The breasts are one of the most sacred parts of a woman’s body. They provide us with nourishment from the time we emerge from our Mother’s womb. They energetically support our soft, beating hearts.
The thing is, most women are taught to touch their breasts to check for cancerous lumps, and not much else.
When we are intimate with another, our society has given us the road map - make out, grope the breasts a little bit, and then move on to the yoni/vagina.
But what if I told you that there was another way? That by centering our breasts through soft, nurturing touch, deep breathing and connection, we could quite literally change the way we walk through life?
I remember the first time I received a breast massage. I was 6000 ft up in the Himalayan Mountains of India, and the young woman who was about to massage me asked me to take off all of my clothes. I did so and laid myself down on the long wooden massage table, and the first thing she did was start to massage my breasts.
I moved through so many emotions as she tended my breasts with so much care, her hands moving in their own wise ways over my heart and under my breasts. I shed many tears, as I felt my breasts melt into softness, my heart expanding wider than I had ever experienced before.
How had I gone this long without experiencing this bliss? Breast massage has changed my life and continues to be a foundational pillar of self care and reverence in my day to day practices.
Here are some tips for you to connect in a loving and curious way with your breasts:
Set yourself a beautiful and sacred space for you to soften into for your breast massage practice. You can set up a mirror and some blankets or pillows so you can be warm and comfortable. You may wish to light some candles and play some relaxing music. If you don’t want to practice seated, you can lay down a towel on your bed and receive your massage with eyes closed.
Place your hands over your breasts, and take a few deep breaths into your heartspace. You can set an intention for your massage to relax and soften, to cultivate more self love and confidence, or just to connect to your beautiful breasts with more presence and awareness.
Using a sensuous, organic oil, apply liberally and begin to massage both breasts intuitively. You can start slowly, listening to your heart and body, gently massaging the soft tissues and muscles of the heart, the chest and the collarbones. Cover both breasts with oil and begin to massage them gently.
One you have spent some time focusing on your heartspace, begin to massage one breast with both hands, creating fluid, circular movements. Touch all parts of your breast, and using gentle but firm pressure, allow the breath to be deep as you work through any energetic stagnation.
Using light strokes, beginning in the auxiliary area in the armpit, you can begin to massage the lymph nodes, which may feel like little tiny bumps beneath the skin. With the right amount of pressure the lymph will “pop” just like a zit. Be sure that you are moving soft and slow, if you are new to breast massage the lymph can become quite tender. Keep moving in clockwise circles towards your armpit until the breast tissue feels relaxed and energetically open. Repeat this on the other breast, continuing to move your hands up the breast and out towards the side body.
Once both breasts have been massaged individually, you can now spread your fingers wide and begin to trace all the tissue, muscles and tendons in your chest and side body. Your fingertips should be applying firm pressure, but still fluid. Allow them to move intuitively to where you most need this healing. You can try moving your fingertips in small or wide circles, pulling and stretching your flesh gently, and also just softly running them from your heart down to your womb and back again.
Remember to keep the breath flowing like a river, and feel into the expansion of your heart and both of your beautiful breasts.
When you feel complete, rest the palms of your hands on your breasts and say a prayer or a thank-you to this soft, sensual, feminine part of your body and being. Feel how loved up and honoured your beautiful breasts feel. You may feel more lightness and spaciousness in your heart, or even grief that has been stuck there for a while beginning to slowly move out.
Our hearts hold so much throughout this life and so do our breasts. You do not have to wait until you are pregnant or breastfeeding to start showing your breasts more love.
It is important to note that our breasts are sisters, and not twins. They may not feel or look the exact same, and that is perfectly normal. It is possible that one breast may be more tender than the other, or have more stagnation in the lymph and that is perfect. Over time, as you utilize this practice more and more, you will begin to hear the voice of each breast, and begin to understand how to touch them with the care, pressure and attention that they so deeply desire.
Once you start blessing your body with breast massage, you will find that not only is it so nourishing for your heart and breasts, but it is the perfect way to drop into a self pleasure practice. Our breasts are such an integral part of who we are as women; remember to honour them as such and watch your entire life change from weaving in the sacred ritual into your pleasure practice.
You deserve to walk through life open and expanded in both your breast and heart.
Written by Autumn Rose
Instagram @embodyjaguar
Instagram @embodyjaguar