Self Massage of the Face - Face Massage Techniques

Tips for a Relaxing Face Massage - Begin the Massage

Basic Face Massage Techniques

A face massage can help make air travel less draining and stressful.

On longer flights, you may feel jet-lagged as you traverse time zones at a rapid pace; short flights can sometimes leave you feeling a little worn, too. A relaxing face massage might be just what you need.

To combat the stress and anxiety of flying, or just the general discomfort of air travel, I came up with a quick self massage routine. This routine involves gentle massage strokes and acupressure principles to evoke a greater sense of relaxation.

In this massage, no oil is used, all you need is your own set of hands. Begin by rubbing the palms of your hands together quickly. As you feel the heat build in your hands, stop rubbing your hands and place the now heated palms over your face.

Feel the warmth, and the soothing sensation it immediately provides.

Breathe deeply. Breathe in through the nose, filling your chest and stomach, hold and slowly release through the mouth. You can have your eyes open or closed, whichever is more comfortable. Repeat the deep breathing several times until you begin to feel less stress.

For relaxation - continue to breathe slowly and deeply throughout the entire self-massage routine.

Basic Face Massage Techniques – Forehead to Chin

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

Begin the face massage with very general strokes. Take your hands, which were covering your face, and bring the fingers up to your forehead - almost fingertip to fingertip across from each other - with each set of four fingers beginning at the center of the forehead gently stroke down and across following the outside frame of the face. Your thumbs will naturally start the motion along the sides of the face and slide underneath the chin.

Slowly, from forehead to temples to cheeks along the jaw, and bringing the fingertips together under the chin, then sweeping the fingers off the face and beginning again at the center of the forehead.

Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Gentle Pressure Between the Eyebrows

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

We continue more specifically by placing your index fingers just above the nose and in between the eyebrows. You can rest your head in your hands as you do this if it is more comfortable for you. Apply about the pressure of squeezing a fresh lemon when pushing your index fingers into the spot between your eyebrows. Hold for at least 30 seconds and breathe deeply.

If you were to go directly behind the bone at this point, deep in the center of the skull, you would reach the pineal gland which is often referred to as the third eye in many cultures and is thought to have some influence over your circadian rhythm (the sleep-wake cycle affected by night and day).

In Chinese massage, for example, applying pressure and gently rocking a finger or thumb over this point is believed to calm the mind, and aid with insomnia. Frontal sinuses basically extend over the eyebrows so this is the center point where they almost meet.

Target the Temples

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

Beyond the curve of your eyebrows, at each side of your face you will feel an indentation, almost like a hole. These are your temples, and where the next bit of pressure will be applied, again with the gentle pressure you used in step 3.

Use your thumbs or your index fingers and simply apply and hold pressure over these two points for at least 30 seconds. It is no surprise that people often start rubbing their temples when they feel the pressure and discomfort for a headache. In fact, the point along the temples is often used for the treatment of headaches.

Stretching over the Sinuses

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

It is not uncommon to feel stuffed up during a flight, so this part of the massage targets the sinuses on either side of your nose.

Keep your head upright and centered. Use your thumbs for this exercise. You turn your hands outward, palms facing away from you. Place your thumbs at either side of the nose, beside the flares, where you feel a slight depression. Gently push in with your thumbs. You drag your thumbs across the sinuses as outlined by the red lines in the illustration, and maintain an even pressure throughout. Keep your thumbs on the face for the entire motion.

While pulling your thumbs slowly across the maxillary sinuses (named for their location on the

face, essentially the cheek bones) you may feel them clear a little or drain. This motion should be done very slowly and take you at least 15 - 20 seconds. Count quietly if you need to. Repeat several times if you wish. To encourage drainage if one side feels more clogged than the other, gently tilt your head towards the side that feels less full. So if my left maxillary sinus seems more clogged up, I may even repeat this massage stroke after I have already done it on both sides. In this case I would tilt my head slightly down to the right to promote drainage of the left, and would only do the massage stroke along the left side.

Small Circles over the Jaw

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

You are covering the muscles of the jaw by doing this type of massage, particularly the masseter muscle which bulges when you clench your teeth. The muscles of the jaw area are notorious for holding, or reacting to, stress.Rest your thumbs on your neck or below the jaw. Take your four fingers, with your index finger at the top of the jaw and your baby finger lower along the jaw, and starting at the top of the jaw line massage along your jaw with tiny clockwise circular motions. As you do the circular motions, slowly move your fingers down along the course of your jaw until the fingers of both hands meet at the chin.

Repeat at least 5 times

Along the course of the jaw, you will also cover several points along the

stomach meridian, namely stomach points 5, 6 and 7 (with 7 being just below the temple, and 5 being closer to the level of the chin but still on the side of the face). This part of the stomach meridian is said to treat jaw pain and hearing problems.

From Chin to the Top of the Jaw (Temporomandibular Joint)

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

ow that you have gently massaged the muscles along the jaw, it is time to stretch them out. The motion is very similar to the motion you did along the maxillary sinuses.

Take your thumbs and place them on the chin. Rest your fingers along each side of your face. Your fingers should basically be touching your ears, or somewhere near there. And although your palms will not be touching the face, they are faced towards the nose and cheeks. In this position, your elbows are likely to stick out a bit so be aware of your seatmates.

From the chin you gently push the thumbs in and drag them slowly along the skin, up the jaw line until

you reach the joint (TMJ, or temporomandibular joint). As you pull your thumbs upward, your hands will move away from each other. It is almost the sensation of a smile pulling your muscles upward.

A Little Pinch of the Ears

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

Pinch and gently pull all over the ears by taking your thumb and index finger and using them as pincers. Start from the top inside portion of the ear and gently work your way around the contour of your ear.

In Eastern medicine, the ears are connected to the organs of the body, in the same manner that the hands and feet are in reflexology.

Finish the Massage the Way it Began

The red circles are starting and ending points for your fingers. The lines and arrows show the direction

for the massage strokes. Where there are simply circles, there is

little to no movement from that one area of the face.

Finish the massage by repeating the general strokes from the top of the forehead to the chin, and sweeping your fingers off the chin at the end of each stroke.

Your hands are almost fingertip to fingertip across from each other - with each set of four fingers beginning at the center of the forehead gently stroke down and across following the outside frame of the face.

Slowly, from forehead to temples to cheeks along the jaw, and bringing the fingertips together under the chin, then sweeping the fingers off the face and beginning again at the center of the forehead.

Repeat at least 10 times.

Replenishow that the actual massage is complete, if you have access to a warm, moist towel then place it on your face to continue the relaxing effects.

Alternatively, you can take a bit of your facial moisturizer and gently moisturize your face to complete the self-massage.

Chetna.k.Bhagat