Effleurage
Learn How to Massage at Home

Effleurage is the basic flowing open handed stroke. When you learn massage it's the first stroke you learn. It's the foundation of Swedish massage and on this page you'll learn how to massage using this basic stroke. Most massages begin and end with this stroke.

To do a good classic effleurage stroke you need to make sure your hands are relaxed. Tension in the hands is easily felt by the person you're working on. It's important to make sure you're relaxed when you start the massage.

When you start the stroke you need to approach the area that you'll massage gently. Don't just smack your whole hand down at once. Start with your fingertips, then your fingers, then the palm and finally the heel of the hand comes in contact with the body. If you're doing a backwards stroke, you can do it the other way around--heel of hand, palm, fingers, fingertips. When I was in massage school the teachers used to always say, "Pretty hands, pretty hands." That's how you should think of it. No heavy clumpy hands that smack the person on the back.

I think it feels best with fingers that are open wide. If you're holding your fingers close together your hands are tense. So relax your hands and let your fingers spread apart. Distribute the pressure evenly through your hand from thumb to little finger. The pressure should not be coming from the palm of your hand only. If it is, you'll have problems with your hands in the future.

People naturally tend to do this stroke a little too fast. You should go just a little slower than you think you should and that will be great. Remember as you're doing this stroke, you should be checking for dysfunction in the muscles. This is a diagnostic stroke after all. Take note of areas that feel hotter or colder than others. Notice hard or bumpy places in the muscles. The information you gather from doing this simple effleurage stroke will help you determine how to proceed with the rest of the massage.

That video demonstration is just a taste of what you need to know to give a massage. You can sign up to learn more Massage Techniques at www.learn-massage-online.com