Mums Magic Massage

We’d all love to have a personal masseuse but unless you’re living on a rock-star income, the chances are slim. However, that doesn’t mean you have to go without the benefits of a nice, soothing and relaxing massage to ease your nerves and restore tense muscles. While also enjoying a bit of quiet “me time” during your postnatal yoga practice.

These programs have been created by: Katie Brown yoga teacher and infant massage specialist

Mum’s magic massage step by step

For this self-given treat, make sure you’re warm and comfortable.

• To begin, lie in shivasna: on your back with your arms slightly apart from your body and your legs out straight, feet about hip-width apart. Put a folded blanket under your head
• Take a deep inhalation, hold and then release, sighing the breath out through your mouth
• Do this 3 times
  Start your massage with scalp rotations
• Using the pads of your fingers, circle slowly around your scalp, then press down firmly, hold and release
• Continue all over your head – circle, press, hold and release

Now head release

• Now find the two hollows at the base of your skull where your head meets your neck
• Gently but firmly press into this area with your thumbs, then release
• Repeat 3 times

*Follow with ear release and massage *

• Place your thumbs behind your earlobes and slowly slide your thumbs in a crescent to the tops of your ears
• Press down and release
• Now use your thumbs and index fingers to massage all over your ears
• When you get to the tops of your ears, try to uncurl them, then release

Next do shampooing and zig zags
*Use the pads of your fingers to circle all over your scalp as if you’re shampooing your hair

• Alternate this movement with tiny zigzags, massaging the whole of your head

Now scalp tugs

• Take a few loose handfuls of hair and gently pull away from your head and then release

Kneading

• Place your thumb into the fleshy area just above your left collarbone. Use your thumb and fingers to gently knead into this area, gently releasing any tension in your muscles

Squeezing

• Use your opposite hand to gently squeeze all the way down from the side of your neck all the way down to the tops of your shoulders
• Repeat 3 times
• Swap to the right hand side of your body, starting with kneading down the side of your neck to your collarbone, then squeezing gently down the side of your neck to the tops of your shoulders
• Repeat your right side 3 times

Eye socket massage

• With the pads of your middle fingers, gently rotate then press at the start of your eyebrows
• Then move all around the eye socket to the middle of your eyebrows, the side of the eye socket, underneath your eyes and the bridge of your nose

Jaw circles

• Move onto the jaw, using the pads of your fingers to gently massage into the jaw area, gently holding and releasing

Do heart breath to finish

• Cup your hands over your heart and inhale as deeply you can through your nose and out through your mouth
• As you inhale be aware of your ribcage and diaphragm expanding all the way to your breastbone
• Take as big breath as you can and then hold
• When you can’t hold any longer, let it go, exhaling through your mouth as you release any tension, any worries, any concerns
• Breathe in again, inhaling a sense of peace and renewed energy
• Hold onto this breath and then let go once more
• Let your breath return to normal
• Remain here for as long as you like or are able to

Next try Uttanasana

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