monomer/program_peace · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Massage Exercise Compression of the Sternocleidomastoid
Use one hand to grab and pinch the sternocleidomastoid as pictured below It helps to
turn the head to one side Firmly squeeze the length of the muscle from the clavicle up to
just below the ear This muscle is a major structural support for the neck and when it is
tight it hunches the head down and forward It also plays a role in clavicular breathing so
releasing it will help soothe your breath
Illustration Sternocleidomastoid massage
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Massage Exercise Compression of the Occipitalis
Apply deep pressure to the occipitalis muscle and the neck muscles directly below it Lie
down and rest your head on a baseball eyebolt or index knobber to compress these
muscles Releasing the occipitalis will help reduce your lowgrade headache and
straighten the back of your neck
Illustration Occipitalis massage
Massage Exercise Compression of the Neck
The front sides and back of the neck contain a dense array of muscles Reach your hand
into the air above your head bend your elbow and press the tip or knuckle of your
thumb into each of the areas of your neck Identify sore spots and concentrate on them
Alternatively use a tool like a squash ball Index Knobber or eyebolt
illustration Neck massage
Chapter Release Tense Muscle with Massage
Massage Exercise Compression of the Corrugator Supercilii
Place your elbows on a tabletop or bed to steady your hands Then use the first knuckles
of your thumbs to press firmly into the small muscles under each eyebrow There are
several layers of different muscles here but you will know when you find the corrugator
supercilii because it will be the most painful The feeling of pressing on it directly will
probably take your breath away even with just a few pounds of pressure Consistent
massage will release all that pain
Ae
Illustration Corrugator supercilii massage
The results of even these simple exercises can be profound Lets look at the corrugator
supercilii muscle in Exercise for example It is the muscle that creates the frown which it
does by lowering the eyebrows and pulling them together Scientists regard it as the principal
muscle in the expression of suffering This means that humans primates and other mammals
unconsciously contract their corrugator supercilii muscles when experiencing great pain What
do you think it means for this muscle itself to be stuck in painful partial contraction think it
means that it has come to perpetuate the condition of suffering Realizing this strongly
motivated me to compress mine until they were absolutely painless In total the process took
me about an hour divided into several short sessions spread over a month It was time well
spent as it released my perennial frown and changed my outlook on the world
Below are several other easytouse massage techniques that should help kickstart your
search for soreness and a personal routine Other chapters in this book will specifically address
massage of the face neck and lower back
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Illustration Easytouse massage techniques
Chapter Release Tense Muscle with Massage
The health benefits of selfmassage are both real and noticeable compression increases
circulation improves joint health relieves muscular injuries shortens recovery time and
reduces muscle fatigue Aesthetically selfmassage can accentuate muscle mass reduce the
deposition of fat improve the appearance of cellulite and contour tone and firm the skin
have released muscles all over and it has helped me feel as though have an entirely new
body am stronger more flexible faster and more graceful Results are cumulative It should
be everyones objective to release every painful muscle in the body Finding them and learning
how to compress them skillfully is a challenge of course and one of the best ways to start
learning is to receive professional massage
The Benefits of Professional Massage
Getting expert help can be the perfect introduction or complement to a selftreatment routine
If the option is available strongly recommend that you invest a significant proportion of your
disposable income for the next few years on deep tissue massage Receiving quality deep tissue
massages will relieve pentup tension in large portions of your body curbing sympathetic
hyperactivity and activating paingate control It has even been shown to reduce depression
and trait anxiety and reduce generalized anxiety disorder symptoms What is more it
temporarily reduces blood pressure and heart rate and stimulates the production of the brain
chemicals involved in pleasure and satisfaction such as endorphins oxytocin and serotonin
Raising the levels of these substances in your brain has recursive beneficial effects on
happiness confidence and outgoingness
had my first massage at age came out of the studio angry convinced that the
masseuse had pressed too firmly on my shoulder By the time got to my car had a bad cramp
in my deltoid that stayed with me for a full week The cramp formed for three reasons
didnt ask the masseuse to reduce the excessive pressure was a fullon thoracic
breather at the time and defensively contracted the muscle into a tight ball as it was being
massaged Massaging a muscle too intensely especially when it is contracted will make the
muscle worse rather than better It is important to remember that unlike in selfmassage
the professional masseuse cannot feel what you experience as they press They need your
active feedback telling them when to press harder and when to press softer
This bad first experience which was my fault dissuaded me from returning Reading about
the scientific benefits of massage five years later persuaded me to give massage another
chance By this time was practicing diaphragmatic breathing which helped me accept rather
than brace against the most intense parts of the massage This second experience made me
a convert
At first the masseuses saw marveled at how tight my muscles were Several voiced
concern for my wellbeing after feeling my neck and shoulders They would say things like
This isnt good are you okay was even told by several masseuses that had the worst
muscle tension they had ever seen But that feedback started to change within the first year
of weekly deep tissue massages By the end of the year each new masseuse worked with
commented that they had never seen anyone able to take such deep pressure It just didnt
hurt anymore and it hasnt since attribute this entirely to the consistent practice of
diaphragmatic breathing
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Deep tissue massage should be uncomfortable at times but should not cause excessive pain
or induce protective spasms When a masseuse presses too hard on a trigger point other
trigger points throughout the body will briefly flare up in response Encourage them to press
hard but never to the point where the pain causes you to tense up in other areas such as your
face neck or back To this end concentrate on holding a relaxed corpse pose allowing your
body to go completely limp
Most importantly you will know that the massage is too hard if it makes you breathe
shallowly or brace your diaphragm As mentioned above you should be practicing
diaphragmatic breathing throughout the massage Employing paced breathing is ideal To do
this locate the breath metronome MP audio tracks available from my website upload them
to your phone and play them during the massage you may want to put the track on repeat to

