Massage & Exercises Combined / A permanent physical culture course for men, women and children; health-giving, vitalizing, prophylactic, beautifying; a new system of the characteristic essentials of gymnastic and Indian Yogis concentration exercises combined with scientific massage movements; with 86 illustrations and deep breathing exercises

by Albrecht Jensen

THE COMBINED MASSAGE EXERCISE No. 5

Massaging the right leg with the right hand and the left leg with the left hand simultaneously from behind the ankles upward over the backs and sides of the lower legs, backs and sides of the thighs, continuing a short distance upward over the hips and from there, still with both hands at the same time, across the abdomen and lower chest to the opposite sides, the right hand passing from the right side underneath the ribs over to the left side, and the left hand passing from the left side underneath the nipples or breasts over to the right side. From there, continue stroking with both hands simultaneously inward and upward over the opposite nipples or breasts and the upper chest where the hands pass each other and stroke outward to their respective sides under the armpits; the right hand thus stroking from the left side inward and upward over the left nipple or breast and the left hand from the right side inward and upward over the right nipple or breast. Release the hands at the armpits and stroke down each side of the lower back and buttocks with the backs of the hands. At the same time, bending the upper body forward and backward.

Detailed Description

Position.—Standing erect with heels about eight inches apart and feet nearly parallel.

Exercise No. 5.

Fig. 5 A. Fig. 5 B.

Fig. 5 C. Fig. 5 D.

Fig. 5 E. Fig. 5 F.

Fig. 5 G. Fig. 5 H.

Fig. 5 I. Fig. 5 J.

Fig. 5 K. Fig. 5 L.

Without bending the legs, bend the upper body forward as far as possible, and clutch the lower right leg with the right hand and the lower left leg with the left hand from behind and just above the ankles in such a way that the palm of each hand is on the back of each leg, the four fingers placed around the inner sides and thumbs around the outer sides, thus making an equal pressure with fingers and palms of hands around each leg (Fig. 5 A).

Now, stroke upward over the calf muscles and thighs, the palms of the hands here stroking the outer sides of the latter, the four fingers underneath and the thumb on top, at the same time raising the trunk to an upright position (Fig. 5 B and C).

While the hands continue upward over the sides of hips, turn them around so that the fingers point inward (Fig. 5 D). Continue thus with the right hand on the right side until it is just above the crest of the ilium, or hip bone. The left hand, at the same time moves a little higher upward on the left side until its thumb is nearly horizontal with the nipple of the left breast. The trunk is now in an upright position, the shoulders thrown well back (Fig. 5 E).

With the fingers of both hands thus pointing toward the middle of the body, continue stroking with both hands simultaneously from each side across the front of the body, to the opposite sides, the left hand above the right, passing each other at the middle line. Bend the trunk slightly forward at the same time (Fig. 5 F). In other words, the right hand strokes from the right side underneath the ribs directly over to the left side, above the crest of the left ilium, or hip bone, and around as far as possible on that side. The left hand strokes at the same time from the left side across the lower chest, underneath the nipples over to and around as far as possible on the right side. The left forearm is thus crossed over the right (Fig. 5 G).

Then continue stroking with both hands simultaneously from each side inward and upward over each breast and upper chest. The right hand thus moving from the left side strokes inward and upward over the left breast and across the upper chest to the right side and ceases underneath the right armpit. The left hand moving from the right side, strokes inward and upward over the right breast and across the upper chest to the left side and ceases under the left armpit. At the same time, the trunk which has been bent slightly forward, while the hands were stroking across the lower chest and abdomen, is raised and bent slightly backward. In thus stroking inward and upward over the chest, the hands and fingers are held in the same way as when they were on the sides of the body. When moving over the breasts the left forearm is of course crossed over the right (Fig. 5 H), but when reaching the middle of the chest the hands cross, the left hand being directly above the right (Fig. 5 I), and from there they continue stroking transversely over the chest to their respective sides under the armpit (Fig. 5 J).

The hands are now released and brought as far up on the back as possible. The backs of the clenched hands are placed on each side of the back, in such a way, that the knuckles at the base of the finger of each hand are close to and opposite each other on each side of the spinal column (Fig. 5 K). Stroke thus from there with the backs of both hands simultaneously downward on each side of the lower back and buttocks, the knuckles following the spine on each side of same (Fig. 5 L).

This exercise done five times will take about half a minute.

Note I. If unable to place the hands behind the ankles without bending the knees, the latter may be bent slightly or the leg stroked at a distance from the ankle possible to reach without bending the knees.

Note II. When the hands are stroking and pressing over the legs, let the raising movement of the trunk pull the out-stretched arms up as far as the motion permits.

Combined with Deep Breathing

If done very slowly, deep breathing may be practiced with this exercise in the following way: Inhale the air through the nose, while stroking upward over the legs and hips and raising the upper body.

Exhale this air through the mouth while stroking and pressing across the body from sides, and while the upper body is being bent slightly forward.

Inhale again through the nose, while stroking inward and upward over the chest, and while the upper body is being again bent upward and slightly backward.

Retain this air in the lungs while the hands are moving down the spine, back and buttocks.

Exhale this air through the mouth, while the body is being bent downward, in order to repeat the exercise.

If special or general deep breathing exercises are practiced between each massage exercise, natural breathing during this exercise will be sufficient. In the event that the reader has little available time and may wish to practice some deep breathing and exercises for a few minutes, this combination will be found admirable.

Analysis and Effects of the Combined Massage Exercise No. 5

This exercise is so combined that there is obtained the movements of the arms and the bending of the trunk forward and backward together with massage of the back and sides of the legs, the hips, the sides of the upper body, the chest and breasts, the abdomen and lower back, and the buttocks.

The movements of the trunk, arms and hands, in applying the massage movements, exercise the muscles and nerves of the arms, the shoulders and the entire upper body, including the abdomen. The organs of the latter are influenced in the same way. The muscles of the legs are here not exercised to the same extent as in exercise No. 3, but if the legs are kept straight in bending the trunk forward the great sciatic and other nerves of the leg are stretched in a natural way. The spinal cord is also stretched.

The massage influences the legs, but not to such an extent as in exercise No. 3, first, because each is here only massaged with one hand and secondly, because the muscles are kept more rigid by the bending of the body, for the reason that the weight of the body is upon them. It influences the muscles, nerves and vessels of the abdomen, the hips, the sides, the chest and breasts, the lower and upper back and especially the spine and the buttocks. It also influences the heart, the liver both from in front and behind, and the kidneys. It influences the digestive organs directly from in front and indirectly through the nerves in the back.

To call attention to the difference between scientific massage movements and rubbing, it may be pointed out that there are five principal massage movements combined with the movements of the body in this exercise, namely:

1. The stroking and pressing upward over the back of the legs.

2. The manner in which the right hand strokes and presses directly across the abdomen from the right.

3. The stroking and pressing with the left hand from the left side over the region of the heart to the opposite side.

4. The stroking and pressing with the hands from each opposite side of the lower chest, over the region of the heart and liver inward and upward across the chest.

5. The manner in which the backs of the clutched hands are stroking and pressing downward on each side of the lower back and the spine.

If the hands would stroke over the front of the lower legs and continue straight up over the abdomen and then downward on the backs of the legs instead of upwards; neither the nerves, muscles and vessels of the legs nor the internal organs would be influenced in the proper way. Such rubbing would be of little value.