Reduce Stress with Self-Care Massage Techniques Present by Bambi Mathay, LMT and Theresa Ochenkoski, LMT The Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living

The Importance of Self Care What comes to mind when your hear the phrase “self care” ? Life is stressful, need a pause Enjoy time for simply BEING, not DOING

Setting the Time and Space Put it in your calendar of To-Do-List: To Be Pick a space and/or “create“ one: Closing your eyes Taking a full breath Taking a mental scan of your body Thanking your body or being ►Add your own ways here: Picking a space and/or creating one allows us to get centered and be more present with this special time with ourse.ve

Terms Receiving arm/hand/foot: the side/part that is stationary, receiving technique. Giving arm/hand/foot: the side/part that is moving or doing the technique. Pause/hold: Staying in this space, position for up to a minute.

Techniques From Head to Toe

Head Hold Place your hands on the top of your head so the tips of your fingers touch and line up midline on your head Breathe in and release breath genlty Minute Pause/hold: Stay here for about a minute if you are able to tolerate this position Breathing will readjust your shoulders almost instantly, moving it down and adjusting your arms into a more comfortable although suspended position

Scalp Stretch and Circles Start anywhere in your head and put both hands in that area. Use one hand for support, while the giving hand moves away in a dragging or stretching motion. Add some circles into the drag and stretch motion. Alternate the supporting and giving hand or try both hands as giving hands. Work the entire head, don’t forget the area around your ears. End with Head Hold I like starting at the back of my head You can also try both hands as giving hands.

Ear Hug and Gentle Tug Hold the top of your ears with your thumb and pointer finger. Do gentle compressions or squeezes from the top of your ear moving down to the ear lobe Provide a gentle tug down when you get to your ear lobe

Face Touch the ridge of your eyebrow close to your nose and apply some pressure in the area. Breathe in and release breath Minute pause/hold Move both of your hands away from the brow while making circles with your finger pads. Work your entire face using the same strokes. Cup your hands and place over your eyes and face Breath in and release breath gently Always adjust pressure to your comfort level

Shoulder Cross and Circles Start with your arms crossed and the tips of your fingers sitting on the top of your shoulders Breathe in and release breath Minute pause/hold Allow one arm to drop to your side Start drawing circles at the top of your shoulder with the finger pads of the giving hand Circle in towards your neck , then the opposite way out towards your shoulder Switch

Heart Hold Put both hands somewhere in the middle of your chest Breathe in and release breath gently Pause/hold

Arm Slide/Glide/Sweeps Place one arm on your side (receiving arm). Place the giving hand on the top of the upper area of the receiving arm. Glide your giving hand all the way down the receiving arm and hand. Rotate arm for access to other side of arm Glide your giving hand all the way down the receiving arm and hand on this side Switch giving and receiving arms/hands.

Palm Compressions Support one hand palm up with the other hand’s fingers and wrap thumb around palm of receiving hand. Perform gentle compressions on the palm of the receiving hand with the thumb of the giving hand. Move from wrist to the base of the fingers. Switch hands.

Hand: Finger Hugs with Gentle drag Gently squeeze fingers of the receiving hand with the pads of your fingers and thumb of the giving hand. When you reach the base of the finger of the receiving hand, drag back gently all the way to the tip of the finger and release End by gently squeezing the “web” of the receiving hand with the thumb and pointer finger of the giving hand Switch hands The Web-is known in acupressure circles as an anti-anxiety point

Stomach Holds Locate area of belly button and place hands on this area Breathe in and release breath gently Pause/hold

Thigh and/or Leg Glides,Slides,Sweeps Start with both hands at the top of each thigh Glide your hands with a sweeping motion towards your knees. If you are able to bend forward, continues the sweep down towards your ankles and feet. Repeat

Knee Holds Place right hand on top of right knee Place left hand on top of left knee Breathe in and release breath Pause/hold

Sole compressions Sit in cross legged position and bring ankle of the receiving foot to top of the opposite knee. Use one hand to support the back of the foot and using the thumb of the other hand, perform gentle compressions on the sole of the foot, starting from heel to the toes. End with thumb/thumbs in the middle of the foot. Breathe Pause/Hold Option for compressions is to use both thumbs to perform compression.

Touch Your Sole Find a comfortable way to sit * Begin by placing your Left Foot on your Right knee Either bare foot or with sock on, turn your foot so the bottom is facing up. Hold the top of our foot with your Left hand, while using your Right hand to do the following for the sole of your foot : Using your Right thumb, beginning at the Big Toe, gently press your thumb in a line towards your heel(depending on the size of your foot this should be about 10-15 presses) Repeat with the second toe, third toe, 4th toe and pinkie toe. Using the palm of your hand “brush” the sole of your foot slowly from toes to heel 3 times. Repeat sequence on Right Foot Sitting can be in a chair of on the floor with legs crossed (Indian or Taylor style sitting) There is an alternative way to do this by either standing, or sitting with feet on floor. Rock your foot by putting pressure on toes, rolling to balls of feet, along outside of foot to heel. Repeat this 5 times.

Heart and Stomach Hold Put one hand on the area of the heart (mid chest) Put one hand on the area of the stomach/belly button Breathe in and release breath gently Pause/hold Allow your being to enjoy this gift of time before transitioning before getting up from this space. ☼☼☼