Many years ago, while living in Hong Kong, I spent some timetaking parents who were Vietnamese refugees being detained in camps to visittheir children when they were in the hospital. At one point, I was holding a toddlerwhose parent could not join us. As the toddler in the next bed began to cry,the child I was holding strained to move towards her. When we approached thecrying child, the one in my arms reached down and began to massage the others’ear. Within about a minute, the crying stopped.

No words were exchanged, but the touch was magical.

Body:

If you’ve ever had a full body massage, you know how relaxingand pampering it feels. And any Google search will offer numerous healthbenefits of massage – but if you hesitate to pay for a full-body massage toooften, you may consider a few other options to gain the benefits while livingon a budget.

Have you ever triedDIY?

Foot and hand massage– use your fingers or a simple wooden tool, buy inexpensive massaging slippers,or use an electronic option. You can find a reflexology map online if you areinterested in knowing which points on the feet and hands correspond to whichinternal organ. In the reflexology world – although oversimplified – when puttingpressure on a point on the foot or hand causes pain, the corresponding organ needsattention.

A favorite option for me is walking the rock path in mybackyard. I’ve purposely included various sizes to hit different points on thefoot. During hot summer months, running cool water from the rain barrel alongthe path can feel quite refreshing as I walk.

Stomach – An oldtrick taught by my natural medicine doctor back in Hong Kong to stimulate gooddigestion. Visualize your torso in three sections. Placing one hand on top ofthe other, gently press the palm on the bottom edge of the lowest section and massagein 30 clockwise circles. Repeat for each section moving upwards.

Face and scalp massage(including the ears) – I know no rhyme or reason to this, but light pressurefrom my finger tips turning in circles sure does feel good! A good scalpmassage is the main reason I ever go to get a haircut!

With a partner:

If you have a family member or friend to help that’s great. Evena child can help!

Three tricks that even children can participate in:

Back-pounding:with the outside edge of your hand back and forth and up and down the back.

Back-walking: just be sure that the person doing the walking isn’t too heavy. (Knees and elbows can work great too). Our children loved this activity - and it felt great.

Spoons: In HongKong we often relieved stress by dipping a Chinese soup spoon in cool water andrubbing the edge of the spoon along the back of the neck. The skin turns brightpink, but the tension release was so real. I just took a quick peak on Googleand you can find tutorials that demonstrate how to de-bloat your face with asimilar method!

Be sure to drinkplenty of water after any massage as it can release toxins in your body andwater will help to flush them through.

Mind:

When thinking about massage from the perspective of the mind,I’d invite you to consider the second definition of massage: “manipulate to geta more acceptable result.”

This makes me think of “fake it ‘til you make it” and “yourthoughts become your reality.”

What old tapes or messages need to be left behind? What newthoughts will encourage and energize you? Sometimes it might simply mean changinga “I should” to “I could” – allowing yourself the power of choice.

How can you massageyour thoughts to get a more acceptable result in your life?

Spirit:

Experience tells me that agood massage – whether DIY or from a professional, is great for my emotionwellbeing.

When I’m feeling glum andout-of-sorts, taking a few moments to massage my hands, feet, face, stomach orscalp can often lift my spirits.

The way I look at it, tryingmassage is a healthy alternative to emotional eating, drinking too much, takingdrugs, or wallowing in misery. Why not give it a try?