According to one survey, about 28% of American adults had a massage at least once in the year.
Some people may not want to go to a professional masseuse, but maybe you have a partner who’s willing to give it a try.
Looking to do something nice for your partner? Something that will bring you closer as a couple? Try these little-known massage therapy techniques tonight.
1. Use Oil
One of the massage therapy techniques that people don’t know about is that you should use oil when you give your partner a massage. It makes it feel better for the person who you are massaging, and it will make it easier for you as well.
If you don’t use oil, your hands will start to get tired faster because you will have to work harder to move across their body.
There are all kinds of oils that you could use for a great massage.
Some of them may even be in your pantry. Coconut oil smells great and is actually really healthy for your skin as well.
There are aromatherapy oils which could help set the mood. Oils that smell like jasmine or rose can act as aphrodisiacs.
2. Set Up The Mood
Speaking of aphrodisiacs, you should also help set the mood before you give your partner a massage.
You should choose a location with a quiet, relaxing mood. If the TV is going on in the background or it’s too bright, your partner may not feel relaxed, which can make their muscles even tenser during the massage.
You should also pay attention to the temperature. You want to make sure that the room isn’t too cold or too hot. Rather, it should be pleasantly warm.
To help make it even more romantic, you can light candles and play romantic music. Overall, you want to make sure that they are as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
3. Use All of Your Hand
Most people only use their fingers when giving a massage, but don’t be afraid to utilize all of your hand.
You can use the palm of your hand to apply more pressure and reach more of a surface area.
Using your fingers is a good option if you want to apply pressure in a specific spot like to work out a knot. A really good massage will use a variation of these techniques though.
4. Mix it Up
If you give your partner massages often, you should mix it up every now and then! There are all different kinds of techniques and types of massages that help do different things.
The Shiatsu massage is actually one of the easiest ones. You’ve probably already given one without even realizing it.
To give this type of massage, press the palm of your hand into their skin, and then rub your circles around in circles. Your hands may get tired pretty quickly, but that’s why there are other types of massages as well!
To learn more about the different massages, you can see options here.
5. Work Your Way Down
The best massages are the ones where you start at your partner’s head and then work your way down. This provides the sensation of feeling the stress and tension drain away from your body.
To start, have your partner lie on their stomach, and this is when you should start on their back and their neck. To make it more comfortable for them, you can put a pillow under their chest. Make sure they turn their head to the side every now and then so their neck doesn’t get sore.
Use the oil that we talked about earlier and rub it in between your hands. This will warm it up and make it feel not as cold on their body. Spread the oil throughout their back, rubbing it in with some pressure. However, make sure you don’t put any pressure on their spine.
6. Take it Slow
Giving a massage can make you feel tired and sore, but you should make sure that you don’t rush it. Your partner will enjoy it more if it lasts for longer than five minutes.
Take your time and focus on doing long, wide motions rather than working on massaging deep tissues.
Before you start, have a plan of where your hands will travel as you give your massage. This will help you have an idea of how long you spend on each section. At the same time, you don’t want to make the massage too long because you don’t want to end up hurting your patient’s muscles.
7. Massage More Than Just Their Back
As we said before, you should make sure that you massage more than just their back. Most people don’t think about massaging other parts of the body as well.
For example, you could also massage the sides of their head and their scalp. Use two fingers and apply some pressure to their temples in circles. You may also want to consider massaging their ears as well, but you shouldn’t put too much pressure on those.
You could also try massaging the front of their neck, but make sure they’re okay with that first. Some people really don’t enjoy having their neck touched, even from someone they trust.
8. Acknowledge You’re Not a Pro
Unless you are a professional masseuse, you probably don’t know how to actually give a professional massage. And that’s okay.
But you need to acknowledge that it’s not going to be perfect and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it during the first try. Giving the perfect massage takes practice and open communication with you and your partner.
Don’t worry about getting every technique right. Instead, focus on having a steady rhythm with your touch and notice their breathing patterns. Making sure they are as relaxed as possible will ensure that you have a great massage session.
Try These Massage Therapy Techniques Tonight!
These massage therapy techniques will ensure that you and your partner have an extremely relaxing night.
Giving your partner a massage can be one important way to help bring you guys closer together.
Check out our blog posts to learn some more relationship tips!