There are a lot of way to get a good lather. The one you described is just an effective way of doing it. Yours is also good... the important thing is to get a good lather. You can lather in a bowl, on a dish, on your hand, in a mug, on your face or with your hands, you name it... if it works, it works.
As Machiavel said in his famed book, "the Prince": "there is more than one way to skin a cat..."