Press Here! Massage for Beginners

Review to be posted at all sources mentioned on my profile in a few days.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

How could I resist this book? I love massaging my fiance when he has had a tense day at work (or a tense week), and I could always use some new tips and ideas to make the massage even better. This one sounded right up my alley and not only that I also like the illustrations.

The book is split up in various sections. We start with Planning Your Session, following by Self-care (very important), then it is time for the massages, we head over to Treatment plans, and then there is also a very fun section on how to do massaging for yourself. I was definitely eager about that one.

The first part dives right in the different strokes, and boy I didn't even know these strokes I used had proper names. Dang, nice! Not that I will probably remember them, but maybe something will stick. Sorry, I can remember how to do the moves, but the names will evade me.
The first section was very interesting to me, I knew about trigger points already but it was still interesting to see them pop up again. I also learned some new tips, like using a rice bag and heat that to warm up the body/muscles. All very interesting!

The self-care section is very short, but I did like that it was added. Not sure if I will be doing stretches before massaging my fiance, but who knows. Maybe I will. At least I can do those hand/wrist/arm stretches.

Next up is massaging and there are all sorts of them mentioned. From shoulders to arms to legs, at times I got a bit bored with the descriptions and instead started focusing on the illustrations more.

The treatment plans were different than I had expected. What I had expected was treatment plans for massages in the long run, but instead this is about when you have an headache or constipation, that kind of thing and how to treat that.

The selfmassage section was very interesting, I knew a few of the tricks there but I also learned tons of new ones! Yay!

At the end is a glossary with all the terms and what they mean. Thanks for adding that one!

At most massages are also warning when NOT to use this massage. For instance several are warned against if you are pregnant.

All in all, a book I would highly recommend if you are looking to do massages or want to know more about how to do them, what pressure points do, where to look and how to feel certain things.

There are so many great tips and techniques shown in this book for a safe and proper massage. I especially appreciate the input of massage for women and self massage.

Very informative book for those who have no idea how to give a massage. The instructions are clear. The pictures show the different parts of the body, and how to work them, and what might trigger pain.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4928" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-26-at-9.30.09-PM.png" alt="" width="1584" height="1037" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4929" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-26-at-9.27.24-PM.png" alt="" width="1602" height="1045" />

There is even a section on how to give self massage. The other sections are on how to plan the session, and what strokes to use. How to stretch before working on someone, what places and where to work each section of the body, from shoulders to back, to neck to arms, feet, Head and Scalp. There is a section on how to treat headaches, and sinus congestion.

Elbows and hands can be used, and those techniques are also shown. The only technique that I use that isn't in there, is when I massage with my feet, but I doubt that that is as common.

Highly recommend this book for the beginning massuse. If you already know how to massage, the way I do, you might pick up some technique advice.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Very informative, and I learned a lot in a relatively short time. Very beautiful layout and figures, but some old fashion fonts are not all clear and a little distracting. The chapter called "treatment plans" is especially good, showing massage is not only for muscular problems.

I requested <i>Press Here! Massage for Beginners</i> by Rachel Beider merely out of curiosity. As I'm sure many others in relationships have done at some point in their lives, I've definitely taken some time out to massage my boyfriend's shoulders and back before after a hard day and I thought it might be cool to see if I could learn a few techniques that could help me do a better job but also prevent my wrists from getting tired so quickly. The idea of massage has always been at least vaguely interesting, just on the account of being able to include it in my relationship (whether I'm getting or giving one).

Something I think this book did well was that it described the techniques adequately and accompanied it all with useful illustrations to really get the process conveyed to the readers. The bit about stretching prior to massage was something I had never once considered prior to reading the book and I definitely think it can be useful to be aware of. There were some aspects that I really had no interest in, particularly that of the oils and lotions, though I suppose that its a key facet of massage for some.

All in all, I think the book is useful to an extent, though not everything was useful to me in particular. I'm not incredibly interested in massage and I definitely feel that this is a book more for people who are interested in it as opposed to someone just mildly curious about a few pieces.

<i>I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

This is just the kind of guide to massage that I would like on my book shelves.
This very informative and practical guide covers everything you need to know about how to perform therapeutic massage on others, and yourself. The anatomical illustrations are really helpful and combined with the "how to" diagrams make for an excellent book.

Press Here! is an easy beginner's guide to massage. It is well illustrated so you understand what to do. I really like that it included a section on self care. We often forget that therapeutic activities ca take their toll on the person providing them. This a great beginner's guide.

