the calico massage hub

We have a vast number of touch receptors across our skin and from which our brain can distinguish multiple, tiny variations – for example, between warm, warmer, hot and even hotter... 

But our touch receptors are also excellent at distinguishing between an emotional touch and a similar, but non-emotional one. This is why a sitting in an electronic massage chair isn’t quite the same as getting a massage from your therapist. Touch has far-reaching physical effects too.

A number of robust scientific studies have continually shown how important touch is on a physiological level. The term ‘skin hunger’ is sadly not new. It’s widely recognised that cognitive and physical function is delayed in children who have not experienced nurturing touch in their early years.

And beyond this, research has continually shown that positive touch:

• lowers blood pressure and
• heart rate
• it stimulates the hippocampus (which is the area of the brain central to memory function)
• And drives the release of hormones that are linked to positive and uplifting emotions.
• Oxytocin in released when a new mum has skin to skin contact with her baby, forging bonding between them.
• After an hour’s massage, cortisol levels decline and serotonin – one of the body’s pain relieving and ‘happy’ hormones increases
• Positive touch also aids sleep and digestion.
• And, this is key, it boosts your immune system

The more we learn about touch, the more we realise how central it is in all aspects of our lives – cognitive, emotional, developmental, behavioural - from the womb to old age. 

As we move into a time of being able to connnect with each other more, nurturing touch through massage has never been so important to restore our sense of wellbeing. If you would like to book in to see us then please be reassured that we take your safety very seriously and lots more information can be found in the COVID-19 pages. You can also check out our instructions on self-massage found in the sections below if you aren't feeling ready to see a thearpist yet. 

We'd love to hear how you get on!...

1. Cover your hand with hand cream if you have some and then stroke up the back of your hand, towards the wrist and glide gently back.
2. Gently squeeze your hand all over, pressing it inwards with your palm and fingers.
3. Compress each finger all over by squeezing between your thumb and forefinger
4. Using a circular action with your thumb, make circular pressures over the joints of each finger.
5. Traction your fingers lightly by holding the finger at its base with your thumb and forefinger and pulling gently upwards to stretch it out as you slide your grip up the finger and off the end..
6. Stroke between the bones on the back of your hand with your thumb. Start between the knuckles and stroke down each dip all the way to the wrist. Repeat 3 times.
7. Supporting your hand with your other hand, use circular thumb frictions around your wrist
8. Turn your hand over and support the back with your fingers, then use firm circular thumb pressures all over the palm of your hand.
9. Starting at the fingers, glide down the palm, stroking towards your wrist and then use the heel of your hand to push into the heel of the massaged hand and circle a few times.
10. Finish the hand massage by stroking the palm of your hand several times.

Repeat on the other hand. Then relax for as long as you can afterwards.

These instructions can also be used to give you direction when massaging someone else. They will be very grateful and I'm sure will then return the favour!

Directions on giving yourself an arm massage can be found below…!

1. Cover your arm with some oil or hand cream.
2. Stroke your full arm firmly from the wrist to the shoulder, gliding up your arm. Glide back down and repeat about 6 times.
3. Grasp your arm and using your thumb, knead all the way up your arm, squeezing and releasing the flesh.
4. Again using your thumb, do circular pressures on your forearm. Then, using both your thumb and fingers, firmly circle around the hollows in your elbow.
5. Using a flat palm, pat your upper arm to stimulate the circulation.
6. Finish off by stroking your whole arm again firmly about 6 times.
7. Repeat on the other arm and then relax for as long as you can afterwards.

Most of us suffer from occasional stiff necks, aching shoulders and headaches, especially if we spend long periods of time working at our desks, so the shoulders and neck are a good place to begin the self-massage.

Make sure you are sitting comfortably – you can do this through your clothes but you will need to use some oil or cream if you do massage your bare skin. You can sit on a chair or on the floor or lie down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. 

