Head

Pressure points in your skull can relax your whole body. There are two very significant acupressure points at the base of the skull on what’s called the occipital ridge. If you apply consistent pressure there, you can achieve total relaxation.

How do you find these points and apply pressure on those spots? There is a simple solution. Put two tennis balls in a sock and tie the end. Lie on your back on the floor and place the sock behind the upper neck, so that the two balls each touch the skull ridge that’s right above the hollow spot. Stay like that for 20 minutes. If you like, you can listen to soothing music. The pressure on those acupressure points send messages down the spinal column to relax all the muscles and it is very effective.

• Gently grasp and pull hair, moving scalp
• Comb fingers through hair all over slowly
• Use percussion on head to wake yourself up
• Cup palms over ears and rotate in circular motion
• Use circular motion to move skin over muscles

Torso

• Get a quick boost by rubbing the area above your kidneys. That’s at waist level where the tissue is still soft. Rub briskly with your fists in a circular motion. This energizes the whole body.

Hands & Wrists

• Stroke palms across each other
• Stretch fingers
• Thumb pressure across palms – fan out
• Massage forearms

 Feet <After you try the following techniques on one foot, switch feet and repeat>

• Sit on a chair and place one foot on the opposite thigh. Rub some massage oil or lotion onto your foot if you like. Apply pressure with your thumbs to the sole of your foot, working from the bottom of your arch to the top near your big toe. Repeat five times.
• Make a fist and press your knuckles into the bottom of your foot, moving from your heel to your toes. Repeat five times.
• Massage each toe by holding it firmly and moving it from side to side. Extend each toe gently out and away from the ball of your foot. Then apply pressure to the areas between your toes.
• Hold your toes in one hand and bend them backward holding them there for five to ten seconds. Then bend them in the opposite direction and hold for five to ten seconds. Repeat three times.
• Press and roll your thumbs between the bones of the ball of your foot

Massage relaxes the muscles and stimulates the blood vessels under the skin, which can help prevent new tension lines and wrinkles from appearing.   Wash your face then follow the procedure described below using basic movements - stroking, pinching and stimulating.   To make this a whole body experience, practice slow, abdominal breathing as you enjoy your mini facial.  By strengthening and firming facial muscles, you can give yourself a natural facelift.

• Gently stroke the entire face. Use both hands and glide up the neck, out across the cheeks, then over your forehead.
• Stroke one hand after the other up your forehead from bridge of nose to hairline.
• Apply gentle circular pressure to the temples 10 times one way and 10 times the other.
• Stimulate the skin by using the back of your hands and loosely rolling your fingers up the cheek. Also, this is especially effective under the chin and up the neck.
• With your thumb and forefinger, gently pinch the skin along the jawbone and under the chin. This is very stimulating and helps prevent a double chin.
• Pull the sides of your ears gently straight outward, then straight up, then straight down. Or, with your index finger, press the tender spot next to your earlobe where it attaches to your head. Press and release. Now do it on the other ear. Repeat, alternating ears, 10 to 15 times.
• To release tension around the eyes, firmly squeeze the eyebrows with your thumb and forefinger. Work from the bridge of the nose towards the temples, holding tense points until tension eases.
• Tap under eyes to ease puffiness
• Use fingertips or flat fingers using energetic, galloping motion all over face, gentle around eyes
• For tension in the neck and shoulders make firm circular movements working up either side of the neck then out across the shoulders.
• Tilt head back and squeeze flesh at base of neck – then slowly roll head forward and hold stretch 10 sec
• Lace fingers over head and stretch neck downward
• Squeeze and rotate shoulders backward and forward, up and down
• Glide fingers over chest and then knead same area
• Cup hands over eyes and enjoy the darkness.  Hold your hands there for a few minutes and let the warmth of your hands relax the muscles and connective tissue, bringing  an overall sense of relief.

2 Exercises you can do for your eyes and mouth:

To lift the eye area, place the base of your palm, or the pads of your fingertips, against your temples and push upwards. Suck your tongue to the roof of your mouth, making sure to keep your back teeth together. Hold for a count of ten, then slowly release and relax. Work up to a count of 20.

Exercise your mouth and lift lip lines by opening your mouth wide, as if yawning. Pull in the sides of your mouth to form an oval then curve your lips over your teeth. Slowly count to ten, close your mouth leaving your lips 1/2 inch open, feeling an outward pull. Release very slowly.