After Morning Massage

It does not matter whether you wake up jetlagged or with a hangover, the worst thing about the 'morning after' is that it takes all the pleasure out of the night before. Too much time in the air or too much alcohol leave you with similar symptoms dazed, glassy-eyed, dehydrated, bloated, dry-mouthed, headachy, unable to concentrate, sometimes even unable to finish a sentence.

Everybody seems to have a pet cure for a hangover, ranging from eating a raw egg to a three-course meal, or from drinking strong coffee to drinking more alcohol. Similarly, frequent travelers try everything from turning their clocks forward before they get on the plane to taking a sleeping tablet as soon as they get off. However, the only things that really do help cure that morning after misery are getting as much sleep and drinking as much water as possible.

While you wait for nature to take its course, this soothing massage will help get rid of the headache and, if you have not fallen asleep by the end, it will leave you in better condition to cope with the demands of the day. It is a simple series of gentle presses and slow, relaxing strokes to the nape of the neck, forehead, temples, eyes and scalp - and these are the areas that jetlag and a hangover seem to hit worse.

How To Do The 'Morning After' Massage
To make the massage even more soothing, put some ice in a plastic bag and roll it in a towel to slip under the back of the sufferer's neck as a therapeutic pillow. Dip cotton wool pads in iced water or milk, squeeze them out and place them over the eyes. Keep the room warm and dimly lit and make sure that the person you are going to massage is lying, stretched out and as comfortable as possible, especially if he hopes to go to sleep. The good thing about this massage is that you can do it anywhere. The movements are so simple that you do not need oil, and you can adapt the steps and do them while the sufferer is fully clothed and sitting upright in a low chair at work, if need be. Remember that the secret of its success is to do all strokes slowly, soothingly and repeatedly, as if you were trying to pacify a fractious baby - and then, it works!

1. Start with a series of head presses. Cup your hands, palms down, over the forehead. Gently press down for a count of ten, relax for a count of five and then repeat. Push the lower hand backwards with the upper hand in a firm forehead stroke. Then place hands, palms down, on the sides of the head from the crown down to the ears. Press firmly in for a count of ten, relax for five, then repeat. Slide your hands, palms up, under the nape of the neck, then gently lift to stretch the neck without raising the head. Hold for a count of ten, then relax.

2. Now massage the forehead. Stroke firmly upward with the fingers of each hand, one after the other, starting between the brows and pulling back to the hairline. Every sixth stroke, slide the fingers out to follow the contours of each brow and end by gently pressing in with your fingertips over the temples. Finish off by using the palm of one hand, followed by the other, rhythmically stroking from the brow right up to the crown of the head for several minutes.

3. Bend your fingers into stiff claws and rake the scalp from the hairline up to the crown all over the head, including the nape of the neck. Repeat for several minutes, then gently press into the head all around the hairline with stiff fingertips and make circles on the scalp. Next, hold small sections of hair close to the roots and gently tug, repeating all over the head. Finish off with long, slow finger strokes through the scalp that end by gently pulling the hair away from the head.

4. Start with your palms across the forehead, fingertips touching above the nose. All movements should be gentle. Slowly slide your hands down until the middle and ring fingers are resting lightly over the eyes. Press in, holding for a count of eight, then lightly slide fingers out across the eyes to the temples. Press in over each temple with the first two fingers of each hand and make circles to rotate the skin. Then repeat several times. Finally, place an index fingertip over each tear duct and lightly press into the eye corner. Hold for a count of five, then release.

5. Knead the top of the shoulder muscle, starting close to the neck and work out towards the arm. After several minutes, place the palm of one hand over the top of the arm and pull up, in one smooth stroke, along the shoulder and neck to the ear. As one hand gets to the end of the stroke, the other should be starting the next one. Then repeat all of step five on the other shoulder muscle.

6. Now place your right hand, palm up, under the top of the neck, with your thumb to one ear and fingers to the other. Gently knead and press inwards along the base of the skull bone and the top of the vertebrae. With your right hand in the same position, place your left hand, palm down, across the forehead and gently press downwards as you lift up with your right hand. Hold for a count of five, then relax. Finish off with soothing forehead strokes, one hand following the other, getting slower and slower until you stop.

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