What is "effleurage"

"gentle rubbing with the palm of the hand," 1886, from French effleurage, from effleurer "to graze, touch lightly, touch upon, strip the leaves off," from ef- "out" (see ex-) + fleur as in the phrase à fleur de "on a level with," from German Flur "a plain, field, meadow" (see floor (n.)).

n. (context massage English) A form of massage involving smooth strokes of the skin with one's hands.

n. a rhythmic stroking; "effleurage of the abdomen is used in the Lamaze method of childbirth"

Effleurage, a French word meaning "to skim" or "to touch lightly on", is a series of massage strokes used in Swedish massage to warm up the muscle before deep tissue work using petrissage.

This is a soothing, stroking movement used at the beginning and the end of the facial and/or body massage. It is also used as a linking move between the different strokes and movements. Effleurage is basically a form of massage involving a circular stroking movement made with the palm of the hand.

Effleurage can be firm or light without dragging the skin and is performed using either the padded parts of the finger tips or the palmar surface of the hands, and works as a mechanical pump on the body to encourage venous and lymphatic return by starting at the bottom of the limb and pushing back towards the heart. You will have more success with this once all the muscles in the area are warmed up and loose. It consists of four sub-categories:

1. Ethereal or aura strokes
2. Feathering, or nerve-stroking
3. Superficial effleurage
4. Deeper effleurage