1. Start off by moulding your hand to the shape of your body and stroking down your right shoulder using your left hand. Start at the base of your skull and move down your neck, over your shoulder and down your arm to the elbow. Glide back to your neck and repeat at least 3 times, then do the same on the other side
2. Then, working up the neck and around the base of your skull, make small, circular pressures with your fingertips on either side of your spine. Then knead each shoulder by squeezing and releasing the flesh on your shoulders and at the top of your arms.
3. Next, loosely clench your left hand into a fist and rhythmically pound your right shoulder (not too hard – this isn’t about self-flagellation!). This should be a springy movement rather than a punching movement and will improve your circulation and invigorate you. Repeat on the other side.
4. Finish off by using two hands to stroke smoothly and gently down the sides of your face, gliding down under your chin. Slide your hands over each other at the front of your neck so that each hand is on the opposite shoulder. Stroke down gently over your shoulders, down your arms and off at your fingertips. Repeat this at least 6 times, or as often as you like. This is a really relaxing technique which is great for relieving headaches.

To perform this massage, sit yourself comfortably on a stable and solid chair and then rest one foot on the opposite thigh or, alternatively, lie down and bend one leg and rest your other leg on the thigh of your bent leg. It is a nice idea to use a drop of cream or massage oil to help smooth the massage movements. You could try a drop of peppermint oil in some massage base oil or any general body moisturising cream will work just as well.   

1. To start off, place one hand on the top of your foot and the other underneath and then in a smooth movement, stroke from your toes to your ankle.  Repeat about 6 times.
2. Then massage each toe by supporting your foot with one hand and squeezing and kneading around the joints of the toes with your thumb and index finger and gently stretching and pulling each toe to finish off.
3. Using your thumb, gently massage between the bones on the top of your foot.
4. Moving onto the sole of your foot, support your foot with one hand, make a soft fist with the other and using your knuckles, make circular movements all over the sole of your foot.
5. Then using your thumb, do circular pressures along the arch, ball and heel of your foot.
6. Moving to the ankle, stroke around the ankle bone with your fingertips
7. Then pinch the narrow part of the back of your ankle, moving up and down about 6 times
8. Finish stroking the foot as in step 1.

Repeat on the other foot. Then lie back and relax for at least 10 mins.

It is best to do one leg first and then work on the other. Sit down on a bed or the floor and take some time to make yourself comfortable. You might like to sit on a cushion and support your back.

1. Start by stroking the full length of your leg from ankle to thigh with one hand on each side of the leg. Working from your foot, stroke smoothly and quite firmly up the calf, over the knee and up to the top of the thigh. Repeat about six times.
2. Then knead your thigh, paying particular attention to the front and outside. Think of kneading bread here and so with alternate hands, squeeze and release the flesh on your thigh.
3. The stroke up the thigh from the knee, with one hand following the other in a smooth and flowing action.
4. Pummel the front and outside of your thigh in a light way (again this isn’t about beating yourself up!). This enlivens and invigorates your legs and helps get the blood flowing.
5. Massage all round your knee by applying circular pressures with your thumb round your kneecap. Finish by stroking in gentle circles behind your knee.
6. Using both of your hands, knead your calf muscle, alternately squeezing the muscle away from the bone and then releasing it. Then soothe the area by stroking gently, one hand following the other up the back of the leg towards the direction of your heart.

Shoulder and neck massage instructions can be found above!

1. Bathe in blue
2. Eat the blues
3. Wrap up in blue
4. Laugh at the blues
5. Dance the blues
6. Visit the blue 
7. Sing the blues
8. Admire the blue

These are just light-hearted and gentle blues-beating suggestions. If you are suffering or just not feeling mentally at your best, please do reach out..

