Swedish Massage in NYC

Swedish Massage in NYC

Can you believe some among us have NEVER had a professional massage? What a travesty. In this blog entry I’m going to go over a few important techniques to look for in a professional massage and perhaps you can even try them at home. Let’s face it, a good Swedish massage is made even better by loving hands!

This post was inspired by my recent trip to ZZ Day Spa in NYC. I received a warm reception and a glass of champagne followed by a full-body 50 min Swedish massage. What are 3 techniques used in Swedish massage?

Here are the three technical massage tips I learned along the way.

1. Kneading

Kneading is one of the first techniques ever taught to students of massage therapy and is therefore slightly easier to get the hang of as opposed to the others. Perhaps the most easily performed by amateurs, kneading involves either using your thumbs or your palms to apply pressure onto various parts of the body. The idea here is to pull the muscle away from the bone, a practice that helps reduce muscle spasms. The technical name given to kneading is Petrisage, which is used mostly in textbooks on massage therapy.

2. Rubbing

Rubbing could be considered a subcategory of kneading. Rubbing essentially requires the use of thumbs typically moving in a circular pattern, applying pressure as you go along. This method is used to stimulate blood circulation within the body, as well as to treat muscle and joint pain. At a greater pressure, rubbing can be incorporated as a technique into a deep tissue massage to relieve stiffness and/or discomfort in the deeper layers of the muscle tissues.

3. Stroking

In this technique, the hands are to remain flat as they glide over the body, and can involve using oils or creams for added comfort.

Also known technically as effleurage, this is often used at the beginning and end of a massage to achieve the most comfort and relaxation for the client. The goal here is to ease the muscles for other, relatively more intense techniques, while also encouraging blood circulation to various parts of the body. When used with slightly more pressure, the technique can be used to remove muscle knots and tension from the body and is very common in Swedish massage.

4. Bonus tip! You can use some essential oil to increase the effects of the massage. Simply combine a few drops of eucalyptus with the massage oil and wave your saturated hand near their face before you begin.

Have you ever had a Swedish massage? I would love to know your favorite spot and techniques.

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