As many people will tell you a massage is one of the most natural remedies that are now available. For example suppose you are suffering with a sore neck the first thing you will do is touch the area where the pain is and begin to rub it (this could be the same for just about any part of the body that is hurting). In fact the first thing any one will do if they hurt or ache any where is touch the area concerned. Not only is massage a great way of keeping your health maintained but even a simple massage will help treat such problems as aches, sleeplessness and tension easily. What should be remembered is that touching is the basis of any massage treatment that you undertake and without the touch of another human being people can become depressed and infants who are deprived of the touch of their mother or father will develop more slowly and suffer from health problems. It has been found that those children raised in a family that are very touchy are often healthier, sleep better and often much more happier in their lives. Unfortunately though many people are unlikely to touch each other because of the feelings that are associated with it such as Love and massage allows these taboos to be removed and allows both positive and healthy touching to occur. There are probably five massage techniques around which will soon have you feeling great and able to cope with the stresses and strains of daily in no time at all.

The first kind of massage we will look at is for the shoulders and which you can carry out yourself. Many people suffer at one time or another from either stiff neck or shoulders and these can often lead to the person suffering getting a headache and their posture becoming poor. What you need to do is begin by touching your left shoulder with your right hand and at the bottom of your skull work your way down your neck and your shoulder with the right hand. Now repeat this process four more times and then do the same to the right side using your left hand.

Next using both hands make circular movements around the neck around with your fingers pressing hard (but not so hard that it hurts) and do this on both sides of the spin. Carrying this out all the way up your neck to the base of your skull and then squeeze and release several times the area around the shoulders and upper arms. Now very lightly hammer your shoulders with your fists (do it for each shoulder one at a time) and this will soon energize this area of your body. Now to complete the massage just begin by stroking your hands along your shoulders and then move the stroking to your face slowly begin to stroke your chin and neck and then finally finish with your shoulders. This method of massage is great for helping to relieve stress and tension that many of us feel today.

There is also another quick massage technique which may make the day go a bit faster for your legs. Not only is a leg massage great for them during the course of a long busy working day but can often help after you have carried out some extreme physical exercise. Firstly place your foot flat on the ground and then starting at your foot begin to stroke the entire length of your leg (make sure you stroke both sides) and then repeat this process 3 times for each leg. Now you need to pay special attention to your thighs, regularly kneading can improve both its texture and shape. Start by lightly hammering your thigh with your fists (one leg at a time) and this will energize the area (this seems to be a great help if you happen to be sat in one position for extended periods of time). Next you need to massage the front and back of your knees with your fingers make hard circular movements around the kneecaps after carrying this out you need to knead your calf muscles (follow the step for kneading the thighs). Now all you need to do to finish this massage off is lightly stroke the legs again.

Next we look at massages for the feet which can not only invigorate you but may be a help to your whole body. Whilst it may be enjoyable to have a foot massage from someone you care about, it is just as easy to massage your own feet as well. Begin by placing one hand under your foot and the other on top and stroke the entire length of the foot 3-4 times then begin to massage each toe, take hold of each toe separately and pull it and knead it and then squeeze it gently. Now with your fingers being to make hard circular movements around both the arch and ball of each foot and then curl your hand into a fist and with the knuckles begin to make circular movements along the entirety of each foot and then finally stroke and rub the ankle to complete the massage once all these stages have been completed you finish off by lightly stroking the entire foot.

Now we will look at hand massages which can also be very relaxing and help to relieve the stresses and strains that are being put on us. Begin by stroking the whole of the hand and then squeeze the hand all over. Now take each finger and squeeze and rub them, at the joint between your thumb and your knuckles make hard circular movements, and then with your thumb rub the tendons on the back of each hand. Again with the thumb you work your way across the palm of your hand in hard circular motions and after all this the best way to complete a hand massage is by gently moving the entire hand (rotation etc).

Finally we will look at a quick massage that will help improve your day and this one is for the abdomen. Not only is this one good for helping to improve your digestive system, but may well stimulate weight loss. Start first using your finger tips to knead the stomach (abdomen) area at waist height from one side to the other and then knead both sides with your hands. Now place the flat of your hand on one side of your abdomen and push it over to the other to finish off the massage (this motion should be repeated about 10 times).

As you will soon see giving yourself a body massage will soon help to relieve the stresses that your body is suffering from each day.