When learning how to give a back massage, you will first need to find a massage oil or lotion. You will want to find one that you like that has a pleasant, light smell. Then, ask your subject to get ready. If you want to give a decent, thorough massage, the back will need to be bare. You can use a sheet to cover the person if modesty is an issue.
Once your subject has indicated that they are ready for you to begin their back massage you can apply some oil or lotion. When you apply the lotion, simply put a few lines down the person's back. You want to be careful that you don't put too much lotion on their skin or it will be too slippery to work on. You only need to add enough to allow your hands to be able to glide smoothly over their skin. It will be much easier to apply more oil, if necessary, than it will be to try and clean up any excess.
As you begin the massage, you should start at the lower part of the back and use some long, slow motions. As you stroke your hands upward, start to slowly spread your hands out. Begin by applying a medium amount of pressure and then ask the person if they prefer a lighter or firmer pressure. You should continue your stroke up to the person's shoulders and repeat this process over the course of several minutes. This part of a back massage is intended to help your subject relax and ensure that they are ready for more massage techniques.
Once your subject has started to relax, you can identify the tight spots and knots. Target tight muscles and knead those areas with circular motions. You will often find them in the shoulder area or between the shoulder blades. Do not push too hard because these spots can be very painful and can cause a person to tense up. As you begin to work the knots, you can push a little harder as you go and you will feet them begin to ease. After you work on the knots, massage down both sides of the spine all the way to the lower back.
It is important to listen to the person receiving a massage whenever you are performing the massage. Tell them that you are still practicing and improving your technique and would appreciate if they could let you know which parts of the massage they enjoyed the most and any parts that may have hurt. Listening to this feedback is an important part of learning and improving. Every person will be unique, but there are also some parts of a back massage that will be liked or disliked by everyone.
The more practice you get giving a back massage, the quicker you will get better at it. Make sure that you do not injure your wrists by overdoing the massage. If giving the back massage ever becomes painful, you should either slow down, or completely stop. The more you practice giving a massage, the stronger your wrists and hands will get. With practice, you will soon be able to give longer massages.
