- Massage - This book is about aphrodisiacs, so we are not concerned with the highly-skilled and vigorous business of therapeutic massage, nor with Swedish massage or anything involving hand chopping or skeletal manipulation. Leave all that to the professionals - at least your experiments will be unsatisfactory, at worst they could be harmful.
Lovers can and should experiment with light massage. The three basic actions are Effleurage, Petrissage and Finger Point. Effleurage is stroking with the whole hand, gently and firmly, Not too lightly - that stimulates only the hairs and skin surface, is akin to tickling and a different technique altogether. Petrissage is kneading - as you would bread dough - with the whole hand. The pressure is firm but not painful. Finger Point is for stimulating particular trigger points, either with small circular movements of the pad of one or more fingers, or by using the thumb to massage in the way that comes naturally to thumbs. There are many other techniques but these are the basics. A good way of learning to massage is to watch a professional massaging you - but as with sexual techniques, most people prefer to develop their skills by private experiment. Oil is not mandatory but it adds another tactile sensation as well as the possibility of perfume. The entry on Essential Oils lists those with special erotic associations. Only use a few drops of essential oil to perfume a non-sticky base oil such as grapeseed, almond, or hazlenut - the last two are reputed aphrodisiacs in their own right. The stimulating essential oils are not only inhaled, they soak into the skin. The range of essential oils generally available is enormous. Many culinary herbs and spices are available as essential oils (e.g. Anis, Basil, Bay, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Fennel, Ginger, Mace, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Rosemary and Vanilla) and it is fun to experiment with those you like and even to blend them. See the entry on Essential Oils for the proportions and method. Do not use too much oil in massage and do not get oil with essential oil added near mucous membrane (vulva or anus) in any quantity. For a vivid account of what astringent substances in the bottom feel like see David Niven's autobiography 'The Moon's a Ballon'.
Aphrodisiac massage is intended to end with sex - genital, oral or manual, or a combination of all three. Therefore a warm room and a surface which you can spill oil on happily is important. If you do not like the idea of oil on the sheets or making love on a large bathtowel - forget the oil. A sheet specifically for massage is the best answer. It is a shame to consign massage to the bathroom unless yours is particulary sumptuous. Experiment with foot massage first of all.
Unless you massage the calf you will not need petrissage which is better for parts such as buttocks and thighs. Feet are very sensitive and there are supposed erotic triggers just above the heel and below the ankle bone on both sides. Between the toes is very important, as is a line running along the middle of the underside between heel and ball. If you are not using oil (or perhaps even if you are) try sucking toes individually. Always keep massage balanced: both feet, both arms, both sides fo the body. And to keep everything balanced, your partner should massage your feet after you have finished. Foot massage is relaxing, sensual and a good way to begin.
On a different occasion (massage is tiring on the hands) explore the rest of your partner's body and use petrissage, particularly on large muscles. The purpous of aphrodisiac massage is to find individual erotic triggers and to relax and stimulate your partner's body at the same time. Try to keep communication tactile and visual unless something is painful or irritating. Too much talking is an anaphrodisiac for both parties.
Men's bodies tend to be more predictable, but women often have very sensitive, non-genital trigger points. If you are not finding some unexpected ones you are not looking hard enough or being sufficiently imaginative in varying pressure and technique.
Some good places to concentrate your search in either sex correspond to some of the acupuncture points and meridians. For example the 'milk line' that runs from the middle finger up the centre of the palm and the inside of the arm and across to the nipple. The central lower back above the buttocks, along the spine and immediately either side is another good area for sexual trigger points. Also a straight line from above the pubic hair to the navel, and the whole of the perineum - the area between vulva and anus or scrotum and anus. Constantly vary technique and pressure of hand or fingers, and use lips or erect penis as an alternative if it seems appropriate. A harem technique which has been commercialized in the Far East is 'total body massage'. Both partners are anointed with a bland oil and the woman uses the whole of her body to massage the man. Alternatively you can take turns in exciting and exploring each other, taking full advantage of your new-found lubricity!
(See also: Breasts and Nipples, Essential Oils, Foot, Pattes D'Araignée)
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