Relax your hand and in a chopping motion pat the clients back.  Keep in mind the motion should come from the arm and you should offer no resistance from the fingers or wrist. This must be used gently to avoid causing pain.  Do not cross the client's spine when using this technique! This technique is especially effective for masseurs who have weak or fatigued hands.  If the client has skin that is not hyper extended, it often feels very good. Pinch with both hands starting by placing your thumb and forefingers about four inches apart.  Then "pinch" down to about half the distance.  Then grab the next couple of inches a finger at a time allowing the previous grab to slide under your thumb.  Your forefingers end up crawling and your thumb keeps the "roll" in check and sliding forward.  The easiest area to do this is side by side the spine, but not on it.  You end (or don't begin) when it is difficult to grab a roll.

Summary: Vary touch from light to firm, you can drag fingers lightly as if tickling, then alternate with firm or intermediate levels of touch. Gentle chops are another way to vary the touch. Don't limit touch to hands alone, another useful way to alternate touch is to use your elbow. A knuckle massage is also effective, but like the elbow technique caution must be taken (in intensity and location). Skin rolling is another way to vary your technique.


Though Sukkot has its origins as an ancient agricultural harvest festival, the modern religious version of the festival is derived from the Hebrew scriptures. According to the Torah, God spoke to Moses while he was leading the Israelites through the desert and instructed him on the proper traditions of the Sukkot holiday. Reading this original account of the source of Sukkot traditions can help imbue the holiday with divine meaning, especially for someone who's a new practitioner. Most of the scriptural description of Sukkot comes in the book of Leviticus. Specifically, Leviticus 23:33-43 offer an account of the meeting between God and Moses during which the Sukkot holiday is discussed. Sukkot is most famously associated with traditions like the construction of a sukkah that take place with one's family. However, entire Jewish communities are also encouraged to come together in celebration of Sukkot at synagogue services. At traditional morning Sukkot services, the congregation joins in Amidah prayer, followed by Hallel as would normally occur for Sukkot. After this, the congregation recites special Hoshana Rabbah psalms asking for God's forgiveness. Scriptural readings during Sukkot traditionally come from the book of Ecclesiastes. If you have questions about Sukkot or any of the traditions associated with it, try talking to your rabbi.  He or she will be more than happy to discuss the religious and cultural sources of Sukkot tradition and instruct you in proper observance of the holiday. Keep in mind that Sukkot traditions can vary from community to community. For instance, among non-observant Jews, it's not uncommon for someone to not even know yow to celebrate Sukkot, while, for traditional or highly Orthodox Jews, the holiday can be a major yearly event. Not everything that's ever been written about Sukkot comes from ancient scripture or religious texts. Much has been written about Sukkot over the years by rabbis, religious scholars, and even laypeople. Many essays and opinion pieces centered on Sukkot have even been produced in the modern era. Most modern Sukkot commentary will be relatively easy-to-read and approachable compared to older writings, so feel free to look up Sukkot Essays at www.chabad.org. The subjects of modern Sukkot writings are highly diverse. Some offer new perspectives on the meanings of old traditions, others relate the meaningful personal experiences of the authors, and still others give firsthand instructions for making the best of the holiday.

Summary: Read the Torah to find the sources of Sukkot traditions. Attend Sukkot services at your synagogue. Talk to your rabbi about celebrating Sukkot. Read contemporary Sukkot commentary.


This can give your art a magical appearance and is a useful touch when making ponies, unicorns, or fairies. Simply take some fine glitter and sprinkle it on your beaded pegboard before applying your heat. After you're done heating, your finished product will sparkle! You could also purchase Perler beads that already have glitter mixed in with the bead. These can be used as normal, and create a great effect. Layer parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place metal, oven-safe cookie cutters on the paper. Then, add Perler beads to your cookie cutters. You could choose to fill your cookie cutters with a single color or you could even mix several colors together. Be sure you don't fill your cookie cutters to the top; this could result in your beads spilling over the rim of the cookie cutter.  To melt your beads, you should preheat your oven to 400°. When it's finished preheating, bake the Perler beads for 10 minutes. After that, remove your beads, allow time for the beads, pan, and cookie cutters to cool. Once cool, you can pop your Perler beads free of your cookie cutters. The beads will be melted in the shape of your cookie cutter. There should be space for you to thread a small string through the gaps in your fused Perler beads. Do so and tie the ends of the string together to complete your ornament. You should check your beads while baking. Some ovens may run a little hotter or colder than others, meaning you might have to add or subtract from your bead bake time. This design will be easiest on a medium sized, square shaped beading mat. On your mat, lay out two separate rows of Perler beads three across. Then lay out three separate H shapes on your mat, with the sides each being three beads long. The connector piece in the middle of the H will be a single bead. Each of these should be separated by at least one empty row of pegs.  Place parchment paper atop your beads and lightly apply heat. For this design to work best, you'll need your beads to be as lightly fused together as possible. Flip the mat and apply light head in the same fashion to the opposite side. Allow the beads to cool, then build your cube by stacking your H shaped pieces atop each other. Snap your three bead long pieces into the empty spots in the middle of the stacked H. The size of the beads should create a close fit between the pieces. This will hold the design together by friction. Your cube is done! If your beads aren't fitting together tightly enough to maintain the shape of your cube, you may need to use some glue. A dab of hot glue on the pieces oriented toward the inside of the cube should do the trick. Take an oven safe glass bowl and pour Perler beads into it. Arrange your beads so a thin layer is formed that climbs up the sides of the bowl. Preheat your oven to 350°, and when it is ready, insert your bowl into the oven.  After 15 minutes, remove the bowl from the oven. Your beads should now be melted into the shape of the bowl. Allow time to cool, then remove your Perler bowl. Keep an eye on your Perler beads while baking. Baking too long could melt your Perler bowl into a puddle.
Summary: Make your Perler designs sparkle. Create Perler bead ornaments. Create a Perler cube. Create a Perler bowl.