Body parts to Massage for Sexual Arousal: 5 Basic Massage Techniques

Massage is not described in the Kama Sutra, but for thousands of years, it has been valued as a means of soothing away tiredness and tension. And yet because we link touch with sex, we need to steer clear of touching each other for fear of being misunderstood.

This habit can even extend, inappropriately, to our partners, so that we concentrate on purely sexual expression, avoiding any systematic sensual touching.

By ignoring the power of massage, many lovers miss out on a source of great pleasure as well as a means of making the body much more receptive and relaxed for lovemaking.

Whether or not it is intended as a prelude to making love, the aim of sensual massage is maximum relaxation, and so it is important to create a peaceful and comfortable setting.

A large bed with a firm mattress, or even a sheet on the floor, will be suitable. Place pillows or cushions under your partner’s neck, small of the back, and ankles. Make sure that the room is warm and softly lit, and try to ensure that you will not be interrupted.

You can make love better when your body is loosened up by a massage but if you want to use massage to arouse, rather than just to relax each other, switch from the more vigorous techniques to more gentle actions.

For example, tracing a line with the fingertips back and forth across the nipples and chest or the lower back or abdomen can be more exciting than the more forceful movements of conventional massage.

Many other areas respond to an insistent “feathering” touch; these include the earlobes, the sides and nape of the neck, the insides of the arms and thighs, the navel, the buttocks, the calves and the toes.

You need not restrict yourself to using your hands: lie on your partner and rub your body against his or her’s or use your feet and toes to explore hidden crevices and provide each of you with novel sensations.

If the right chemistry exists between a couple, almost every area of the body is highly sensitive to the erotic touch of the lover and be stimulated so as to give pleasure and heighten anticipation.

You can use these massage moves individually, combine two or more of them, or build them all into a full sequence, starting at the feet and working up to the head.

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THE USE OF MASSAGE OILS AND ADDITIVES

You can massage your partner with dry hands, but your movements will be smoother, especially if you are new to it if you use massage oil or an oil-free massage lotion. There is a wide variety of suitable oils, many derived from nuts (particularly coconut) or vegetables.

Plain oils such as almond, olive, upseed and sunflower can be applied straight to the skin, or used as bases for perfumed essential oils such as patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, jasmine, and rose. Make up enough scented oil for one session by adding up to a dozen drops of eventual oil to 1fl oz(30 ml) of base oil.

All massage oils work best when they have been prewarmed by rubbing them for a few seconds between the hands. Used cold, they come as a shock to the skin.

Oil each area before you attend to it rather than oiling the whole body first: apply a small amount to the part you intend to massage, and rub it into the skin with smooth but firm strokes.

After the massage, the oil can be left to soak into the skin. Alternatively, it can be removed by wiping gently with a towel or, more effectively, with rubbing alcohol, although as this must be used cold it can break the spell.

5 BASIC MASSAGE TECHNIQUES

You can learn the essentials of massaging fairly quickly, and all of the following actions are recommended.

• Effleurage

Glide your palms across the skin, putting your body weight behind the movement. This action should be used first and last on each area.

• Kneading

With your hands gently curved, knead the flesh with a smooth regular movement.

• Petrissage

Move the balls of your fingers or your thumb in a circular motion to soothe away any muscular tension along the spine. Do not however massage the spine itself.

• Hacking

Giving a series of brisk chops with the side of the hand, as in karate but gentler is known as hacking. Keep your fingers relaxed rather than stiff.

• Tapotement and Cupping

Tapotement involves drumming with a light tapping action. Cupping is pounding the body with alternate hands that are cupped with fingers together and thumbs folded in.

SPECIFIC BODY PARTS TO MASSAGE

• SHOULDERS AND HEAD

Massage the front of the shoulders, the sides of the neck, the cheeks and the jaw, and then the temples and forehead. Rin your fingers lightly over the chin and around and over the lips, eyes, and nose, all of which by now should be pleasantly sensitized. Many people also like to have the top of the head massaged, with an action similar to that used in washing hair.

• BACK AND SPINE

When massaging the back, use gentle, erotic pressure and work upward from the buttocks, keeping your hands outspread and level with each other and your thumbs pushing inward along the spine. Work up to the base of the neck and then out to the shoulders before bringing your hands slowly down the sides to the buttocks. Repeat this massage about ten times, or more if your partner wishes it.

• FEET AND LEGS

With your partner lying facedown, start by managing the toes–stretching, kneading and bending each one upward –before softly rubbing the areas between them. Next, run the palms of your hands firmly over the soles of the feet and then along the tops. Raise each leg in turn and gently rotate each foot a few times until it feels loose and relaxed. Gradually move up the leg, paying special attention to the ankles, calves, and back of the knees and the thighs.

• BUTTOCKS

Move your hands in a decisive circular motion over your partner’s buttocks pressing firmly at first– most people enjoy downward pressure here– and then increasingly lightly until your hands are just brushing the skin. Then knead and squeeze each buttocks in turn.

• ARMS AND CHEST

Starting at the front of the shoulders, work your way down the chest to the abdomen and lightly massage the breast and nipples. Then massage the arms, using a gentle kneading action and again working downward. After this, work your way up from the thighs using circular movements of your hands( the right hand clockwise, the left hand counter-clockwise). Knead the thighs and the groin and move slowly to the pubic area and navel, where gentle pressure is very pleasurable. Pass over the ribs, then trace the shape of the breasts or pectorals with your fingertips and massage then gently.

• UPPER BACK

When you massage the upper back, work on the muscles between the shoulder blades and at the base of the neck. Then bring your hands back down, massaging your partner’s sides with your fingertips. Knead the shoulders and, reducing the pressure, the back of the neck.

Conclusion

Whichever massage technique or strokes you use, always keep your movements even, rythmic and symmetrical, and follow each one through where appropriate. Always use a suitable oil and agree with your partner on the amount of pressure to be used, since this should always be matter of pleasure for you both. Also, you should learn to forgo your own needs temporarily and concentrate instead on your partner’s enjoyment. By doing so, you would attain the prized goal of being able to give and receive pleasure fully.