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Self-Care After Giving a Massage

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How to Become a Massage Therapist

How to Massage Yourself

Using massage techniques on yourself can help alleviate pain and tension. Self-massage isn’t ideal—it doesn’t allow you to relax completely, and some parts of your body are difficult or impossible to reach—but when a sudden ache or pain strikes, knowing a few techniques to use on yourself is invaluable. Self-massage is also a great way to improve your skills—you can transfer your knowledge of what feels effective and what doesn’t to your work on others.

Headache Release

Scratch all around your head to loosen the scalp.
Press into the points at the base of your skull. Trace around your hairline, pressing into the skull to find tender points. Pay special attention to the temples.
Tilt your head forward to stretch the neck. To increase the stretch, drape one of your hands over the back of your head. Do this on each side as well: tilt your head to the left and drape your left hand over the side of your head; tilt to the right and drape your right hand.

Sinus Release

Place your index fingers on either side of the bridge of your nose and press them in toward each other. From here, follow the orbit of the eye, pressing your fingers up into bone until you reach the outer corners of the orbit.
Place your fingertips on either side of each nostril. Press into the skin and make small circles. Slowly move outward, following the cheekbones out until you reach the temples.

Peppermint and eucalyptus oil are useful in combating sinus pressure. If you like, rub a few drops into your fingertips before massaging your face. (Be careful not to get any of the oil in your eyes.)

Calf Massage

Sit on the floor with your knee bent and foot flat on the floor in front of you.

Place your palms on either side of the top of the calf. Rub your hands back and forth vigorously, jostling the tissue between your hands. Continue down the entire length of the calf.
Starting back at the top of the lower leg, rest your palms on the side of the calf and press your thumbs into the center of the tissue, just behind the knee. Walk your hands down your leg, pressing into the center of the back of the leg as you go. Think of dividing the calf muscle into right and left parts.
Clasp your fingers and grab onto the shin right below the kneecap. Squeeze the heels of your hands into the flesh just behind the tibia and the fibula (the two bones of the lower leg). Think of squeezing the muscle off of the bone. Use oil to glide down the leg with your hands in this position, or simply press into the tissue as you walk your hands down toward your ankle.

Forearm and Hand Massage

Apply a bit of oil or lotion to your forearm and rest your forearm on a table in front of you with your palm facing up. Rest your other forearm on top of the resting arm near your elbow, then glide the working arm down toward your wrist. Use the fleshy part of your working arm and not the bony surface. Repeat with the palm of the resting arm facing down.
Grasp your forearm with your opposite hand, palm down, and press your fingers into the flesh of your forearm. Rotate your wrist back and forth under your fingers. Rather than glide over the skin, keep your working hand in the same spot. Experiment with holding different spots on your forearm while rotating the wrist.
Place one thumb on the fleshy part at the base of your other thumb. Hook into the skin and make small circles throughout the whole area. This can be done on the entire palm or wherever you feel tension.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer