This week I have a deep tissue massage technique video for you:

This is about using a “mother hand”: A broad and comforting hand applied while doing other techniques.

But that’s easy for me to say. For new massage therapists, having two hands doing two different tasks can be quite the juggling act. I remember how taxing it was to keep my feet moving, my posture not-terrible, and my hands conforming to the surface of the body, all while anticipating what my next move would be.

As I mention in the video, this is something that takes time. There’s an interesting phenomenon called automatization, wherein the cerebellum recognizes frequently repeated tasks over the course of many repetitions, and slowly takes over those tasks from the cerebral cortex. This is what allows you to tie your shoes while humming the theme song from Game of Thrones: the automaticity of the behaviors reduces the amount of attention needed.

So, practice makes perfect, and it also reduces the cognitive burden of that activity! I promise to talk more about actual massage next time.

Until then, let me know what you think! Do you do something like this as you work? If you give this a try, let me know how it goes!