Is it time for our group massage yet?

February 14, 2011 11:57 PM

What's this kind of group massage called? It involves a small group of people simultaneously performing the same massage stroke on a different part of the massagee.

Back in the early 90s, at an afternoon "workshop" in So. Calif., I participated in a group massage. Each of us got a turn as the massagee, and we all participated in massaging everyone else. None of us eight or so participants had had any massage training, but a group leader taught us the super-simple strokes and guided each massage. There were about 6 or 8 strokes in all, and they weren't deep — more like rubbing or drumming. The massage was like a ritual, with the strokes performed in a certain order, and lasted maybe 10 minutes. It wasn't massage therapy, it was simple recreational massage, and completely non-erotic. The mood was casual and respectful.

The story that went with it was that it originated at Esalen, but that could well be apocryphal. I remember it being called "Von Neumann Massage" but teh googles, they are empty. It was fun. Do you know the name?

posted by exphysicist345 to health & fitness (2 answers total)

Just synchronized massage?
posted by SarahbytheSea at 8:57 PM on February 15, 2011

Sarah, thanks for the link. Synchronized massage sounds similar in some ways, and must be an amazing experience, but I think the massage I had was something different. Much slower, more casual, shorter, and totally amateurish.
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:07 PM on February 16, 2011