My favorite technique:

The major theme of what you have learned so far has been to “preserve your thumbs”. If you look at it from the “weakest link breaks the chain” angle in regards to when your massage ends, that is the most important thing to do.

Ergonomics is about not wearing yourself out by using improper technique or posture. This technique doesnt fall into that category, as massaging using this method will not only give your thumbs a break, but actually get them ready for more work quicker than were you just resting.

STRETCH YOUR THUMBS, RIGHT NOW.

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Try this right here. Secure your thumb with your hand, and move your hands in opposite directions. You might even have done this before. This stretches the thumbs. What I want you to do, is to try to stretch your thumbs while giving the massage in a likewise fashion.

So, not too dissimilar from the last technique, I want you to with one hand secure the shoulder of the recipient. Then, place your massaging hand, thumb pointing downward, on the trapezius. And do as follows:

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This is, hands down, the coolest massage technique ever.

Relaxing your thumb as you push your arm forward isn’t quite as easy as when you are holding it with your own hand, so it might take a few nights of attempts before you can figure this one out.

When massaging, do the following: Instead of only pushing forward with your massaging hand, anchor the entire area of the thumb and the inside of the index finger against the trapezius(to include the bony point at the beginning of your index finger - feel for the bony point, right beside you knuckle). Then, rotate your elbow back and forth, and if done right this will alternately have the thumb stretched as you apply pressure forward, and use the inside of your knuckle as you apply pressure downward as you go back to the beginning of the motion.

Lets try that again.

Step 1: Hold up your dominant hand, thumb pointing down, in front of you(go ahead, do it - this technique is hard to convey).

Step 2: Bend your arm, so that your elbow come straight out to your side, in a 4 o clock position(or an 8 if you are left handed).

Step 3: To simulate the trapezius, place your hand on to the top part of the forearm of your opposite arm(the thickest part of it close to the elbow).

Step 4: Move your elbow back and forth, as if you were to straighten your arm out in front of you, but your hand is “locked” against your forearm. When you push, your thumb should open as much as it can, and as you pull, you can rotate your hand so that it rubs against the top of the muscle on the way back.

Get it? Don’t worry if you don’t.

Between your partner and yourself, you will figure this one out, I promise. If you have been using my “basic tecniques” for some time, this read should come to you easily. Otherwise, return to it later - everything in the world(including mathematics) is easy to do once we have learned to do it.

Previous lesson: One hand on front of body. Next lesson: Leveraging your body.

Introduction to the TV massage series:

Technique # 1: Using your Thumbs and four fingers as a unit.
Technique # 2: Heel of hands and four fingers as a unit.
Technique # 3: Four fingers pushing downward.
Technique # 4: Using your knuckles.
Technique # 5: Using bony parts of your hand.

Introduction to the intermediate techniques.

Technique # 6: One hand on front of body.
Technique # 7: The thumbs-stretch technique.
Technique # 8: Leveraging your body.
Technique # 9: Both hands on one side of body.
Technique # 10: The cocktail party trick.

Introduction to the advanced techniques.

Technique # 11: Leveraging your body.
Technique # 12: Massaging the neck. Mmmm…
Technique # 13: Aligning the body of the recipient.
Technique # 14: The Navarronian death grip.
Technique # 15: Scalp Massage.