"Total Massage: step-by-step Massage techniques to relax body and soul" by Karen Smith is a straight forward book circumvent basic massage by photo sequences and explanations of various massage strokes and technologies. Smith, a former professional dancer is a professionally qualified masseur, aromatherapist and reflexologist and running her own Pilates studio in London. In this book made Smith a good job of introducing massage through her writing and the commissioned photography of Antonia Deutsch. I don't know if there is something that really makes this stand from all other massage books over the years, but if you want a basic book about massage, this is a good book for this.
Smith begins the book with an introduction on the importance of touch and what book will cover. Then there are the touch and fragrance a little brief information about essential oils and how to mix them, She also gives her the reasons why you should massage with oils, and then have a good little bit in the process of preparing a massage. With these preparations taken into account, she goes into describing techniques such as effeurage or "to skim." petrissage or "to knead, kneading, stripes;" thumb glides, watch circling; Cupping and hacking, feathering and framing; and knuckling. Each of these descriptions are short and clear and are accompanied by photographs.
In the next section of the book is called a trip around the body and contains descriptions of various parts of the body and explanations of its meaning and its links with other parts of the body, as well as the benefits of massage for each area. These include the back, neck and shoulders, buttocks, back of legs. face, head and scalp, chest, arms proliferation. the hands. the abdomen, the front of the legs. and feet.
The next part, the sensual calendar, focuses on the influence of seasons has on people and types of massage which will support needs during each season. It is a fairly short sections that have a few pages per season. In the next section, pleasure of water, has information on relaxing mind and body, home SpA, water therapy, and treatment and focus tool skin.
The last part of the stress management book coverage through touch and touch and holistic vision. Each of these large sections are color coded by the margins of the book, making it easy to quickly find what you are looking for. If you are looking for a simple guide that shows the basics of massage and its role in a global approach to health and well-being is likely to find this book useful. It is not a text book on massage, which may be about to attend a massage school, but it was not intended to be. The book is intended for readers who want to learn a little more about the massage and health. If that is what you're looking for, check out this book.
Alain Burrese, J.D. is an author, speaker and moderator who will teach how to live, shop and get things done via the Warrior's Edge. He is an expert on conflict and mediates and teach conflict resolution and negotiation. In addition, he taught physical conflict skills in his Hapkido and self-defence courses, lectures and seminars. Alain is the author of Hard-Won wisdom from The School Of Hard knocks, DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido cane, locks on shared locking series, and many articles and reviews. You can read more articles and reviews, and view clips of his DVDs and much more at http://www.burrese.com/and http://www.yourwarriorsedge.com/