| Never, ever had a massage? You just don't know | | | | you end up feeling cold. |
| what a wonderfully luxurious, pampered feeling you | | | | Most massages today use essential oils. These are |
| are missing. And if it's a massage with essential oils, it | | | | extracted from plants and then diluted with certain |
| doubles the pleasure! The great thing is that besides | | | | oils or hydrosols before they can be used. The |
| feeling so good, the oils are so good for you. After | | | | dilution is done because essential oils are very |
| one session, you'll feel young and alive. Let's show | | | | concentrated and can sometimes be too harsh on |
| you how you can get the most out of your | | | | the skin. Not to mention the fact that they are very |
| aromatherapy massage. | | | | expensive so it might be more economical to dilute |
| Remember, this is one time when it is much better | | | | them. |
| to receive than give. Of course there are some areas | | | | How do you know which essential oil to choose? |
| of your body that you can massage but to get the | | | | Well, it all depends on what you want. If you want |
| full benefit of a massage, you need another person | | | | to relax, choose peppermint and lavender. These two |
| to do it. This is what puts you into a kind of a | | | | oils soothe sore muscles. The carrier oils that are |
| languid, laid-back state and all you have to do is lie | | | | used are sweet almond, apricot kernel and |
| back and enjoy it. It needs a certain complete | | | | grapeseed. You'll need about an ounce or two of this |
| relaxation for you to enjoy it most. And if you've got | | | | oil if you want to massage your whole body. |
| a professional to massage you, nothing quite like it. | | | | Remember not to use mineral oil. |
| Where should you have your massage? Well, you | | | | What if you do have to massage yourself? Well, put |
| need to have a darkened room which should be quiet | | | | a little oil onto your palms and let it warm up a bit, |
| during the massage. What helps is if you were to | | | | then rub it into the skin. You could use long strokes |
| have natural nature sounds in the background - the | | | | or small or large circular movements. You could vary |
| waves, gentle rain, water flowing close by, the sound | | | | the motion and the speed for best results. And if the |
| of birds. You get them all pre-recorded if you can't | | | | skin feels dry, use more oil. |
| have the real thing. You also need to be lying down | | | | For a relaxing massage, here are a few recipes. Mix |
| on a comfortable surface. You could maybe be | | | | four drops of lavender oil into a tablespoon of carrier |
| covered with a towel which is soft as it's more | | | | oil. Or use a drop of petitgrain essential oil in a |
| comfortable if you are cold. If you're not covered, | | | | tablespoon of carrier oil. You could also use a drop of |
| make sure that towel is at hand in case you feel cold | | | | frankincense essential oil in a tablespoon of carrier oil. |
| and need it. This happens because the relaxation | | | | Sit back, relax and enjoy! |
| makes the body's metabolic rate to go down and | | | | |