I’m Hannah, Natural Skincare Therapist at Southsea Bathing Hut.  I’ll be sharing weekly wellness tips to lift the mind and spirit as we all stay safe, stay well and stay home.

In The Lagoon Treatment Room at Southsea Bathing Hut – hopefully opening again in July or August – one of my favourite treatments to deliver is the Rolling Waves Head and Shoulder Massage. It’s a blissful, wave-like movement massage, to melt away tensions and encourage the mind to drift softly away to calmer waters.

Well, I thought I’d share some of our little secrets that make this massage so special, so you can try them with another member of your household. I’ll adapt some movements to make them simpler and safer for you to perform at home.

Gentle Waves Massage | Home Massage

This home massage will focus on the Shoulders and Head. These areas hold tensions and emotional stresses, which can then run throughout the whole body.

When massaging yourself or a loved one it’s important to create a space that makes you both feel relaxed. Set the atmosphere with a candle, music or maybe massage after a soak in the bath.

When massaging, ensure your posture is straight and tall. Bend through your knees and keeping loose to avoid locking. When you feel comfortable, your massage energy can flow to your loved one. Try to maintain contact with them throughout the entire massage. Avoid contact with the bones, as it often feels uncomfortable for the person receiving the massage.

Using our SBH Aromatherapy Massage Oil with Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil and Vitamin E will help to create a beautiful ‘slip and glide’ that will make your massage movements smooth and gentle, while creating a sensory experience with beautiful aromatherapy. We offer the choice of two blends, High Tide or Low Tide. High Tide contains Bergamot, Lime, Mandarin and Sweet Orange for an uplifting, energising citrusy blend. Or Low Tide contains with Lavender, Rose Geranium and Patchouli for or a deeply relaxing and meditative floral scent.

Massage Steps:

1. Ask your loved one to remove all jewellery and clothing from the neck to the waist, and ask them to lie face down on a comfortable bed or sofa. Cover their body with a towel or blanket to keep them warm and relaxed.
2. I’d recommend placing a small cushion or rolled up towels under the ankles for extra comfort.
3. Uncover the back from the neck to waist.
4. Apply massage oil to your hands and warm through the palms. You don’t want to shock your client with cold oil and hands!
5. Now, standing at the head of your loved one, apply the warmed oil to your clients back. Swipe the oil down the centre of the back and in a ‘palm tree’ motion to cover the mid and side back. Repeat 3 times to evenly spread the oil.
6. Stood in the same position, slowly comb with your fingers the excess oil through the hair and into the scalp.
7. Now step to the left side of your loved one to focus on the lower back. With the hands facing towards the head, slide up the side of the left side of the spine, round the shoulder and back down the right side of the spine (clockwise). Repeat 3 times.
8. With double flat hands, slide upwards along the spine finding areas of tension along the erector spinae muscle, which alongside the spine, the. Repeat 3 times.
9. Finishing at the shoulder, slowly and deeply circle flat hands around the scapula (shoulder blade) 3 times.
10. With your thumbs, gently knead the muscles that make up the shoulder. Avoid contact with the bone as you work upwards towards the head.
11. Draw flat hands in a figure-eight pattern around both shoulder blades.
12. Now, step to the right side of your loved one and repeat steps 7-11.
13. You’ve now finished massaging both sides, move to stand at the head of your loved one again. With your fingers and thumb, gently knead the neck in an upwards motion from the shoulder towards the base of the skull (the occipital bone).
14. Then, spend a couple of minutes combing your fingers through the hair and scalp.
15. Working one side of the scalp at a time, gently your fingertips into the scalp and rotate gently with small circular movements. Repeat 3 times on either side.
16. Now slide your hands back down to the neck and shoulders, sliding all the way down towards the base of the back.
17. Focusing now on the lower back, make inward rotations with both flat hands simultaneously.
18. With your thumbs, gently knead the tension at the lower back (the sacral area).
19. Now to finish your massage, take a few minutes to slide flat hands over the entire back to release any tension.
20. Finish at the head. Gently cradle the head with both flat hands, apply pressure to the scalp and gently release. Repeat 3 times.

Enjoy your massage. Don’t be afraid to stray from these guidelines to suit your loved ones needs. Follow your instincts!

Be gentle and light, reminiscent of soft waves lapping the body. Deeper pressure should be left to the professionals.

Let us know how you find your newly found massage skills!

Hannah x