TV Massage Technique #3: Four fingers pushing downward

December 19th, 2007 · No Comments

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So, here is another technique to cycle through.

Again, see the muscle as a wet towel.

So far in your life, and in these articles, you have massaged the FRONT and the BACK of the trapezius muscle. Generally, people don’t massage the top of the muscle at all. Thats what we will try now.

For this technique, place your fingertips on top of the recipients trapezius. Then, apply pressure downwards. It’s probably better to work unilaterally(on one side) if the recipient is relaxed, because if you apply pressure on both sides simultaniously, you are tightening the muscle, as the head cannot lean in the direction of the side that is being massaged.

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It is important to mix this technique into your routine. In my head, I think this is the dullest thing to recieve, but people love it as much as they love everything else. You simply do this as a transition between different techniques. Do it for a few, and then go back to another technique. It rests your hands, if you do the following:

Technique, technique:

Instead of using a “pumping” motion with your hands, engage instead your TRICEPS, and “pull” downwards. The best way of doing this, is by locking your hand into a hook, and not opening of closing your hand. This actually uses less muscular effort from your hands. This way, your hand gets to rest as much as possible. Did I mention that you aren’t using your hands for this technique?

Why is this important?

While most techniques are to be used for a while, this is more of a ‘transitional’ technique. With that I mean, do it for a few times before you do something else.

This technique targets a different angle on the muscle than every other technique. Remember to massage on different spots. There is one more good thing you can do from here:

Get the toxins OUT!

Im going to give you a little massage education. This is how it works: When you massage someone, you are squeezing toxins out of the muscle. These [water soluble] toxins enter the bloodstream, and then leave the body through the excretory system. The recipient can assist this process by drinking water and excercising. The giver of the massage can assist this process by doing the following:

Massage towards the heart:

Do deep continuous strokes along the body of the muscle, towards the heart of the recipient. This is what massage therapists do all of the time, especially after working deep into the muscles. This way, you are helping the heart move all of the toxins through the system.

Starting close to the neck, stroke countinuously downwards towards the shoulders. This does the most fluid movement of all techniques I’m showing in this article series, but you are welcome to improvise other ways on your own.

Keep reading!

Previous lesson: Heel of hands and four fingers as a unit. Next lesson: Using your knuckles.

Technique # 1: Using your Thumbs and four fingers as a unit.

Technique # 2: Heel of hands and four fingers as a unit.

Technique # 3: Four fingers pushing downward.

Technique # 4: Using your knuckles.

Technique # 5: Using bony parts of your hand.

Introduction to the intermediate techniques.

Technique # 6: One hand on front of body.

Technique # 7: The thumbs-stretch technique.

Technique # 8: Leveraging your body.

Technique # 9: Both hands on one side of body.