NHS Mental Health Advice 

There are some great tutorials and guides out there to help take you through the steps to make your own lavender eye pillow - just click on the links below. If you have basic sewing skills and a bit of enthusiasm then this is a fairly easy craft for you to master. At best you'll then be able to go into production, gift them to all your friends and family, become wildly appreciated and so decide to start to selling them, become wildly successful at selling them, be able to give up your job and run your own business and eventually become the inspirational leader of a global lavender eye pillow production company and retire to a lavender farm in Tuscany... At worst, you'll have a semi-sewn-together, hotch potch but nice-smelling eye pillow. All we ask is you don't forget who got you on the road to whichever path you find yourself down... we're very happy to travel to Tuscany!

• Make it Do  Lavender Eye Pillow Tutorial
• You Make It Simple DIY Eye Pillow Video Tutorial 
• By Hand DIY Lavender Eye Pillow Guide

Send us the photos of your creations!

Here is a quick-to-read and interesting article on how massage therapy helps to relieve stress:

How Does Massage Therapy Reduce Stress?

A more in-depth look at the specifics behind massage and stress relief:

5 Ways Massage Can Reduce Stress

And an abstract from the Journal of Applied Behavioural Science on reasearch findings of massage and stress reduction in the workplace:

Journal of Applied Behavioral Science Research Article

It's been a while since it was first launched into the world, but I so loved the 'Fifty People, One Question' project. It was a simple premise... with surprising results. They went to a place, asked fifty people the same question and filmed their responses. This from the project team "The project started in New Orleans, LA and received such a warm response that we decided to do it again in New York City. Now we're traveling to more cities and asking new questions. Always just trying to capture a little slice of humanity. Whatever happens happens."

The videos are over a decade old now and so it is interesting to see how some of the responses have stood the test of time...

Fifty People, One Question London

Fifty People, One Question New York

Calico's treatment room in Headingley, Leeds is in a lovely, dedicated wellbeing centre which has parking right by the door (so important when you are pregnant!) and our mobile service makes things really easy and hassle-free for you as your treatment is provided at your home or workplace, so you don’t need to worry about driving, parking or finding a babysitter.

I also offer post-natal massage to help you in the weeks and months following your baby’s birth. At this time there can be considerable stresses and strains on your body from cuddling, feeding and carrying your new baby. Massage can help reduce these and just as importantly for you – and indirectly for your baby and family – can give you some gentle time out to recharge, relax and let someone else look after you for a while.

And if you are planning a baby shower or would just like to get together with some other mums while you look after each other’s babies, why not book Calico to come along to your event? I’ll come along to your venue with all that is needed to give the mum-to-be a wonderfully relaxing massage and also treat your other guests to a selection of gorgeous treatments. There is a simple set of packages and pricing structures to make your party planning as easy as possible.

All the information on this and the treatments offered can be found on our pregnancy massage dedicated website where you’ll also find frequently asked questions and details about pregnancy massage safety. Or just contact me for a chat or email with any queries. - I'd love to hear from you!

Please do just get in touch with us to arrange to buy a gift voucher. They can be purchased for any value of your choice and we can turn them around quickly if you need a last minute present! You can also find more information on gift vouchers, payment and differnt types of voucher by following this link. 

And for those of you would feel a pang of envy as you send the gift voucher onto the luck recipient then why don't you contact us and let us book you an appiontment for whenever the restrictions allow - go on, you deserve it!

Dear Boss

We know that you love us and we’ve discovered a great way for you to show us just how much… Calico Massage Therapy is a company that provides massage in the workplace. They’ll send out a fully qualified and insured massage therapist to the office of any company to provide a range of different massage treatments lasting between 15 and 30 minutes. They’ll even give you a massage (if you are nice to them).

Many companies swear by the benefits of massage in the workplace as they say it can help reduce stress levels, increase morale and productivity. Not only that, but it shows you as just the sort of progressive and caring employer we know you really are.

We believe that this service could make a big difference to our company and so we would like you to consider our suggestion and check out Calico Massage Therapy. You can call them on 07528 242 659or email them at [email protected]. Thank you!

Your loyal employee