Massage Exercise Compression of the Sternocleidomastoid

Use one hand to grab and pinch the sternocleidomastoid as pictured below It helps to

turn the head to one side Firmly squeeze the length of the muscle from the clavicle up to

just below the ear This muscle is a major structural support for the neck and when it is

tight it hunches the head down and forward It also plays a role in clavicular breathing so

releasing it will help soothe your breath

Illustration Sternocleidomastoid massage

PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body

Massage Exercise Compression of the Occipitalis

Apply deep pressure to the occipitalis muscle and the neck muscles directly below it Lie

down and rest your head on a baseball eyebolt or index knobber to compress these

muscles Releasing the occipitalis will help reduce your lowgrade headache and

straighten the back of your neck

Illustration Occipitalis massage

Massage Exercise Compression of the Neck

The front sides and back of the neck contain a dense array of muscles Reach your hand

into the air above your head bend your elbow and press the tip or knuckle of your

thumb into each of the areas of your neck Identify sore spots and concentrate on them

Alternatively use a tool like a squash ball Index Knobber or eyebolt

illustration Neck massage

Chapter Release Tense Muscle with Massage

Massage Exercise Compression of the Corrugator Supercilii

Place your elbows on a tabletop or bed to steady your hands Then use the first knuckles

of your thumbs to press firmly into the small muscles under each eyebrow There are

several layers of different muscles here but you will know when you find the corrugator

supercilii because it will be the most painful The feeling of pressing on it directly will

probably take your breath away even with just a few pounds of pressure Consistent

massage will release all that pain

Ae

Illustration Corrugator supercilii massage

The results of even these simple exercises can be profound Lets look at the corrugator

supercilii muscle in Exercise for example It is the muscle that creates the frown which it

does by lowering the eyebrows and pulling them together Scientists regard it as the principal

muscle in the expression of suffering This means that humans primates and other mammals

unconsciously contract their corrugator supercilii muscles when experiencing great pain What

