I think we can all agree that stress is at an all time high since the pandemic started. One way to self care is to self massage if you can’t get a massage. One of the spots you can massage is the back of your head below the occiput. You would place both hands and cup the back of your head, and with your thumbs, you press the occipital muscles. These muscles are located directly below the cranium bone. You should be able to feel a soft spot right under the bone. Press firmly and stay on it for up to 3-5 seconds and massage this area for a few minutes. This should bring some relief if you are feeling tension in your head or neck. You can also do some neck stretches. You can bend your head forward into flexion and feel the back of the neck stretch.
You can also do a lateral stretch on one side first and then do the same to the other side. To do this, you would flex your neck to the left side first, and when you do this you can place your left palm on the right side of the head to feel the deep stretch on your right side of the neck. You would do the same on the other side. You can also rotate your neck on each side. You would look to one side of your shoulder, then the other side. For a deeper stretch, when you rotate, try to look down to your shoulder, then look up to the ceiling.
Another spot to release tension and helps with anxiety, is by placing your 2nd and 3rd finger right in between your eyebrows, your 3rd eye if you will. You can press gently in a circular motion for a few minutes.
One of my favorite spots is the pressure point between the 1st and 2nd finger. You can press firmly on the webbing between those 2 fingers and also you can press firmly on the palm side of the hand for deeper pressure. On the leg, the area between the Tibia and Fibula, specifically the Anterior Tibialis muscle is a sensitive point. You can press firmly and put pressure on this muscle. In Eastern medicine, this point is called ST 36 which has to do with the stomach meridian. This pressure point can be sensitive but it helps relieve tension in the leg and promotes general wellness.
So those are a few of my favorite spots to massage and you can do this when you take a break from looking down at your computer and /or when you get up after sitting for so long. It should help you relieve tension and feel more at ease.
Don’t forget to breath especially inhaling when you feel a sensitive point and exhale as you release pressure.







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