In a hurry massage, your massage may feel busy and frantic rather than calm. The movements you do might be technically correct, but your client experiences each stroke starting, stopping and accelerating suddenly. The benefit of slow rhythm is that it gives the recipient’s body a chance to respond to contact and your learner’s body a chance to assess the pressure and wrist, hand contact, and comfort before moving on.
Slow and fast are not relative when working with rhythm. Rhythm in basic relaxation massage is a tempo of the entire contact, rather than being slow for the sake of slow. There are smooth strokes that don’t start with a push or slow down and end abruptly. A stroke across the upper back, shoulder, arm, and hand should not start off with a push and then slow down at the end of the stroke. The stroke should be smooth and continuous enough that a client knows it is not a push and a slow down, so you can relax and know what’s coming next.
Try doing one stroke, not two strokes. Place your hand on the practice area. Check for locked wrists and then slowly glide your whole body one time. Take a short pause and return to your place. Repeat this single movement a few times. Be mindful to work at a lighter to moderate pressure level to avoid fatigue and tension. You may perceive this as repetitive practice but it is a very important skill to master rather than jumping between kneading, circles, fingertips and thumbs.
This is where speed comes up. When a learner is unsure they tend to speed up because repeating the same massage movement does not make it boring. They may also want to show more techniques to make the massage look good. The result is loss of rhythm. You move from one part to another rapidly. The movements start and stop abruptly. The client is checked for comfort rarely. It is easier to do few massage techniques and make them smooth than to work quickly through your massage routine to get to the next move.
Slow rhythm also helps your body. When a massage is done quickly your shoulder may be high and locked and your elbow may be tight and wrists and fingers may be under high strain. Slow movements allow you to relax your shoulders and use your body weight. Your palm should be broad and your contact point should be relaxed. You should move with your shoulder in a comfortable position.
A good way to know if you have a rhythm problem is to see how the stroke ends. When learners work at their own pace they are able to work at the beginning of the massage move but lose the contact at the end. Is the pressure at the ending of the stroke high or low? Does your hand or finger suddenly lift off the body surface or is there a pause or drag at the end of your stroke? Smooth endings make up for the entire massage movement including transitions such as changing from a smooth stroke to a kneading stroke or moving from a client’s shoulder to their arm.
Slow rhythm does not need to be fancy or dramatic. It is simple and repetitive. When your next practice, select your body area that will be safe. Work at a lighter level of pressure. Ask your client if his or her experience changes as your rhythm smooths down. The first sign of developing a skill is the ability to work smoothly between moves and not to rush from one move to another.