Massage is a wonderful way to relieve stress, promote healing of your body and mind and recover from injury or chronic pain. In practice for centuries, different techniques have been developed in such faraway places as Thailand, Japan, China, Sweden and Germany. In the last few years, the world -- especially the United States -- has experienced a revival of interest in massage, as people turn to new (or rather ancient) methods for relieving pain, stress and anxiety.
In addition to promoting good health and relaxation, massage can help you grow closer to a loved one. You may want to try receiving a massage with an intimate partner. While some spas and massage therapy practices will allow mixed genders to receive massage at the same time, in the same room, others may ask that you meet up afterward. Some practitioners will perform massage services outdoors, in a private location, which can be an especially romantic way to experience massage with a partner.
Whether you've received massages before or are totally new to the experience, you'll want to find out about the different types of massage available today. Keep your mind open to new things, and you may find massage to be the solution to your problems -- physical, emotional or romantic!
Sports massage is a general term for different styles of massages used to
enhance performance. Generally vigorous, like Swedish massage, and often
dealing with deep muscles, sports massage is also used on different parts of
the body, such as legs and arms, in addition to the back, neck and sacrum.
Sports massage is most commonly used to help prevent athletic injury, keep
the body flexible and heal the body should injury occur.
Sensuality Rating: 0
Orthopedic massage helps relieve chronic pain and sports injury conditions,
emphasizing the underlying causes and pathology of each condition.
Orthopedic massage is the most "medical" form of massage commonly practiced,
combining muscle energy, stretching, myofascial release, neuromuscular
therapy, frictioning, neuromuscular re-education, structural balancing and
patient home care to produce immediate and generally permanent results.
Orthopedic massage is usually performed by a medical professional.
Sensuality Rating: 0
Deep tissue massage is a general term for different styles of massage that
focus on the body's deeper muscles and connective tissues. The client
disrobes, sometimes only the clothes covering the torso, and lays facedown
on a massage table. The therapist uses lotion to relieve friction, and
applies deep-kneading movements to realign muscles. Rolfing, Trager,
Hellerwork and Feldenkrais are all forms of deep-tissue massage. Deep tissue
massage is usually used to correct damage from some kind of injury, such as
whiplash or back strain.
Sensuality Rating: 1
Swedish massage is a vigorous style of massage designed to energize the body
by stimulating circulation. The client disrobed and lays facedown on a
table, under a sheet, with only the area being worked on exposed. The
therapist first applies oil to reduce friction, and then uses rolling,
kneading and percussive strokes to manipulate and relax the soft tissues of
the body. Swedish massage is used for relaxation and improved circulation.
Sensuality Rating: 1
Dating back to ancient Tibetan times and brought to the U.S. in the
mid-1900s, Reiki involves hands-on touch and visualization applied to the
entire body, which aligns the chakras and brings healing energy to organs
and glands. Reiki practitioners, trained to access and serve as a channel
for the life energy, use a passive touch which some clients experience as
warmth or a tingling sensation. Reiki is a popular new-age style of massage
used for relaxation and to heal general ailments.
Sensuality Rating: 2
Shiatsu incorporates the theory of acupuncture, acupressure and other manual
therapy techniques to balance the flow of yin and yang energies within the
body. Shiatsu theory proposes that energy, known as "Chi" (or "Ki") moves
through the body along well defined pathways called meridians. For optimum
health, these energies should be balanced. Shiatsu clients are usually
clothed and resting on a mat during practice. Shiatsu is wonderful for
reducing stress, eliminating fatigue and alleviating a wide spectrum of
symptoms such as back pain, shoulder and neck problems, headaches,
constipation and cramps.
Sensuality Rating: 2
Also know as "chair massage," this form of therapy is performed on a fully
clothed client seated in a chair, generally in a corporate or business
setting. Therapists use a combination of massage strokes, including Shiatsu,
Swedish and deep tissue massage to alleviate temporarily the symptoms of
stress and fatigue. Massages typically last five to fifteen minutes and are
performed in a dimly lit, cool, quiet place, such as an unused office or
empty break room.
Sensuality Rating: 3
Aromatherapy massage uses essential oils, aromatic essence distilled from a
single botanical source, along with long, flowing connective strokes, called
"effleurage." Essential oils can be sedative or stimulating; some have an
analgesic and antispasmodic effect and most are antibacterial. The client
will disrobe and lie facedown on a comfortable padded table and will be
covered by a sheet. The environment will be peaceful and relaxing, often
candlelit with soft music playing. Aromatherapy massage reduces the level of
harmful stress hormones, stimulates the blood circulation, stimulates
lymphatic flow and helps alleviate chronic problems such as hypertension,
migraines, digestive problems and PMS.
Sensuality Rating: 4
New to Western society, stone therapy, also known as "thermotherapy,"
combines heat, cold and pressure, in the form of smooth hot and cold stones.
The client disrobes and lies facedown on a board or cot, with a sheet or
towel draped over his or her lower half. The practitioner applies the hot
and cold stones, in sequence, to the client's back. This form of therapy is
deeply relaxing and can promote healing of the body and mind.
Sensuality Rating: 4
Sensual massage
often begins with the same elements of aromatherapy massage, a sensual
environment, full nudity and deep massage strokes, but takes things a step
further. Usually given between consensual sexual partners, sensual massage
involves stimulation of the genitals and often ends with an orgasmic response.
Sensual massage provides all the same benefits as aromatherapy or Swedish
massage, with the addition of sexual release.
Sensuality Rating: 5
Both aromatherapy and sensual massage can be done in the privacy of your own home with an intimate partner. In fact, sensual massages really should be done at home; otherwise, you're looking at possible misunderstandings and jail time! If you want to try giving your partner an aromatherapy massage, we recommend the Kama Sutra Massage Therapy Kit. This kit will uplift, calm or invigorate, depending on the scents used, and you have five to choose from. All of these oils are light, yet lasting and have a rich aroma that lingers with you.
If you want to perform sensual massage on your lover, we recommend something aromatic as well as edible. Our first choice would be a Satori Oil of Love. This oil not only smells delectable, but it tastes delicious and warms on the skin when you gently blow on it.
