We use our hands, wrists, and forearms non-stop throughout the day, and yogis especially need to spend extra time on those areas since poses from downward facing dog to handstand involve putting pressure on those spots. Fortunately it’s easy to relieve some tension and soreness yourself with some simple self-massage techniques. 

Try these 3 simple self-massage techniques to relieve hand, wrist and forearm pain: 

Give your finger joints some love 

We use our hands for everything from writing to pressing into our mat during high plank. If your hands are sore, you might think to massage your palms, but consider massaging where your fingers connect to your hands. Spend time rubbing each joint and feel the tension in your tired hands melt away.  

Ease your wrist tension with a tennis ball 

Tennis balls are some of the cheapest and most effective massage tools around. We love using one to ease wrist pain after a class that includes a lot of chaturangas or after doing a lot of inversions. 

The majority of wrist pain is actually affected by sore forearm muscles. To relieve sore wrists, place a tennis ball on the knob on the outside edge of your elbow where all the muscles on the back of your arm converge. Press and roll the tennis ball into this spot until the tension subsides.  

Pinpoint your forearm pain 

You can also relieve a lot of tension by finding the most tense points in your forearms and applying pressure exactly to that point. These may feel like knots or lumps in your forearms. To locate your trigger points, move from one end of your forearm to the other, pressing down using a finger or thumb. When you find a knot or lump, stay there and continue to press on that spot for 1-2 minutes. 

What other self-massage techniques for your hands, wrists, or forearms do you enjoy?