| Purpose |
|
|---|---|
| Pressure | 1–2 / 10 · pressure scale |
| Rhythm | Slow and flowing, one hand following the other, each stroke getting lighter and slower. |
| Hands | Relaxed fingertips, or the backs of the fingers |
| Cautions |
|
Step by step
- 01 / 05
Finish the region
Complete your last effleurage strokes on the area. Feathering follows once the deeper work is done.
- 02 / 05
Soften the fingertips
Let the fingers relax into a gentle curve. Only the fingertips touch, so lightly that they barely press the skin.
- 03 / 05
Long, light strokes
Draw the fingertips down the back in long strokes, one hand starting as the other finishes. Keep the touch even along the whole stroke.
- 04 / 05
Get lighter and slower
With each stroke, make the touch lighter and the pace slower, so the sensation fades away.
- 05 / 05
Lift away slowly
On the final stroke, lift the fingertips off the skin very slowly, then rest the hands still on the towel before moving away.
Common mistakes
- Pressing too firmly, so the stroke becomes a fingertip effleurage.
- Scratching with the nails.
- Moving quickly, which feels ticklish rather than soothing.
- Lifting off abruptly at the end.
How it should feel
- Giver: soft, relaxed fingers that just skim the skin.
- Receiver: a light, drifting sensation that fades gently away.
Self-check
Drills
Feathering is the lightest form of Effleurage. Its job is mostly to tell the client that the work on an area is finished. Because it does not aim to move fluid, the direction matters less than the evenness and lightness of the touch.
It is most often used down the back over the Trapezius and Erector spinae, and down the arms and legs at the end of each limb.