Massage Up or Down?

At the risk of hearing some strong opinions, or not, I would like to ask the question: is it proper to massage up or down?

         

I have had many massages, and I am always baffled by the selection. I have had massage up the back, down the back, diagonally and sideways. Does it matter?

         

Some folks have very fixed ideas on this, particularly teachers who are trying to herd cats (massage students) into some semblance of a class. For every rule to never be broken, however, I find more classes and higher learning invite rules changes with ease.

Personally, I do not enjoy effleurages or neural strokes that go down the arm, although my energetic therapist friends use those to clear energy and swear by it. They seem a little pent up if I ask them not to do that.

I’m happy to offer my palm for some airy, off-skin swirly-dibbles to clear energy, so that seems to keep the peace. But what about those skin riders?

Shudder.

In a discussion, I would avoid answering my own question, but this is a blog and the rules are fluid.

Intent, I think may be the answer. If the intent is Swedish, to move both lymph and blood, then massage upward toward the heart. If the intent is neural, massage down the spine toward the sacrum. If lymphatic, massage in the direction of the lymphatic watershed. If aruveydic, well, then it depends. Well, is that as clear as it gets?