Create an ambiance of peace and serenity by using candles, playing soothing music, dimming overhead lights, and leaving your cell phone in the other room! If you don’t have a massage table, you can use bed, futon, or floor mat. but make sure you are able to reach your partner’s back without straining.

Prep your towels. Grab 2 hand towels, add running water, wring them out, and place each in a gallon ziplock bag with the zip open. When you are ready to heat the towels, You’ll turn your microwave on 3 minutes for them to warm. 

When your partner arrives, have them lay down face down. Add massage oil to your hands and rub your palms together, warming the oil before you apply it. Use long gliding strokes to spread oil across the surface of the skin and increase circulation. Start with the spine, gliding up and down the sides of the spine, noting any knots you feel. Move from the spine to the shoulders and to the back of the neck.

Using the same pattern- spine to shoulders to neck- use your fingertips to make deeper, kneading strokes. Slowly lift and squeeze the muscles, increasing pressure where you feel muscles are tight.

Using the heel of your hand, applying slow, circular strokes with both hands, moving away from the spine and up the back and neck. Focus on knots, gradually increasing pressure by pushing down firmly with your thumbs. Knead the muscles up and down, mimicking the pattern of a wave lapping against the shore and then pulling back out to sea. 

Turn on your microwave for 3 minutes to heat your towels. While you are waiting, begin with the long gliding strokes that you started with, moving from the spine to the shoulders to the back of the neck. When your towels are ready, carefully remove them from the ziplock bags and gently lay them over your partners’ back and shoulders.