(Photo Source: breaktime-massage.com)

Bella Breakdown

Show your significant other some love with a relaxing massage with these easy to learn technique they’ll be sure to love.

For a nice neck and shoulder massage you can try trapezius pulls. With your partner sitting up, press and pull your fingers slowly across the back, pulling from the neck down the shoulders. Back circles are great for relieving tension in the back of the neck, press down with your thumbs and make circular motions.

Another technique for the neck is to rub your hands down the neck of the shoulders then press and pull fingers up to the neck. On the side of the neck, slide alternating hands along each side. Place your fingers at the base of the skull and circle fingers, working your way up to the top of the skull.

With your partner facing up, glide hands from shoulders to the base of the skull. Turning your partner’s neck gently, press and slide your hand down the side of the neck then place thumbs in temples making firm circular motions up the scalp. Focusing on the face, press and slide thumbs away from the middle of the forehead above the eyebrows.

For shoulder kneading, squeeze shoulder with alternating hands and then start shoulder presses by pressing down firmly and moving fingers across the back. To relieve neck pressure you can try neck presses by pressing down firmly and slide the fingers up the neck.

There are also a couple of techniques for the lower back while your partner lies face down, start by pressing firmly and run hands down across the back. Another technique is to alternate your hands while pressing and sliding away from the spine on either side. Starting from the lower back form your hands into an L shape, firmly gliding up towards the head and then back down the lower back. Firmly run your knuckles down each side of the back then pause and turn your hand at the sciatic nerve.

For an upper back massage, you can start by pressing firmly and running your hands down the back, then bring your hands back up and around the shoulders. Squeeze and pull along the trapezius muscles, then press and slide thumbs along each shoulder blade. Focusing on the spine, press and slide hands away from the spine on either side. Another technique for the spine is to move both thumbs down each side of the spine starting at the base of the neck.

Focusing on the feet, clasp your hands around the foot starting at the heel and pull downward gently. Gently squeeze and pull your fingers down the Achilles heel then press down with your thumbs making a circle around the ankle. For the arches, place your thumb at the heel and slide up to the ball of the foot while making circular motions on the ball.