STEP ONE

Begin from a position behind your partner’s head so that you can carry out a series of effleurage strokes. Apply a little oil to your hands and lie them flat on each side of the spine, fingers pointing towards the lower back. Lean your weight into your hands and slide them steadily downwards to stretch the long muscles beside the spine.

As your hands reach the lower back, swing them out and around the hips. Your fingers should slip slightly under the front of the body. Draw your hands gently but firmly up along the sides of the waist and ribcage until they reach the shoulder blades. Turn your wrists so that your hands glide in and around the edges of the shoulder blades.

As your hands draw out across the top of the shoulders, shift the pressure into the heels of your hands. Slip your hands around the shoulder joints and swivel your wrists to glide them back across the top of the shoulders. Take the stroke up the back of the neck and out through the head and the hair.