Lengthening stroke is a slow stroke along the muscle from one end toward the other to encourage length.
The hands follow the grain, not across it. In 📝Deep Tissue Massage this is how a shortened belly is asked to take space after it has been warmed — not a yank, and not a stretch contest at the end of the table. It is a stroke, not a diagnosis of a short muscle as a medical fact. Pressure stays breathable; speed is the usual error.
Clients feel a long, specific drag that should ease rather than sharpen. If the muscle guards, the stroke is too fast or too deep. Sharp or shooting pain is a stop.