for fighting depression and anxiety. It has great diuretic properties and also helps break down cellulite, while stimulating the regeneration of skin cells.
• Ylang Ylang – this extremely fragrant essential oil has a calming effect on the mind and body and is used in cases of frigidity and impotence. It has a wonderfully balancing and stimulating effect on the skin, to correct sebum production and is also used to stimulate hair growth.
• View all our massage oils

Sometimes a glance or touch can speak a thousand words and mean more than any bought gift. Some hugs are so cuddly and warm that the memory of them can linger for years and years. Giving and receiving love is a gift we can all share with one another easily and spontaneously.

Everyone loves a good back rub but seldom gets treated to a massage that’s longer than 10 minutes. Taking time out to pamper a loved one with a healing massage is only one of many ways you can say I love you and I care that you feel happy and healthy.

Give the gift of Love. A simple sweet smile. A kind look into another eyes acknowledging their worth. A strong and warm embrace. A spontaneous kiss in the neck. A gentle back stroke to let someone know they are not alone. A back rub or massage that shows you care and that you can take the time to show it.

These are the gifts of touch and the magic and healing that is created from this affection is worth it!
So keep on giving the gift of Love and also keep open to receiving it.