How to Give Yourself a Shoulder Massage

How to Give Yourself a Shoulder Massage



Aching necks, shoulder and headaches can really slow you down. First thing in the morning or after a long day at the office, tension can pop up at any time. Knowing how to relax yourself and get rid of the building burning feeling is a great relief.









1


Use your left hand for your right shoulder (you'll repeat using the right hand on the left shoulder). Fit your hands to the curves of your shoulders and back. Knead the muscles. Chances are you'll notice if a particular muscle is knotted up or tense.





2


When you find a particularly tense or knotted area, gently pinch and hold there. There may be a burning sensation, but this is a sign that acids and toxins that have built up in the area are now moving on.





3


After addressing hot spots, repeat several smooth and soothing strokes from the base of the neck to the skull and, using your left hand on your right shoulder, stroke from the spine to the end of the shoulder. Repeat using the right hand on your left shoulder.





4


Finish with your hands on the side of your face and glide them under your chin. Slide your hands past each other at the front of the neck, so that each hand is on the opposite shoulder. Repeat until you are fully relaxed.








Tips & Warnings










Using lotion or oil eases friction between your hands and shoulders.



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How to Give Yourself a Neck Massage

How to Give Yourself a Neck Massage



You need not depend on someone else to help relieve the tension and stress you carry around in your neck. Whether you’re at home, at work or stuck in a traffic jam on a long commute, here’s how to give yourself a neck massage.









1


Loosen up your neck before you give yourself a neck massage, slowly stretching it forward, backward and side-to-side.





2


Pour some massage oil into your hands and rub the oil between them to warm it (though you can give yourself a neck massage without it).





3


Flatten your right hand and mold it to the back of your neck. Your fingers should be facing toward your left side and wrapped around that side of your neck. Gently but firmly pull your hand to the right, down toward your chest, using your palm and fingers to apply pressure to the neck as you go. Then do the same with your left hand. Alternate each hand repeatedly in the same sweeping motion several times.





4


Make fists and use the fleshy side of them to gently but firmly pummel your neck. Start at the bottom where your neck meets your shoulders and work your way up toward the base of your head. Retrace your steps back down your neck. Repeat several times.





5


Place the tips of your right index, middle and ring fingers on the right side of your neck, at its base where it meets the shoulders. Use your fingertips to make small circular motions, working your way up the neck as you go. Retrace your steps back down. Repeat three times. Then do the same with your left fingers on the left side of your neck.





6


Place both your right and left index, middle and ring fingers on your neck, at its base where it meets your shoulders. In one slow sweeping motion, slide your fingertips up the length of your neck and back down again. Repeat several times.





7


Repeat Step Three, using your palms and fingers to make sweeping motions across your neck.





8


Repeat Step One, giving your neck a gentle stretch to end the massage.








Tips & Warnings










For best results, tilt your head forward toward your chest when you give yourself a neck massage. Just be careful not to strain it.








You can make your own relaxing oil to massage your neck by combining a carrier oil , such as grape-seed, sunflower or safflower, with a few drops of
lavender
essential oil.



http://www.ehow.com/how_4431964_give-yourself-neck-massage.html

How to Give Your Wife a Massage

How to Give Your Wife a Massage



The best gift in the world that you can give your wife is free. This gift is a massage. A massage, given straight from the heart, will make her fall in love with you all over again. Show your wife how much you care through touch. Take a minute to learn a few simple strokes of the language of touch.









1


Light up her life. When massaging your wife, use light feather-like strokes to appeal to her sense of touch. Move your hands in a way that your fingertips are barely touching her skin, work up and down the entire length of her body. Vary the direction of your touch. Move in a slow, wavy motion and then in circular motions or in whatever direction the moment leads you.





2


Spread your fingers out on both hands until they resemble a rake. Start working your way down her body with short alternating strokes, about six inches at a time, using only the firm tips of your fingers to make contact. Continue stroking all the way down the back of the leg to the ankle. Repeat on opposite side.





3


Trace her spine. Start your movement at the bottom of her vertebrae. Place your right hand with your left hand covering it onto her spine. Slowly glide both hands upward keeping the pressure steady.





4


Make a V. Once at the top of the spine, using your forefinger and middle finger, spread them into a V over your spine. Support your right hand with your left over your wrist area. Glide slowly down the spine in V formation spreading fingers a little farther apart as you reach the buttocks area.





5


Walk her home. Place both palms starting from the lower back with thumbs on either side of her back and walk your thumbs all the way up her spine ending at the base of her neck with circular motions. Gently sweep both hands down her entire body again, slowly release contact and let her relax for a few moments before talking to her.


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How to Use Black Cohosh for Menopause

How to Use Black Cohosh for Menopause



Black cohosh, "Actaea racemosa," has a history of being effective for gynecological problems. First used by Native Americans, it has a long history of human use. Scientific studies are being done to try to prove what folk medicine has claimed for years -- that black cohosh helps alleviate menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.









1


Speak with your primary care provider. Your doctor can perform tests to ensure that menopause is the correct diagnoses and not another disease. Ask the doctor about taking black cohosh.





2


Find a reliable source for black cohosh supplements.





3


Take the recommended daily dosage. Forty milligrams twice a day is the recommended dosage. Some studies have shown that twenty milligrams twice daily may be as effective as well.





4


Cycle your black cohosh for six months and then take one month off. Continue this as long as menopausal symptoms persist.





