Self Massage + Foam Rolling

By Cate Stillman

I live in Mexico half the year and spend a chunk of time each week on a paddle board. We have a fleet to meet the different conditions and opportunities. I’m studying paddle technique because I’m clearly not doing it in a sustainable way. My left piriformis is in a knot, my right trapezius is pissed off from overuse, and my left deltoid knows there is a better way.

While I’m working on technique to stop inflicting and inflaming myself, I counterbalance with my foam roller. To see how to use one, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Foam Rolling + Your Self-Massage Routine

Anyone who practices the basic attunement habits of Ayurveda spends a little potent time daily rubbing themselves. This practice, called Abyhanga, benefits you by lubing your joints and skin, simulating your organs, detoxing your lymph, calming your nerves, enhancing your vision and your sleep, pacifying your doshas, and connecting the multiple parts and perspectives of yourself into one unified forcefield.

Given the payoff for the time investment, abhangha is a winner. I feel the same about foam rolling. Foam rolling takes those benefits deeper into your tissue. These are complimentary, and interchangeable. Don’t ditch one practice for the other. With the foam roller, you can give yourself one heck of a massage, going deeper into releasing tension.

Benefits of Foam Rolling

Get deep into your self-massage
Lengthen your short tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments
Release muscle fatigue
Prevent sports injury
Recover more quickly from sports injury
Increase range of motion
Get connected and coordinated

Add a Foam Roller to your Yoga Practice

Simply rolling on your foam roller will make you more coordinated. You’ll start to love this contraption like your personal massage therapist. While you’ll still want to rub oil on your skin. Like most things in this post-information super connection age, you can optimize your time and your body. Optimize your habits to use the best technologies, ancient and modern, to have the best day in your body.