Now we'll massage the back. We'll gently go down the back with our whole hand, come up the side of the body, and sweep up to the elbow. Once again, we're just moving down with gentle movements. This time we will use heavier strokes. Let's use a push stroke down the spine and each side of the spine. Now do it with only the index fingers. We can check the body at the same time for tension spots. If there are tension spots, like we do here, we can work it with a circular massage. Then resume the push motion and come back up. As you can see, I'm going down with my fingers. On the way up, I have my thumbs on either side of the spine while my fingers come up on the side of the body. That covers the entire body and feels really nice. This is a wonderful way to get in touch with your child and show your loving care. With my thumbs together, I'm working a little bit away from the spine, moving down into the buttocks and coming up to the shoulder.
Now I'll show you a bit of skin-rolling. I'm picking up the skin and rolling it across the ribs. On most children, you will find loose and supple skin. You should be able to do this quite easily. You can also pick up the skin this way. Now we come to the shoulders, picking, rolling and kneading at the same time.
With the whole hand on the body, give it a little press. We can pick up the fascia and roll it across the ribs. Apply a little pressure as well. Now put the hand across the waist and give the child a little rub. This is a very effective way to relax the child and settle them down. They will often go to sleep on gentle rocking motions such as this.
