friction Archives - The Swirl World

So, you wanna be a Rock Star?

You don’t have to sing like the Beatles or rock out like Steven Tyler – all ya gotta do is learn the 5 basic massage strokes!

Last night I had the privilege of teaching a continuing education class entitled “Couple’s Massage for Fun & Relaxation.” In this class, couples learn the 5 foundation strokes of Swedish massage. I spent two hours filled with laughter (and some hilarious double entendres) as couples tried the strokes on each other.

They don’t lie on tables for this class. Instead, they straddle chairs and work on each other’s backs and necks. I even throw in some scalp and face massage for good measure, and each couple leaves with a “starter bottle” of massage oil.

These are the 5 basic strokes:

Effleurage
Petrissage
Friction
Vibration
Tapotment

I won’t bore you with the gory details of what these terms mean. Instead, you can check out this video for a visual demonstration and some ideas:

Couples come away from the class with a decent introductory knowledge of how to use the 5 strokes to add a little fun, some relaxation, and a lot of spice to their relationship.

Mark my words, if you learn how to do these 5 steps and do them well, I can pretty much guarantee you that you’ll be a rock star.