Four Handed Massage

[bettertogive]

Does anyone have experience with getting/giving a four handed massage?<br><br>I am contemplating getting one but wonder if there is just so much going on that it is too hard to concentrate on the work.  Also how is draping handled when working on the glutes/upper thighs?<br><br>The concept sounds great, but just wonder if its TOO MUCH of a good thing.<br><br>(This is my first post.  I've been lurking here for a while, its a great site!)

[mush]

when i worked in a large resort spa, i was taught to do these. <br>that massage started prone, using a diaper drape underneath a sheet to begin. with each therapist standing at the ankles facing the table, we would do sychronized compressions through the sheet moving up then back to the ankles. the sheet would then be removed. liberal amounts of oil were then applied to the hands and transferred to the body by repeating the same compression sequence.<br>long full body strokes followed, from feet/ankles to shoulders. next in sequence: calves, then hamstrings and glutes, moving to the back and finishing with arm and hand strokes.<br>each section is synchronized with a specific set of strokes.<br>at the end of prone, the sheet is then reapplied over the body. the diaper drape is unfurled to lay flat. turn the client supine. reset the diaper drape and give the female a breast drape towel for underneath the sheet. remove the sheet.<br>oil up the hands again. compression sequence to apply oil to the body. long full body strokes, skipping over the breast area of the female from abs to sub-clavian area.<br>then the same type synchronized sequences over the front of calves, quads, abdominals, arms & hands.<br>then the therapists split: one to the head for a scalp and face massage, while the other massages the feet.<br>reapply the sheet over the client at the end of the service.<br><br><br>just one way to do it.<br>go for it.<br><br>welcome ;D<br><br>

[KneadedMassage]

I have never given or received a 4 handed massage.  I can't imagine there would be two people who give the same pressure.  If the massage wasn't even on each side, I think I would find it difficult to relax.  Seems like too much going on for me. But that's just me. That said, I've seen it offered in a number of places, so there must be a call for it.  SOMEBODY must be enjoying it!  Go and give it a try and then report back to us.  

[greatkat2]

Syncronation is definately the key in this type of massage. When I was in school, my teacher would have one of us on each foot to see how our foot massage was coming along She absolutely loved it.

[mush]

as a giver of this service, i found the hardest thing was working with someone who uses an entirely different table heighth than i.<br><br><br><br>

[melb]

I know I start freaking out when there are more than 3 people working on me - THAT is too too much.  I've seen 6 people working on one body during a class - one on each limb, one doing the back from the head of the table and one doing under body work on the stomach.  THAT is "eeeeek!!!"  for me.  This was all in a lomi lomi temple style class, and where I discovered my 3 person limit, though I prefer 2 <br><br>Ayurvedic massage is traditionally done as 4 hands.<br><br>It's got to be a very flowing style, you're not working specific muscles for any length of time - you wouldn't want it as a style that caused any pain digging into muscles.<br><br>The slight overload on the brain does let down barriers - you can't hold tension as a repsonse to the massage in 2 places at once usually.  Ticklish people that can't manage a massage can often manage a 4 hand version.<br><br>Draping on the back tends to be a lap lap type thing, so you get the full movement from foot to neck.<br><br>

[maestra]

We actually did a 10 hand (5 people) on 1 teacher in MT school, we called it "Susie's Bliss Out Special"... one on each limb and one on the head/neck.<br>We did it for the brother of a classmate too... he said it was cool, like floating on the gentle rolling waves out on the ocean.<br>I had a 4 hand massage before going to MT school. My regular MT was mentoring a gal from the place where I would end up going to school. But their touch was very different and I found it quite annoying and not relaxing at all. To me the depth and quality of touch is a hard thing to match... *shrug* Maybe I'm wrong... but I think finding someone you are similar to who you can partner with would be a rare and special thing.<br>So, better to give... keep us posted when you do get it!

[bettertogive]

Mush - did you do a lot of these?  What kind of feedback did you get from your customers?<br><br>The place I'm looking at calls it "ahbyanga" style.  It costs $100/hr (plus tips I guess x 2) so its not cheap.<br><br>It sounds good on paper but it also sounds like a lot of things could make it less enjoyable than a regular massage.  I'm torn.<br><br>BTW Melb - What's "lap lap" draping?

[melb]

"ahbyanga" is an Ayurvedic oil massage. Be prepared for a LOT of oil <br><br>lap lap style - just a small piece of cloth placed over the genital areas, sort of hand towel size, most of it between the legs.   A friend that has had treatments in India said she just had a little woven grass square placed over the area, it wasn't even cloth like enough to drape between her legs.

[melb]

I just foundn this description onlin of a full Ayurvedic treatment, which goes into the massage quite a bit http://www.massageandbodywork.com/Artic ... rveda.html

[PiedPiper]

I have both done and received 4-hands... when done well, its definitely helps me get out of my head and into my body... I think to receive it and enjoy it, one needs to be into that experience, a little bit of sensory overload can either help release, or drive you nuts...and also, one should  not really be expecting specific isolated tissue work...because, for all the reasons stated...syncronized movements between two therapists at that level is really tricky...and when its not the same, i personnaly find it annoying. But, for a flowing, gentle healing experience...allowing my body to find its own way, four hands is a winner for me.  <br><br>I find it a lot harder to give 4-handed work, because I not only have to create a working space with my client, but I have to commune in that same space with the other MT... and, short of choreographing/scripting the massage, that requires real connection between MT's.  I have one trade that we sometimes do 4-hand work for/with, and it works great...but for most others...2 hands is usually sufficient.  <br><br>However, I am always ready to try it with someone, if anyone is interested.<br><br>Rob<br> <br>

[mush]

Mush - did you do a lot of these?  What kind of feedback did you get from your customers?

i'd say i did a couple dozen of these. i no longer offer this service in my private practice.

feedback was always good, particularly because we would take a few moments before the massage begins to fully explain to the client what was to happen, including the method of draping.

piedpiper explains the experience well.  :)

[JLWmassage]

The last time I did this was while I was in massage school