Today, we'll be doing a self massage
or whatever makes you feel good, go ahead and grab that.
And make sure you click that subscribe button below
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about my Wellness Wednesday videos to help you relieve pain.
My name is Ann Swanson
and I am a licensed massage therapist.
And first, before we get started,
let me show you where we will be massaging here on Bernie.
And Bernie here is gonna show us
where we're gonna be massaging on our low back.
So we're gonna be trying to go on either side
of the spinous processes.
So those are the parts that stick out here.
We're gonna go on either side,
there's some thick muscles
that are important for our posture.
They're called our erector spinae.
And then we're going to actually be pressing
into the pelvis area and on this bone part right here,
and you can go a little firmer in there
in the upper gluteus
because everything in the low back is connected.
So let's go ahead and get started.
Start by putting a little bit of the balm or lotion you have
on both hands, just on the fingertips, rub it in.
and then reach behind you with your fingertips
and begin to draw circles on your low back,
just rubbing in the lotion.
Rub here in a light to moderate pressure.
And then we're gonna turn this
into a circular movement with your thumbs.
So reaching your thumbs, going in circles.
Next we are gonna move upward on our erector spinae muscles.
So alongside the spine,
you've got the spine here in the center,
on either side, just an upward motion.
You can go with your fingers,
or it feels really good with your knuckles too.
So experiment with that a little bit, find what feels good.
You're also getting a little bit of a stretch
with your shoulders, make sure you're sitting up tall.
Few more strokes here.
Now we're gonna go a little bit lower,
if you need some more of the balm, feel free to add that
and going a little bit lower to around the pelvis area.
So we're on the hard part of the pelvis here,
going in circles here.
(gentle music)
You can also turn that into a movement with loose fists.
So I'm using my knuckles here and I got a loose fist
going on, trying not to hold any tension
in my shoulders, the shoulders are dropped down,
not squeezing up, and then taking your fingers
and going outward like this.
You can even let your fingers go between your vertebrae,
kind of like a zipper and pulling outward.
Last step for this massage is that upward motion
once again, along the spine on either side,
use it to help you sit a little bit taller.
And with this height, I want you to start to hinge forward
at your hips a little bit,
and then continue this upward motion.
You can reach down, just focusing on
that length and upward motion.
Repeat whatever you've felt was beneficial for you.
I like this thumb motion and getting into a rhythm,
just go back to whatever movement felt good for you.
Close your eyes and feel,
feel what your body needs and go to that area.
You may find an area with a little knot.
And if you do, you can go and just hang out there.
Do tiny circles, without straining your fingers.
Always remember you can use your knuckles
or the side of your hands.
This is where I feel it right here.
Find a place that's comfortable for your hands
and the smaller the circle, the more targeted in that area.
You can even make it so small
that you're barely moving in circles at all.
I can barely see it, but I can just feel.
You're welcome to lean forward a little bit more
to get that stretch in the lower back as you're massaging.
And then release your hands down.
Pause, put them in your lap, feel your head floating up.
Take a nice deep breath in and a nice deep breath out.
Establishing that proper curvature of your spine.
Making sure you're not slouching.
So your low back is forward,
shoulders release back and down,
head floats up and feel the results, that glow in the area.
Feeling the increased circulation,
massage increases endorphins,
which can have an analgesic effect,
helping you relieve pain.
One more deep, full breath here, soaking in the benefits.
Gently open your eyes if they're closed.
Notice how you feel.
You might feel more aware of your body.
You might feel like you need a little stretch.
Feel free to do that.
And thank you so much for joining me.
Please comment below, let me know how you feel,
or if you have any questions at all,
make sure you click that subscribe button
for more videos like this every Wednesday,
for Wellness Wednesday.
Thank you so much and be well.