Taking time to slow down together. Generally speaking when people think of massage, it is usually along the lines of goingto a spa or place, where someone works on you, as you relax and lay there passively.Today I am going to share about the power of self massage and some fun techniquesyou can use on yourself as a parent, and on your kid(s). There are countless benefits ofmassage therapy, and when we share this practice as a ritual, it is also a form ofbonding and taking time to coregulate together, adding a drop into the well of self care,love and relaxing together. When you share massage, it invites us to slow down, taketime to light a candle, some incense or simply, to sit and enjoy the feel good sensationmassage brings. Benefits of massage therapy (just to name a few):-Decreases heart rate-Calms nervous system-Improves quality of sleep-Decreases cortisol levels in the bloostream- stress hormone-Touch increases release of serotonin – feel go hormone I recommend using a high quality oil such apricot, jojoba, sunflower, or you can evenuse coconut oil as well. If you would like an added benefit of relaxation on your nervoussystem, you may also add a drop of lavender, or another essential oil that is soothing toyou. Find a comfortable place in your home or in nature, take a seat and prepare torelax together. Simple self massage or partner massage sequence: your hands on each side of your cervical spine and pretend like you are playingthe piano on the muscles on the side of your neck, move slowly, breathe as yougo. As you begin to explore this self massage practice together, start to make it your own bycreating new techniques, and also incorporating tools like tennis balls, or rollers to themix. Most of all have fun and feel happy that you made time and space to slow downand be present with your child(ren).