do you think it means for this muscle itself to be stuck in painful partial contraction think it

means that it has come to perpetuate the condition of suffering Realizing this strongly

motivated me to compress mine until they were absolutely painless In total the process took

me about an hour divided into several short sessions spread over a month It was time well

spent as it released my perennial frown and changed my outlook on the world

Below are several other easytouse massage techniques that should help kickstart your

search for soreness and a personal routine Other chapters in this book will specifically address

massage of the face neck and lower back

PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body

Illustration Easytouse massage techniques

Chapter Release Tense Muscle with Massage

The health benefits of selfmassage are both real and noticeable compression increases

circulation improves joint health relieves muscular injuries shortens recovery time and

reduces muscle fatigue Aesthetically selfmassage can accentuate muscle mass reduce the

deposition of fat improve the appearance of cellulite and contour tone and firm the skin

have released muscles all over and it has helped me feel as though have an entirely new

body am stronger more flexible faster and more graceful Results are cumulative It should

be everyones objective to release every painful muscle in the body Finding them and learning

how to compress them skillfully is a challenge of course and one of the best ways to start

learning is to receive professional massage

The Benefits of Professional Massage

Getting expert help can be the perfect introduction or complement to a selftreatment routine

If the option is available strongly recommend that you invest a significant proportion of your

disposable income for the next few years on deep tissue massage Receiving quality deep tissue

massages will relieve pentup tension in large portions of your body curbing sympathetic

hyperactivity and activating paingate control It has even been shown to reduce depression

and trait anxiety and reduce generalized anxiety disorder symptoms What is more it

temporarily reduces blood pressure and heart rate and stimulates the production of the brain

chemicals involved in pleasure and satisfaction such as endorphins oxytocin and serotonin

Raising the levels of these substances in your brain has recursive beneficial effects on

happiness confidence and outgoingness

had my first massage at age came out of the studio angry convinced that the

masseuse had pressed too firmly on my shoulder By the time got to my car had a bad cramp

in my deltoid that stayed with me for a full week The cramp formed for three reasons

didnt ask the masseuse to reduce the excessive pressure was a fullon thoracic

breather at the time and defensively contracted the muscle into a tight ball as it was being

massaged Massaging a muscle too intensely especially when it is contracted will make the

muscle worse rather than better It is important to remember that unlike in selfmassage

the professional masseuse cannot feel what you experience as they press They need your

active feedback telling them when to press harder and when to press softer

This bad first experience which was my fault dissuaded me from returning Reading about

the scientific benefits of massage five years later persuaded me to give massage another

chance By this time was practicing diaphragmatic breathing which helped me accept rather

than brace against the most intense parts of the massage This second experience made me

a convert

At first the masseuses saw marveled at how tight my muscles were Several voiced

concern for my wellbeing after feeling my neck and shoulders They would say things like

This isnt good are you okay was even told by several masseuses that had the worst

muscle tension they had ever seen But that feedback started to change within the first year

of weekly deep tissue massages By the end of the year each new masseuse worked with

commented that they had never seen anyone able to take such deep pressure It just didnt

hurt anymore and it hasnt since attribute this entirely to the consistent practice of

diaphragmatic breathing

PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body

Deep tissue massage should be uncomfortable at times but should not cause excessive pain

or induce protective spasms When a masseuse presses too hard on a trigger point other

trigger points throughout the body will briefly flare up in response Encourage them to press

hard but never to the point where the pain causes you to tense up in other areas such as your

face neck or back To this end concentrate on holding a relaxed corpse pose allowing your

body to go completely limp

Most importantly you will know that the massage is too hard if it makes you breathe

shallowly or brace your diaphragm As mentioned above you should be practicing

diaphragmatic breathing throughout the massage Employing paced breathing is ideal To do

this locate the breath metronome MP audio tracks available from my website upload them

to your phone and play them during the massage you may want to put the track on repeat to