The Wellness Center's Spa at Home
by Kalia Doner, Margaret Doner, Dale Grust, Inc Wellness
Center
- A comprehensive guide to making your home a peaceful
retreat which includes massage, facials, body treatments
One of the most enjoyable ways to relax and rejuvenate is to
share a guided meditation session and massage work with a
partner. It isn't necessary to have fancy equipment, or an
expensive massage table; all you need is a willingness to let go
and enjoy some quiet time with someone you love.
Setting the Mood
Make sure that you won't be uninterrupted. Unplug the phone,
send the kids to a movie or to friends for a few hours and put a
DO NOT DISTURB sign on the front door. Then assemble the supplies
you'll need: massage oil - canola oil is perfect - in a plastic
squeeze bottle; a comfortable massage area - a futon or padded
mat on the floor or your bed will do; sheets to cover the massage
area and to drape over one another. Next, dim the lights,
candlelight is the best, and put on music that soothes - nothing
stimulating and preferably without words that might trigger
unwanted thoughts or emotions.
If you have a good speaking voice you can record the following
meditation and then play it back for both of you to listen to, or
you can take turns reading it to one another. Speak calmly and
slowly. Very slowly - you'll be surprised at how much time you
need to really feel each direction. (Do not record the words STEP
ONE, STEP TWO etc...)
Meditation to Relax and Center You
With the music playing softy sit comfortably in a chair with
both feet on the floor, palms resting face up in your lap and
eyes closed. Take in five deep breaths, drawing the air into your
lungs through your nose and sending it out through your mouth. As
the air leaves your body feel yourself relax and let the tension
of the day slide out of your body and into the earth..
STEP ONE
Imagine warm sunlight coming down from above.
Golden, warm light beaming down from above. It touches the top of
your head and relaxes away the tension in your scalp. (Pause for
30 seconds or more to really feel the warm sun)
The warm glow moves down into the temples and
forehead, relaxing them.
The golden light melts the tension away as it
runs off your body, draining away into the earth below you.
Feel your entire face and head and jaw relaxed
by the sun.
STEP TWO
As the golden, warm sunlight moves down the
body, it fills the neck and throat with its soothing presence.
Feel the warm sun; feel it melt tension away from the body. Feel
the neck and throat relax and open. (Pause 30 seconds at least)
Continue to imagine the light traveling ever so
slowly down the length of the body. As it touches the chest and
shoulders, feel them relax and release. Let the tension melt
away. The golden light fills the chest and shoulders inside and
out and relaxes them. (Pause)
STEP THREE
Now the sun fills the center of your body. The
stomach is relaxed and warm. The golden light glows onto the body
and warms it. (Pause)
The stomach relaxes as the sun spreads into the
hips.
Your body is relaxed and at rest. Imagine a
beautiful spring day. The sun penetrates and relaxes your body
and mind. (LONG PAUSE)
STEP FOUR
The sun now warms the hips and thighs. The legs
feel its penetrating warmth. They relax. The tension slides off.
(Pause 30 seconds)
The whole body glows with sunlight, you feel
warmed and relaxed. (Pause)
Your feet relax. Your entire body is now relaxed
and at peace. You feel peaceful.
STEP FIVE
As your body relaxes and releases the tension it
becomes lighter and lighter. All resistance is removed. As the
body becomes lighter, it begins to float. It lifts off the earth
and like a cloud it floats upward into the sky. (Pause for at
least one minute.)
Like a cloud your body drifts easily through the
sky. The sun warms it. The wind shifts it easily. All resistance
is removed. (Pause for at least 30 seconds.)
Your body is a cloud. It floats over the earth.
You are warmed by the sun. You feel peaceful and relaxed. You
float on the gentle breeze. (Pause)
A beautiful bird passes by, singing sweetly.
Below you, a stream bubbles along. The green earth greets the
sunlight. Your body travels and drifts above it. You are at
peace. (Long Pause)
You travel to a beautiful land. In this land is
relaxation and rest. Spend some time in this land of relaxation
and rest. Be still. Relax and be at peace. (Pause for at least
three minutes.)
You are now ready to return to the world feeling
relaxed and refreshed. I will count slowly to five and you will
return to full consciousness. One - coming up. Two - returning,
returning. Three - becoming aware of your surroundings. Four -
back into the room. Open your eyes. Five -wide awake, wide awake.
