Shoulders and Neck Massage

The Shoulders & Neck

1. Apply oil to your partner's chest, shoulders and neck.
2. Begin effleuraging by placing both hands on the upper chest, fingers facing towards each other. Now, slowly pull your hands across the chest and out to the shoulders. Curve your hands round the shoulders and under them, then bring your hands in to meet at the back of the neck. Stroke up the neck to the base of the skull. Repeat four or five times.
3. Gently knuckle the chest and shoulders. To knuckle make your hands into relaxed fists, and move the knuckles in circular movements. This sounds more difficult than it is.
4. Gently turn your partner's head to one side. Stroke along the top of the shoulder and the side of the neck with your first three fingers. Repeat three times.
5. Repeat the above .sequence, but circle your fingers this time. Do this three times.
6. Turn your partner's head to the other side and repeat movements 4 and 3. Return the head to the centre.
7. Slide your hands down your partner's back as far as you can comfortably reach. Find the groove each side of the spine with your fingers. Pull your hands up the spine with a little pressure on the groove each side. Repeat three times.
8. Now you are going to stretch the neck- these movements stretch out the muscles of the shoulders and neck and ease tension. If your partner is relaxed you'll find you will take all the weight of the head. If he or she is tense, go easy and make the movements slow and gentle. You don't want any pulled muscles.
9. Cup both hands under your partner's head, your fingers resting in the base of the skull. Lift the head slightly, then gently pull towards you. Lower the head slowly, then repeat.
10. Hold the back of the head in one hand and move it slowly towards the left shoulder while gently pressing down on the right shoulder with your other hand. Bring the head back to the centre and then repeat on the other side.
11. Finish with some effleurage movements as you began.