- The floor. There’s always one around, so it makes for an obvious solution. The benefit, of course, is that it’s right underfoot. The drawbacks are that the floor can be hard, and possibly dirty, too. You’ll also be spending a lot of time on your knees, and that’s not ideal.
- The couch. A nice sofa can work well. It’s soft, and comfortable, and who knows—you may find a few dollars stuck in the cushions! However, you won’t have any access on one side, and you will be leaning over a lot, which can be hard on your back if you do it regularly.
- The kitchen table. There’s a lot of good possibilities here, especially if you can find a cushion for your friend to lay on. You’ll have full access all the way around, and it’s the right height. The only real drawback is that there’s not a great place the subject can put their head.
- The bed. This combines the pluses and the minuses of the others. It’s certainly comfortable, but it’s a little too low. You may have to do some of the massage kneeling on the bed, but at least it’s cushy, so you won’t hurt your knees. It’s also abed—and there are associations with a bed that your subject may not necessarily welcome. Then again, that might be the whole point. Be sure expectations are understood clearly before you heat up the oil.
Prepare the bed. Place a pillow or cushion where the person’s chest will be.
If you’re not using a massage table, lay down a soft mat—the kind used for camping would work well for massage.
Spread the sheet over to catch any excess oil.
Prepare the room. Make sure the room is warm, as a cold room will cause the person to tense up. This will make it very difficult to give a decent massage!
- Play some uneventful music. New age, ambient music, quiet classical music, or even soundscapes will help the person relax to their fullest. Pulsing, driving music won’t help. Keep the level low.
- Lower the lights. Just enough so there’s no glare in the room. If you want, you can turn the lights lower, and light scented aromatherapy candles. Remember, the goal here is total relaxation.
Have the person prepare by loosening or removing their clothes. They should do this so that the entire back can be reached. If privacy is a concern, step out of the room and have them wrap a towel around their chest (just underneath the arms) so that the ends are at the back.
Have them lie face down. The pillow should be underneath the breast bone.
Fold one of the towels and place it underneath the forehead. This will help to keep the person’s neck straight.
Fold one of the towels and place it underneath the ankles. This will support the person’s lower back.
If the person is wearing a towel around their chest, unfold the ends to expose the back.
If the person is wearing pants, spread another towel over them and tuck the towel into the waistline. This will prevent the oil from staining them.
Tell the person you are about to begin. Tell them to let you know if anything you are doing is painful or uncomfortable. Part of them being comfortable is having a feeling of trust in you. This is not the time to make jokes or suggestive comments.
Place massage oil in a cupped hand. Warm it by rubbing it between your hands.
Spread the oil around. Do this across the person’s back with long, light strokes. Don’t forget the shoulders and neck area. It’s better not to slather the oil on too thick—you can always add more if you need.
Make palm circles. Place one hand on the lower back and put your other hand over it. With arms extended, begin making small circles by going up the back and down again. Staying on one side of the spine, repeat this 2-3 times.
- The movement should come from the waist—your core—rather than from the shoulders. This will help keep you from becoming fatigued.
Use muscle lifting. Move up and down the back 2 or 3 times. It’ll take some practice for this to become a smooth, confident rhythm:
- Make one hand into a “lobster claw” or “L” shape.
- Move your hand in the direction of your thumb, applying pressure and gradually pinching your fingers together, closing the gap between your thumb and forefinger.
- As you finish the stroke, twist your wrist to achieve a lifting motion on the muscle. As you bring your thumb and forefinger together, the outside of your hand (along the little finger) should be running along the back.
- Keep alternating hands with a windshield wiper motion.
Use your knuckles on their back. Repeat 2 or 3 times. Do not apply pressure on the lower back, and remember to avoid the spine.
- Form the hands into loose fists. With your arms straight and your knuckles and fingers in contact with the back, slide up and continue up and over the shoulders.
- Lightly drag the knuckles back.
Use muscle lifting on the trapezius. This is the muscle that connects the neck to theshoulders. Continue rubbing as you move around the head.
Repeat the palm circles, muscle lifting, and knuckling on the other side of the back.
Stand above their head. Use an extended thumb to make upward strokes between the shoulder blade and the backbone (from the hips, towards the head). As one thumb slides off, the other one begins its stroke upwards.
- Do not apply too much pressure to your thumbs, especially if you do this a lot.
- Gradually move over and continue on the other side. Do not do this directly on the spine.
Bring both thumbs to the upper back. You can do this on either side of the spine.
- With constant pressure, slowly begin to slide your thumbs down the back. Remember to be careful over the lower back, where there are no ribs protecting internal organs.
- When you reach the top of the hips, allow your thumbs to linger there. Use steady pressure before beginning a new stroke.
- Slide the hands back up and repeat two more times. Move a bit farther to the sides (away from the spine) each time.
Apply twists. Come back around to the person’s side. Reach around the far hip with one hand, while the other hand rests on the near hip. With a fluid motion, pull one hand towards you as the other one pushes away; in the middle, they should slide against each other, in opposite directions. Repeat this stroke up the back until you reach the shoulder area, then come back down. Repeat 3 times.
Spread the fingers of both hands. Draw the fingertips of one hand down the back, lifting off at the top of the hips as the other hand begins at the shoulders. Repeat several times. Slowly allow the pressure to lighten until your hands float off.
Tips
- After you’re done, you can drape a towel over their back and arms and rub them gently so that the towel absorbs most of the oil. Otherwise, it might stain their clothes.
- Everyone has a different tolerance to pressure. Be sure to ask for feedback when introducing deeper strokes and as necessary. A good sign you may be going too deep is when the muscle contracts as you press. If the client confirms that the stroke isn’t painful, encourage them to relax so as to avoid injury to the muscle. Never force a stroke on the body.
- If you don’t have massage oil, you can use baby oil instead. Shea butter is also a good source to use and great for the skin.
- Ask the person before lighting any incense or scented candles, as some people are irritated by the smell.
- Periodically remind the person to take a slow, deep breath into their stomach. It will help them relax.
- Advise the person to get up slowly. After receiving a massage, it’s easy to forget how relaxed you are, only to find yourself wobbling and perhaps even falling to the floor.
- Make sure the room is warm. If it’s too hot or too cold for the person receiving a massage, they will not enjoy it.
- If you don’t have a massage table, you can give the massage on a firm bed or even a floor mat.
- Many massage tables include a cushioned face cradle. If you have one, drape it with a pillow case or small towel, leaving a hole for the mouth and nose, and set it at a comfortable level. You can usually forgo the cushion under the chest if you have a face cradle (an exception would be a client with an extreme thoracic curve).
- If you want to use Shea butter, don’t use Shea butter bubble bath. Bubbles could be hard to work with and hard to do a massage with.
There’s only one thing better than getting a great back massage, and that’s giving one! You’re giving somebody a gift that can relieve pain, anxiety, and stress, relax muscles, and contribute to their general sense of well-being. To be a licensed massage therapist will take some training, and lots of practice. In the meantime, we’ll show you some basic techniques you can use to give your friends great back massages.
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