The Secrets to a Relaxing Breast Massage
The Benefits of Chest Massage
We rub our muscles when they’re sore, and we massage our favorite oils into dry, parched skin. Why not give our breasts the same attention with a nice rubdown?
There’s a strong case for including your chest into a gentle evening self-massage, most importantly because a concentration of your lymphatic system is found in your underarms and chest area. This massage is beneficial to any gender or breast size, and will help you stay in touch with your body and overall breast health.
If you wear a bra all day, it can prevent your body from easily draining lymphatic fluid, which can make your chest feel swollen. And speaking of swelling, a gentle massage while menstruating—even though touching your tender chest might seem off-putting—can actually help bring down inflammation and reduce soreness.
The same techniques that we apply to massaging sore arms or legs can and should be applied to breasts. In Ayurveda, a full body massage includes a gentle breast massage to flush out toxins and encourage fresh blood flow to the area.
Also, it just feels really nice.
Now that you’re abreast on the benefits, let’s talk technique ;-)
How to Massage your Chest
There really is no wrong way to massage your breasts, or someone else’s, so long as you start out gentle and apply oil so you aren’t pulling on delicate skin. You can use your favorite body oil—we adore Lover's Oil and Momotaro's Salve, and simple coconut oil works in a pinch.
If possible, take a warm bath with a relaxing bath soak, like the Momotaro Tonic bath oil, or a few drops of your favorite bath-safe essential oils.
After you get out, towel off gently, leaving your skin a little damp. Warm your hands by rubbing them together quickly, or massaging the rest of your body in preparation.
Apply a small amount of oil to your hands and disperse it with gentle circular motions.
Begin with your right hand flat across the upper part of your left breast, and gently drag your thumb across the top of your chest down into your armpit. This will start moving your lymphatic fluids in the right direction. Switch sides.
Now, cupping the breast with the hand from the same side, use your ring and middle fingers of the opposite hand to massage out from the nipple all the way around. Picture your nipple like the sun—you want to draw the rays coming out of it. Switch sides.
With both hands at the same time, massage each breast with a circular up and out motion. Bring your hands up the middle of your rib cage, across the top of your breasts, using your thumbs to make a sweeping motion towards your armpits, around the outside of the chest and the cupping as you come underneath. Continue this motion as many times as feels good.
If you wear a bra, try to leave it off for as long as you can after your massage, to let everything flush the way it needs to.
Repeat as many times a week as you’d like, for about five minutes per breast. Regular breast massage is relaxing, skin conditioning, and an important step in a preventative health care routine! 
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