Partnered Massage
Once both of you are feeling relaxed and calm you can begin
the massage portion of your spa experience. The most important
thing about giving a massage is INTENTION. A fancy stroke
delivered with roughness or while the masseuse is thinking about
something else is only irritating. Long, smooth strokes with
moderate pressure feel the best. If you have never done this
before go slowly and thoughtfully. Imagine what would feel good
to you and it will probably feel good to your partner. It is
important that the person be warm! A cold body is a tense body,
so use a blanket, a hot pack, a heater or whatever you have handy
to make sure the person is comfortable and relaxed. During the
winter this is especially important. Have your partner take off
all clothing - except underwear if that is more comfortable - and
then lie down on his or her stomach with a small pillow under the
upper chest (especially important for large busted women and
people with stiff necks). Also place another pillow under the
ankles. Adjust until they are comfortable. Cover the person with
a clean sheet. You also need to be comfortable, so be sure to
wear clothing that allows you to move freely as you give the
massage. Use as much oil as you need to keep a gliding hand - but
not too slippery that you don't get any friction. The following
is a very basic back, shoulder and neck massage.
NOTE: Never put direct hard pressure on the bones. If your
partner is much bigger and stronger than you are (if you are a
tiny woman and he a bodybuilder) experiment with using your
forearm and elbow directly into the shoulder muscles to increase
the pressure. Hold the pressure until you feel the muscle relax.
Always make sure your partner is comfortable and feeling good.
THE BACK
After the receiver is lying comfortably, lower
the sheet until he or she is covered from the lower back
downward. Pour a small amount of oil into the palm of your hand
and stand or kneel above the head looking down the length of the
body. Place your palms along either side of the spine with
fingertips pointing toward the feet. Apply smooth, even pressure
to tips, palm and heel of the hand and stretch forward in a
gliding motion until the heels of your hands are resting on the
tailbone. Then move your hands outward to the side of the hips.
Gently slide your hands up the body, keeping your fingers
relaxed. Repeat this at least three times.
Place your hands on the outside of the shoulders
and gently squeeze the muscles between the thumb and fingers.
Continue to squeeze and release the muscles - GENTLY! It should
feel good, not painful.
With your thumbs on either side of the spine
glide them down from top to bottom applying a steady, even
pressure. Repeat this at least three times.
Return the thumbs to the top by moving them up
the spine in a circular motion. Repeat three times.
Move to the side of the body and reach your
hands across the back to the far side of the body.. Make long
gliding motions across the body, working upward from the lower
back to the upper. Repeat three times.
Move your hands in circular motions along the
side of the body furthest away from you. Repeat three times.
Repeat entire sequence standing, or kneeling, on the other side
of the body.
THE SHOULDER AND BACK OF
THE ARM RUB
Stand at the shoulder and place both hands on
one shoulder. Using the kneading motion of gently squeezing the
muscles between the thumb and fingers move hands down from the
shoulder to the biceps, continuing the length of the arm to the
hand. Return to the top of the arm with a smooth gliding motion.
Repeat three times.
Repeat on other side.
Next you can use thumb, palm of the hand, fist
or elbow (depending on the amount of pressure needed to compress
the upper shoulder area. Place a steady pressure on the thickest
and tightest part of the muscle tissue and maintain the pressure
for a count of twenty or until you feel the tissue relaxing under
your hand. Repeat on the other shoulder. Repeat as many times as
feels good to your partner.
FINISHING THE BACK
Return to the beginning position at the head and
repeat the gliding motion down the back. Repeat three times.
Cover the back with the sheet.
THE NECK
Have the person flip onto his or her back. Place
a pillow under the knees to ease lower back tension. Make sure
the person is comfortable and warm. Cover with sheet from upper
torso to knees or feet.
Pour about 1 teaspoon of oil into your hands and
rub them together.
Stand or sit at the head of the person. Place
your hands over the shoulders with fingertips facing toward the
feet.
Move hands outward, over and around the
shoulders.
Bring them around to the back, under the
shoulder blades so they are between the person's back and the
mattress (or table) with the fingers pointing down the back.
Slide them upward along the back to the neck and
finally out the back of the head. This is a long slow stroke.
Repeat three times.
Take the person's head in both hands and gently
turn it to the left. Let it rest on the table. With long strokes,
thumb underneath the body and fingers on top, stroke from the
neck downward all the way to the shoulder. Glide your hand around
the shoulder and back up to the beginning position. Repeat three
times.
Repeat other side three times.
Gently lift the head in your hands and cradle
it. Make sure your hands are relaxed on the mat or table. Hold
the head until the person relaxes the tension from their neck,
naturally and slowly.
Place your fingertips lightly along the ridge of
the skull that separates the neck from the head and let the head
relax in that position.
Place the head back down to rest. Using the
fingertips of the right hand make circular motions along the
ridge - moving from inside to out - Repeat with the left side.
Scratch
the temples and scalp vigorously.
Change positions so that you now receive the
massage.
This is a very basic and gentle massage that you should feel
free to experiment with.
If you are interested in more detailed instructions for a full
body massage videotapes are available by calling The Wellness
Center of Hyde Park - 845-229-5560. A guided meditation cassette tape is also
available. It includes two 20 minute meditation sessions: One
side is a journey of peaceful relaxation and the other is chakra
balancing with color meditation. Mastercard and Visa and
Discover accepted.
Printed with permission of Margaret Doner, LMT,
copyright 1998
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