This has a really beautiful design and is both welcoming and loaded with information and knowledge. The book covers a brief history of massage, and considers types of strokes, aromatherapy applications, trigger points, applications of heat and precautions. On top of that, the book offers some advice for therapists to ensure their own bodies are in good order and that small issues don't become larger- there's a section on ergonomics that was particularly interesting. The book investigates setting up for a session and different approaches to neck, back, shoulders, hands, arms, legs and feet as well as head and face. I really enjoyed this and gained a lot from it. I think it's harder to enjoy in a digital format but I can imagine that flicking through a paperback or spiralbound version would be truly lovely.

This book is truly a great guide for someone who wants to learn the basics for taking care of sore muscles. The photos along with instructions gives you tools to learn the right way to massage out the pain in your body, from head to toe. This book does not replace professional training.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#Netgalley

I did have some early doubts about the level this book was at – some seemed too simple for me, some a little too beyond my ken, but on the whole I think I understood it all and would be able to keep that level up with some light revision – and of course, practise. I've dabbled with keeping friends happy with some light massage, but turns out I was doing it wrong – what turns out to be called the effleurage I always took away from the body, but it seems to go up the limbs to the core. However facials do go upwards and away, not down to the centre of the body. Still, as it proudly claims, this is just a primer for home use, and rightfully gives us enough hints about when not to undergo massage. I don't have any experience of other books to compare it to, but I feel quite comfortable in declaring this a success, with a design and level of complexity to do what the author wanted. So a strong four stars.

Press Here! begins with both Rachel Beider’s credentials (she studied in Thailand and Sweden and now has a practice in New York) and a list of things that getting a regular massage can do for your health (including helping with chronic pain, relaxation, and depression). From there the book helps you “plan your session” by teaching you various strokes and what they accomplish. The book also teaches you stretches to do in order to look after your own body before you massage someone. The book goes into depth about how to address major muscle groups in your massages and what kind of work to do in order to address various ailments (such as headaches). Lastly, the book teaches you how to perform a self massage (either by hand or with a tennis ball). Press Here! is a very visually appealing and comprehensive book that taught me a lot about massages. If you have any interest in learning proper technique so you can massage your partner or do a self-massage, then I highly recommend this book. This book will teach you all the terminology to impress your partner and your friends (for example, “effleurage” is a term that means “long, gliding, rhythmic, and gentle” strokes).

Thank you to Net Galley and Fair Winds Press for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Grade: A+

I wasn't able to fully finish this book before it was archived, but the parts that I read were great and very informative! I really enjoyed this book and plan on buying a copy when I get the chance.

This book got archived while I was in the process of reviewing it, and therefore did not finish it in order to give a full length review. I will be unable to post the review on social media but It was interesting as far as I got into it.
Very descriptive.

Exactly what it says on this tin, this beautiful little book gives a lovely, thorough introduction to the basics of massage, in easy to understand language and graphics.
5 stars - very nice little book.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
#pressheremassageforbeginners #netgalley

This book is absolutely beautiful! I have always loved giving and receiving massages and have looked for local courses I could undertake to learn more about it. Working full time makes it difficult so I was delighted to see a Massage for Beginners book. The illustrations make this book both really approachable and really fun to read. It covers so much detail and so many topics, but it's laid out in a way that makes it really easy to read and understand. As well as covering massage on different types of the body, it has plans for specific types of issues such as menstrual pain and constipation. It also covers areas I wasn't expecting, such as self-care for the massager (stretches and ergonomics) and self-message. Before you get into the specifics, you cover the basics from the history and benefits of massage to individual elements such as knots, trigger points and how to communicate during a massage. Overall I thought this book was a delight and highly recommend it to anyone looking to find out more about massage.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Press Here! Massage for Beginners: A Simple Route to Relaxation and Releasing Tension by Rachel Beider is an informative book on how to give a massage to others and to yourself. It provides clear instructions on how to massage different parts of the body. It also includes sections for specific issues that may need special attention. Also shown are the proper techniques and strokes to use. It is full of colorful and detailed illustrations that show the basics of a massage.

I found the book informative and well written but two sections stand out to me. The first is on how to give yourself a massage. Beider shows how to use either your hand or a tennis ball to self massage. The other is a section on how to treat headaches and sinus congestion. As a sufferer of chronic sinus problems this was the most useful.

One thing I had never considered was you need to take care and look after your own body before you massage someone. Stretches are shown on how to prepare your hands so you do not damage them.

The book is easily labeled to find the exact section on which you want to focus.

Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/13/19.

A well informative read-Now to put all I have learned into practice I just need a willing individual to be my guinea pig.

Informative! Got a lot of interesting tips and techniques to use and they work really well. Well laid out, lots of useful photos and illustrations, and the text is clear. Exactly what you want from a massage book!

Thank you Quatro - Fair Winds Publications and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was a really helpful book, showing everything the beginner needs to know about massage including the techniques, body parts, oils.
I useful, easy to read book.

Informative and useful read for anyone looking to use massage and relaxation techniques. Perfect for beginners.