Massage
Rules
Three basic ones:
First and foremost
be present
Letting go of expectations
of the future
and
comparisons with the past,
Be
Here
Be
Now
Secondly
maintain full-hand contact
whenever possible
Allow your palms
fingers
and thumbs
to outline the contours
Thirdly
maintain a continuous flow
Movements blend together,
each one
enhancing the preceding one
and preparing the next
More important
than the techniques
is
your own personal expression
More important than
your own personal expression
is
the recipient's wishes
More important than
the recipient's wishes
is
your never forcing yourself
Yet
be open to discovering
new horizons
It's a delicate dance
Reminders
If the sensation
feels good to the recipient,
you are doing it correctly,
regardless
of theory or written instructions
Vary
the pressure
the tempo
the rhythm
Repeating a stroke in the exact same way each time
becomes boring very quickly
to both the recipient and the giver
If there are two of them,
massage both
Glide on and off
To begin a touch,
rather than plopping on
glide on with a slow descent
in the direction
that your hands will be moving
In coming off
continue the movement in a gradual ascent
Generally, minimize landings and takeoffs
When in doubt
lighter pressure might be better
The recipient's preference, however,
is the best guide
Ask occasionally, if you are uncertain
Minimize the talking
An important exception:
when the recipient needs
to communicate deep feelings
Become centered
Tuning into and slowing your breath
you can quieten yourself
Being centered
you will experience more deeply
your own pleasure
The following strokes assume
the massage is on a table
Except for some of the long strokes
most of the instructions can be adapted
to floor or bed massages
Follow the presented sequence
or create a sequence
more suitable for your situation
Massage the whole body
or only one section
