Before you start

First thing you should before a self massage is to warm up your hands; wash them with warm water if needed. With your hands dry, rub them together very quickly; this warms them even more and builds up energy in your palms. Apply hand cream or massage oil. Try to empty your mind from all the problems and stress. Now you are ready to start.

Begin with a neck stretching

Place your hands on the trapezius muscle, where the neck joins with the shoulders. While lightly pressing with your fingertips on the trapezius, start with a side stretching, left - and right. The stretching has to be done in a slow motion and the extension should be in the limits of comfort. Do this a few times on each side. Keeping your hands on the shoulders, continue with stretching forward – backward in the same slow motion. Continue the stretching with alternative rotations; one rotation clockwise the next one counterclockwise. For rotations, the move should be as slow as possible. Repeat the rotations several times. The focus is not only on the neck’s muscles, but also on the front neck, where stretching will activate the glands and lymph nodes.

Shoulder squeezing

Place your left hand on your right shoulder and squeeze the muscle between your palm and your fingers. Continue by squeezing the trapezius muscle, the deltoid and cover all the shoulder area. Repeat this move with your right hand on the left shoulder. Ideally, you should do this directly on the skin.

Neck squeezing

Place your hand on your back neck and gently squeeze it.

Do not grasp between your thumb and your palm, you rather use only the palm to apply the squeeze. You can use any of the hands. Use moderate force as the neck is a sensitive area. This technique helps the neck muscles to relax and improves the blood circulation in brain.

Eyebrows friction

Starting from between your eyebrows, (foramen caecum), rub with both of your middle fingers along the eyebrows, distal, towards the sphenoid bone.

When you reach the sphenoid bone, near the frontozygomatic suture, search for a small cavity and do a small circle fingertip friction.

Alternatively this can be done with the thumb. This is an excellent tool against headaches and fatigue.

Ear Massage

Ear massage will help reduce the stress, increase digestion, and improve body temperature adjustment.

Pull the ear backward with light force. Squeeze the ear between thumb and index applying a light pressure. Pull the earlobe downward with light force and release. This stimulates all the energetic points on the ear. This is very similar to auriculotherapy.

Friction behind ears. Place the thumbs on the bone behind your ears. Applying a moderate pressure, (strong effleurage), move your thumbs downwards to the neck until you meet the shoulders. This feels great and helps the release of endorphins. Ideally, you should use some lubricant with this move, (massage oil, or lotion).