This final part of the simple massage offers you an opportunity to work again on the legs and feet. You will now have covered all the accessible parts of your partner’s body from head to toe. The fronts of the thighs contain powerful muscles, so even though you are bringing the massage to a close, your partner will miss out if you hurry. It is important to make sure your strokes cover the entire length of the legs and especially go right over the hip. Every second you spend working the muscles thoroughly will be appreciated deeply, together with what is often sadness that the massage is ending! Make sure that you give time to the ending. It is as important as the way you begin.
1. Effleurage
Change position to sit at your partner’s feet. Spread some oil over your hands and starting at the ankle, stroke up the centre of the leg to the hip. You can apply gentle pressure on this upward stroke, making sure you reach right up over the hip with your outer hand.
2. Effleurage
Now bring your hands back down — the outside of your partner’s leg to complete the effleurage stroke. Keep your pressure light and draw back down the leg, raising your wrists so that you are using your fingertips. When you reach the foot, repeat the stroke twice more.
3. Squeezing the calf
Place your hands over the front of your partner’s leg, just above the ankle. Have your thumbs to one side, your fingers to the other. Start to squeeze up the calf muscles, pressing with your fingers and thumbs. Do not apply direct pressure to the shin and ease the movement as you near the knee.
4. Squeezing the thigh
Change position so that you can reach your partner’s thigh and continue the squeezing movements above the knee, your thumbs and fingers on either side of the leg. Squeeze as far as you can up the thigh, then round the movement off over the hip. Repeat the stroke as often as you need to.
5. Kneading the thigh
Begin kneading over your partner’s thigh, feeling for any tension in the muscles and working your way back down again until you reach just above the knee. Work your way over the front and outer thigh, keeping pressure away from the inside thigh. Sit square-on to your partner and roll the muscles with your fingers and thumbs, pressing the flesh in and then rolling it back toward you.
6. Wringing the thigh
Next, start wringing from the top of the thigh down your partner’s leg. Placing both hands on opposite sides of the thigh, use a fairly firm pressure to bring your far hand back over the top of the leg toward you, your near hand pushing away from you. This produces a twist over the muscles.
7. Stretching the leg
Move to your partner’s feet. Place one hand underneath the heel and the other over the top of the foot. Lift the leg slightly and pull slowly back toward you. This should be a comfortable stretch for your partner. The pull comes from your lower hand, your upper one is mainly supporting.
8. Opening the foot
Cup your fingers underneath your partner’s foot, placing the length of your thumbs together over the top. Draw your hands apart to the sides of the foot, pressing mainly with the base of your thumbs. You can do this movement several times, keeping your pressure above the toes.
9. Pulling the toes
Take hold of your partner’s foe between your thumb and forefinger. Gently wriggle up the side of the toe toward you, pulling as you continue off at the end. Slowly pull each toe in turn, keeping your pressure firm if your partner is ticklish. This movement will feel truly delightful.
10. Resting
Wrap your hands softly around your partner’s foot and just hold for a moment. Feel the energy coming through your hands. Make this ending soft but definite, before repeating the same sequence on the other leg.
