"PAT on the BACK"Recognition Services

You are now able to enjoy the benefits of a  "PAT on the BACK" full body massage in the comfort of your own home. You won't  have to fight the stressful traffic before or even after your session!

It is important to “set the mood” for a massage. Choose a dimly lit room that is not too warm or cool. Put on a CD of quiet, soothing music in the background. Light a few softly scented candles for atmosphere and aromatherapy. Get some fluffy towels for the person you are going to massage to lie on and cover up with if modesty is an issue. Lastly, warm some calming scented oil in the microwave for about thirty seconds. The oil will help your hands slide smoothly over the skin and provide a relaxing scent for both of you to enjoy as the massage progresses.

The most common kind of massage is known as Swedish massage. This is the use of smooth strokes and kneading motions. It helps relieve those tired muscles and promotes circulation, as well.

Have your subject remove their clothes and lie on their stomach on the floor or on a bed. One towel can be beneath them and another draped over their buttocks for privacy. You can choose to sit beside your subject or to straddle them, whichever you are comfortable with. Pour a quarter size dollop of oil in your hand and rub them together. Staring at the neck, begin with gentle strokes on both sides of the neck. Stroke up to their temples, rubbing them lightly, and back down to the base of their neck. Move out slowly to the shoulders, rubbing and kneading as you go. Using your thumbs, rub in an upward motion where the neck and shoulders join. Most people are usually sore in this spot, especially if they have been experiencing a lot of tension.

Move to the left shoulder blade, rubbing along the edge and around the shoulder in a circular motion. Use your thumbs to release any knots in this area. Move to the right shoulder and repeat. As you move to different parts of the body, pour more oil into your hands to lubricate the skin. Using circular, outward motions, move your hands down the sides of the spine, pressing gently. Go back up to the shoulders by way of the sides of their body, kneading lightly up to their armpits. Go down the back again, paying close attention to any spots you may have missed.

Next, after pouring some oil in your hands, lightly run your hands from their shoulders to the palms of their hands and back. Knead their triceps gently, reaching your fingers around to their biceps. Skim lightly over the elbow, and them rub the bottom portion of their arms in small circles. Lifting up their hand, knead their palm and then up each finger. Repeat with their other arm. Slide your hands from the shoulder down to the lower back.

The lower back is a very important area. This is where most people store their stress and tension, so spend some time on this area. Rub up and out on the lower back area. You will probably want to use the heels of your hands and thumbs to apply more pressure to this area. Work your way down the buttocks, kneading in a circular motion. Don’t forget to massage the sides of their body, from the back of the hips to the top of their legs

Begin with the tops of the legs, first one and then the other. With soothing circles, massage the back of their thigh, skimming lightly over the backs of their knees and then to their claves, working up and down slowly to their feet. Having your feet rubbed is a fantastic experience. Make sure to use oil, and with your thumbs, rub in an upward manner from heel to toes.

Ask your subject to turn over and drape the towel over them if desired. Starting with the legs, gently massage the shins, skim over the knee with soft strokes and move up to the thigh. With large circles, rub up and out. For the abdomen, use less pressure and knead in large circles. Start at the pubic bone and stroke upward to the bottom of the ribcage. Run your thumbs over their hips, then up and out.

For the chest area, start in the middle of the chest at the breastbone. Using your fingertips, lightly rub from the middle to the outside of the pectoral muscles, going from the bottom of the ribs to the collarbone.

Finish at the neck, kneading each side gently, and rubbing lightly with your thumb along the jawbone to just below the ear and back.

Your subject should feel very relaxed. Sometimes, people even fall asleep during a massage. This is a compliment; it does not mean that they were bored! A full body massage should be done slowly. Take your time and trust your hands. Try to touch in a way that you would like to be touched if it were you getting the massage. Massage is something that should be enjoyable both to the giver and to the person receiving it.

Ask about Stone Massage...
Hot stone massage is a specialty massage that uses smooth, heated stones. They are often basalt, a black volcanic rock that absorbs and retains heat well. It is a deeply soothing, relaxing form of massage. The heat helps tight muscles release

What is a Hot Stone Massage?

Hot stone therapy is a highly detoxifying type of massage. The stones themselves actually become the tools that you use, and the heat helps to relax the muscles and assimilate the circulation, allowing the toxins to come up to the surface of the skin. At the same time, we incorporate a Swedish massage technique, or you could also incorporate a Shiatsu Massage, and depending on those two, you can help to release the muscle even further, because of the heat.

Hot Stone Massage Temperature

So the first thing I am going to do is to take my stones out. So I just take out a few stones, because I am going to allow them to cool off, and while they are cooling off, I am going to apply some oil. You want to make sure the body is nice and well-oiled when you are doing your hot stone massage, so that way the stones glide easily.

Hot Stone Massage Treatment

Now because the temperature of the stones is very hot, it could be a little extreme when you initially touch the skin. So I just like to roll them in my hands a little bit and allow the heat and warmth of the stones to generate into my hand -- and then introduce the warmth through my hand first. And then we can go right in to utilizing the stones. I am really just going right in, like we would do Swedish work. We would go right into the muscle tissues and working the muscles as I would with my hands, but with the actual warmth of the stones.

And you have to be mindful when you are working with stones on a client, because the stones are stones, and they are very hard. So you can tend to sometimes go a little too deep, so you have to always check in with your client, make sure the temperature of the stones and the pressure is okay.

We use probably about twenty to twenty-five stones within a session. They vary in size so you can work different areas of the body.

Hot Stone Massage on the Feet

The stones feel so amazing on the feet. On the feet is where we have our reflex points. So basically we have are certain energetic points that are in association with the whole body, mostly the organ systems. We have energetic pathways that are in association with the organ systems that run throughout the whole body. So when you are working the feet it is just complete relaxation.

And now I am going to have my client turn over so we can work the front side of the body.

Your Therapist