From: arnett@unixg.ubc.ca (Bill Arnett)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: frontrubs
Date: 6 Nov 1992 11:21:32 GMT
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
NNTP-Posting-Host: unixg.ubc.ca

In article <1992Nov6.003043.2765@ultb.isc.rit.edu> cms2839@ultb.isc.rit.edu (a.stranger) writes:
>we've all heard of smileys.......

...and they mean many different things.  They *often* accompany sexual
inuendo (sp?) so in such a context they are not very effective at implying
a joke....especially when it's not a very funny joke.

>				i guess i should clarify that total body
>massages are fairly commonplace among a group of my friends and i . if
>you're at all used to being naked with other people ( we're naturists )
>, it really isn't particularly sexually stimulating . nudists quickly
>unlearn the decidedly western notion that mere nudity should be
>titilation .

Looking and touching are two different things, even to some
(many? most?) nudists.....well, at least for me.  :)  I perfectly at ease
(most of the time) being seen nude and seeing other people nude (as any
reader of rec.nude should know) but I grew up amongst people who
basically consider touch to be taboo except amongst lovers.  When receiving
a massage I still have to make a (slight) conscious effort to counteract
my subconscious programming.  I think being a nudist makes it easier, tho.

>				really , in a full body massage , you
>can't *not* massage any part of a person's body , or you're just calling
>attention to it ! you simply treat all skin equally .

So, you are saying that the genetals should be included in every
full body massage???
------
Okay, I'd like to know what everybody thinks of massaging the breasts
during a (non-erotic!) full body massage.

I haven't yet taken any massage courses, but I have read several books
and watched several instructional videos.  All of them instructed
that when massaging a woman's chest, the breasts should be avoided.
The only exception is George Downing's book which states:
   "Professional masseurs usually do not massgae a woman's breasts.
    Most women I know consider this both prudish and condecending. If
    your friend is a woman, here is a good stroke for the breasts and the 
    muscles supporting them.  Cup both hands over the breasts. Very
    gently rotate the breasts as far as you can easily move them in
    three full circles moving to the right, and then in another three
    circles moving to the left."
                           - The Massage Book

All books (including this one) are quite explicit about not applying
any pressure to the tissue of the breasts.

So, what do y'all think about this?  Do you massage the breasts? Do your
(female) subjects like the idea? Do you (if you are a woman) like your
breasts included in a full body massage?  What strokes do you use?
Is Downing's recommendation the only one?  Does every book other than
Downing's avoid the topic?

Two or three people have already said that they do include the breasts
as part of a massage but they didn't give any methods.  I'd like to read
more discussion on this since the books don't like to talk about it.

Incidentally, my "ex" did like the stroke described by Downing, but I
haven't tried it on anyone else yet---I would want to be really sure
that the woman was *totally* comfortable with the idea.

Bill.

PS: let me repeat, I'm interested in including breasts in a NON-sexual
massage.  <I don't want there to be any doubts, because I want some
serious replies.>

Reply by email if you prefer....
-- 
Bill Arnett                            Internet: arnett@unixg.ubc.ca