Massage Actions you can use

(remember – no thumbs!)

Effleurage:

- Heart-shaped strokes (flat hands) from waist up the back to shoulders

- Repeat effleurage and extend strokes over top of shoulders and stroking down upper arms

Thousand hands:

- Use fast upward effleurage (flat hands), using alternate hands in continuous motion from waist to shoulder in a ‘sawing’ motion

Shuffling:

- Using outside edge of hands, shuffle hands either side of the spine from waist to shoulders in a ‘sawing’ motion

Walking:

- Using either fists or open hands ‘walk’ up the back either side of the spine

Kneading:

- Knead shoulders by placing hands on shoulders and pulling fingers towards heel of hand, kneading outwards from neck to shoulder

Arms:

- Squeeze down arm from shoulder to wrist using alternate hand over hand movements

- Squeeze from wrist to shoulder up the arm using same movements as before

Tapotement:

- With open fingers, little finger to body, gently ‘pat’ the hands in sweeping movements up and down the back/across the shoulders in a smooth quick rhythmic pattern

Cupping:

- Cup hands and pat them quickly up and down the back

Always ask permission first – or tell the child you are going to massage them (using a symbol)