10. Deep & Slow Massage. Pay attention to what I am about to tell you. One of my clients recently asked, what is the point of the Swedish glide? I explained to her that it is the core Swedish Massage stroke used mainly to warm up the tissues before doing deeper work, to improve blood circulation, to transition between strokes, and to create an enjoyable, relaxing feeling. 

The Swedish glide is what differentiates a Western massage from an Eastern pressure point massage. You are probably familiar with this technique because it is used in the most common image associated with massage: a woman naked lying on a table with someone's hand doing what looks like an open palm glide. 

The problem for this client is that the way that I was doing this technique was either too quick or too superficial and, therefore, the conventional Swedish glide was not doing anything for her. Who am I to argue with a client, so we talked about it until I figured out what she was looking for. What she was looking for is the deep tissue version of this technique. 

The first person who tried to teach me this approach to this technique was one of my favorite instructors when I went back to massage school in 2001. The only thing that I remember from the $300 in private lessons is her attempt to teach me how to do Deep Effleurage on the legs.  

The last person who reminded me of the importance of this technique was a female owner of a very successful day spa. She basically told me that my massage would have been better if I did Deep Effleurage on her legs. 

A recent Deep Tissue Refresher course was worth the entire cost of the class for a myofascial version of Deep Effleurage. I now often begin my massages with this version of Deep Effleurage in order to establish the confidence and promise of a nice firm massage.  

Deep Effleurage is performed with a deliberate intention to slow the massage down with deep sustained compression throughout the glide. It's hard work. Deep Effleurage is much harder than doing effleurage in a more traditional Swedish style. The lesson is that many women prefer a deep, slow glide on their backs and legs. Deep and slow. Feel free to call this technique, which in practice, once you get the concept, can be performed in many different ways, Deep & Slow Massage!

The Fruits of my Labor: a massage album by Michael Dubensky. 

Chicago Massage Professionals (CMP), awarded Complaint Free by the Chicago Better Business Bureau three times, is a locally owned massage therapy private practice since 2000. Known for our Chicago approach to massage treatments for your pain issues, we have also developed a good reputation for our unique brand of artsy, yogalicious hand-selected massage techniques, so you can extract the maximum amount of legalized pleasure from your therapeutic massage. Through safe, effective, and smart massage therapy, using professional equipment and communication skills, by Illinois-licensed Massage Therapists, we will do our best to relax you, alleviate your pain, change how you feel, improve your health, and create a great massage experience.