6. RAKE THE FLESH WITH YOUR FINGERTIPS

Now that you've done the hard, useful part of the massage, it's time to do the easy, fun part. Why bother with the hard part? Because it relaxes the muscles, increases blood flow, and prepares the body for more. So don't skip those basics once you learn this fun stuff.

Of course, "raking" isn't just fun. It also stretches out the kneaded muscles which ball into knots during your victim's miserable life, making them feel like happy, functioning muscles for a brief time. It also feels great:

  1. Starting with your hands resting on the shoulders, arch your hands so that only your fingertips are touching the body.

  2. Do not allow your fingernails to rake the body, unless your victim specifically requests it and you promise not to tell us about it. Just allow the fleshy parts of your fingertips to press deep into the muscles.

  3. Then - you guessed it - drag your fingertips slowly and smoothly down the body, raking the muscles in the shoulders, shoulder blades and back all the way down to the lower back.

  4. Remember not to put any pressure on the spine. Rake on either side of the spine, but not on it.

  5. This feels great on the back, but it also works just about anywhere else. The sides of the neck, the arms, the legs, the chest, and even the stomach (if your victim is not too ticklish) are great places to try this technique.

  6. Repeat until you think you're about ready to quit massaging, because this is the second last move you will do, and the last real pressure you'll apply.