Yes! It’s that time of day (any time is a good time!) – reach for a delicious smelling hand cream to start you on your way to a warming, soothing, enlivening connection with yourself. If you haven’t got any cream, you can still give yourself a loving hand massage, or you may want to put that on your list of necessary items to have ‘to hand’ and get some for yourself. I always keep some on my desk and in my bag for moments when I need a bit of self care and connection.
Hand massage is such a quick way to take in nourishment physically, emotionally and psychologically and can totally reset your balance of awake, restful presence. Try it with these simple instructions. As you massage, from time to time, expand your attention to your breath and to the general sense of your feeling state in your body and adjust what you are doing to support how you feel.
1. remove any rings and bracelets you can part with for five minutes and roll up your sleeves to mid forearm
2. apply some hand cream to one hand and smoothe it in all over the palm, back and sides of your hand and the length of each finger and thumb.
3. with the back of your hand resting in the fingers of your other hand, press with your thumb press into the centre of your other palm and move the pressure with a good feeling of firmness around the area of your palm, as though you’re smoothing plasticene.
4. continue this pressured smoothing up each finger, once on front and back of each digit and then again up the sides. Go with what you feel is a good amount of pressure and time with each. Avoid pressure on any sore or bruised or tender areas and be kind with your intention.
5. squeeze into your wrist and massage it a little according to what feels good.
6. repeat these instructions on your other hand.
