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Want to make your deep tissue massage techniques feel more comfortable? Try the "mother hand" technique. For this, you simply apply broad pressure with one hand while the other one does work. This can be useful during specific stripping or petrissage, or just to add an extra dose of comfort during any deep pressure contact.

I use the mother hand in three ways:
1) Allow the mother hand to trail ahead or behind the "working" hand. This makes any technique feel broader, and it gives you more sensory input when applying pressure using less sensitive tools such as knuckles or elbows.
2) Apply pressure in a different direction, usually the opposite of the working hand. This creates some myofascial traction, which is a great way of changing the feel of a technique, and of engaging the fascia without having to do any extra work.
3) Allow the mother hand to be static. This is closer to the traditional mother hand from shiatsu. By allowing the non-working hand to remain still, you're still making your other contact more comfortable, but you're not distracting from it. This can be good when you want to draw your client's attention to a certain area for trigger point work, or so that they can give immediate feedback about pressure.

Having both hands in action has a few benefits other than making your deep tissue techniques feel broader and safer. First, it allows you to distribute your weight across more of the client's body, which can take pressure off your back. Second, it lets you easily transition from one technique or body area to the next without a noticeable break in the massage. Finally, it helps you move around. By having the mother hand applying pressure, it's easier to move your stance, and to stand back up from a technique.

Give this a try and let me know what you think. Thanks to my 120 Patreon supporters for making this possible!

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