How to Massage the Arm

Stand outside your partner’s left arm. Work through the entire sequence that follows and then switch to the other arm.

Hold the recipient’s left hand in your right hand, as if you’re shaking hands. Place your left hand on your partner’s forearm with your fingers pointing toward her shoulder. Glide up the arm to the shoulder. Continue the motion all the way over the shoulder, under the back of the neck, and to the base of the skull. Your partner’s head should roll to the right side as you do this. Lighten the pressure and retreat back to the wrist.

Place your right hand on the inside of the upper arm and your left hand on the outside of the upper arm. Use the same technique you did on the back of the leg to “wring” the arm: reverse the position of your hands, simultaneously pulling your right hand toward you and pushing your left away. Repeat in a rhythmic fashion, moving slowly down the arm and forearm over the course of several strokes.

Pick up the meaty part of the left hand with both of your hands. Your fingers should be on your partner’s palm and the backs of your hands on the back of his or her hand. Lean back and pull, alternating your hands back and forth to “milk” your partner’s hand. Think of spreading the flesh of the hand. Finish by giving a gentle pull to each finger. This technique provides a stretch through the arm and the neck; if done properly, the left shoulder will sit lower than the right when you are finished. Repeat the entire sequence on the right arm.