5


Inform your health care provider of any positive results or side effects. It is important to note either of these in your medical record.








Tips & Warnings










A German chemist has produced Remifemin. This was bought out and now marketed by Smith Kline. It is a standardized from of black cohosh.








Black cohosh is contraindicated for women who are pregnant or breast feeding. Women who suffer from high blood pressure should not take black cohosh.








Side effects are rare but may include headache, nausea, vomiting and other gastric discomfort. Inform your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2089593_use-black-cohosh-menopause.html

How to Use Bergamot in Aromatherapy

How to Use Bergamot in Aromatherapy



Aromatherapy is an ancient practice
dating
back to the early Egyptians. Its uses are affiliated with the second chakra, the sacrum. Traditional aromatherapy uses oil of bergamot to create both a more soothing and more enlivened atmosphere. Here's what you can do with bergamot.







Things You'll Need:





Almond oil base




Bergamot oil




Coriander oil




Jasmine oil




Rose oil




Sandalwood oil









1


Increase the romance with your partner by giving a stimulating message with a mixture of 2 drops bergamot oil, 2 drops coriander oil, 6 drops jasmine oil, 4 drops rose oil and 2 drops sandalwood oil. Mix the essential oils in 2 tbs. almond oil as the base.





2


Place a mixture of lemon, lime, bergamot or grapefruit oils in the hallway, so that the scent greets visitors. The aroma will welcome them and create a warmer, more genial visit.





3


Inhale the odors of bergamot to reduce outbreaks of acne and help clear those already in progress. Put 5 to 10 drops of bergamot oil in a bowl of steaming water. Place a towel over your head and the bowl to trap the steam. Inhale for a few minutes.





4


Relieve stress by adding 6 to 10 drops of bergamot oil to the bathtub and soaking for about 20 minutes. The bergamot is absorbed through the skin and also inhaled.





5


Reduce anxiety and depression by keeping the scent of bergamot in the area of the depressed or anxious person.





6


Aid digestion by inhaling the scent bergamot, and use it to soothe the lungs, too.








Tips & Warnings










Be careful if you are a sun worshiper. Bergamot is phototoxic, which means its use can make you sensitive to the sun if applied too heavily.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2095621_bergamot-aromatherapy.html

How to Use a Vaporizer for Chest Congestion

How to Use a Vaporizer for Chest Congestion



When you or your loved one develops chest congestion it can be scary, especially when the congestion makes it hard to breathe. Vaporizers are effective at breaking up chest congestion. Using a vaporizer can shorten the length of an illness and may prevent a common cold from becoming more serious.







Things You'll Need:





Vaporizer




Towel




1/2 tsp salt




1/2 tsp baking soda









1


Fold a towel in quarters and place it on the floor 2 feet from the bed of the sick person.





2


Fill the vaporizer with water up to the fill line.





3


Add salt and baking soda to the water.





4


Stir until salt and baking soda are dissolved.





5


Place the vaporizer on the towel and plug it in.





6


Inhale the steam continuously for several hours to express phlegm.





7


Repeat as needed until congestion is gone.








Tips & Warnings










Vaporizers come in cool mist and hot steam models. Both types are effective. A cool misting model is useful in households with
children
as it will eliminate the possibility of scalding.








Select a model with an automatic shut-off feature to prevent electric shorts.








Salt and baking soda will harden your water, thereby coaxing your vaporizer to emit more steam. The saline mist will also help dry out mucous membranes, preventing additional congestion.








Do not leave an electric unattended for prolonged periods of time.








The amount of steam emitted by a vaporizer varies by the hardness of your water. You may find the time it takes your vaporizer to consume a tank of water differs dramatically from the manufacturer's statement. Monitor your vaporizer closely until you know how long it takes to consume a full tank of water.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2068293_use-vaporizer-chest-congestion.html

How to Use a Smudge Stick

How to Use a Smudge Stick



Smudging actively changes and cleanses negative energy to create a natural and positive, healing energy and can be used to enhance the positive energies in your environment. Smudge sticks are often used in Native American and Celtic traditions, but can be used personally in your home as well.









1


Light the smudge stick so that it smolders. You do not want an open flame. Some people smudge using only their hands, while others use feathers to help push the smoke and wash a room, object or body. It is common to use a shell or clay bowl to catch the ashes.





2


Smudge anything and everything that wants or needs it. You can smudge your own body, your home and your personal possessions. If willing, you can smudge the people that live with you, or even your pets.





3


Keep a regular smudging schedule to keep your energy clean and pure. Some people like to use a smudge stick before and after a deep house cleaning. Use the smudge stick before to help rid the home of unwanted energy along with the dust and dirt, and afterwards to attract and fill the home with positive healing energy.





4


Focus your energy and your thoughts on the task at hand. Ask for the negative energy to leave and for the positive healing energy to enter. Because the materials of your smudge stick are gifts from the Earth, always ask permission before burning, and give thanks after smudging.





5


Burn a smudge stick before a ritual, ceremony or prayer to prepare and open your body's energy field and help you focus your spiritual energy for divine interpretation.





6


Cleanse your body's energy when you are ill, depressed or without energy. Smudging can help you remove negative energy and emotions that are bringing you down, and can help you improve your state of being by stimulating positive energy.





7


Leave a window or door open when smudging a house to allow the negative energy to leave easily.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2085853_use-smudge-stick.html