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Pro tips by 11/14/2017 0Comments

Wrapping a Mother Earth neck pillow for massage

Today’s Tuesday TOESday tip is a simple one for all massage therapists, whether you do barefoot massage or not. A small Mother Earth pillow under the client’s neck is a lovely accoutrement. Clients love it and frequently comment on how nice it feels when I place under their cervical spine.

The small bolster feels great under the client’s neck when they are supine, and it warms the tissues well. This makes it even easier to get in deeply with your toes or fingers.

But it’s a pain to take the cover off, and worse to put it back on. They need to be washed each time they touch the client’s skin, and they have to hang dry.

And if you accidentally put one in the dryer, good luck getting it back on the pillow! I learned this the hard way. It was, I imagine, about as easy as putting a girdle on a walrus.

Why FasciAshi? by 11/10/2017 0Comments

Mindfulness in Massage starts with Mindful Education

Mindfulness in massage is all about being present, focusing on the experiences happening in the current moment. In FasciAshi, even though you are “using your feet to massage,” you are honestly utilizing your whole body. Experienced ashiatsu therapists will start to dance across their clients bodies, focusing on where the clients fascia and their own intuition leads them within a session. The mindfulness of their massage becomes a sort of movement meditation.

We know learning how to massage “from scratch” all over again is a huge change. It can be humbling to your ego when your ease and natural hands-on massage skills don’t immediately translate all the way down to your feet.

Confidence and competence while applying FasciAshi techniques starts in class. A mindfulness approach that flows into your practice bridges the gap between classroom and clinical knowledge.

Pro tips, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 11/07/2017 0Comments

Tuesday TOESday Tip for Tall Ashiatsu Massage Clients!

If you’ve ever had a barefoot massage client who is so tall that they have to duck to get through your doorway, then you can bet they’ll be so tall that they’ll dangle off the ends of your ashiatsu massage table, too! Today’s tip tells you about a little-known massage table accessory – the head rest extender. 

You can also use a footrest extender at the other end of the table – but in both cases DON’T STAND ON THEM!!  (They really only can hold enough weight to support the client, not also your bodyweight.) We’ve previously shared a barstool trick that allows you to stand off to the side or on a diagonal if you need more leverage to lunge into those larger clients.


As of 2022, the Center for Barefoot Massage has chosen to no longer serve as a direct vendor with Earthlite, and we will not be taking orders moving forward. You can order directly through Earthlite, Massage Warehouse, and even Amazon. Check with your massage association(s) to see if you qualify for a discount through them, and follow their process for ordering at their reduced rate.
Ashiatsu barefoot massage, FAQ, Pro tips by 11/03/2017 0Comments

FAQ: Can you feel knots during barefoot massage?

Can you actually feel knots when you massage with your feet?  Every barefoot therapist has more than likely received this inquiry many, many times. With a little bit of effort, anyone who has feelings on the soles of their feet can learn to pay attention to even the finest bit of grit under their tootsies.

When I was a brand new barefoot therapist 15 years ago, I remember feeling something on someone’s erectors under the plantar surface of my foot. I didn’t know what it was, so I held onto the bar and felt it with my hand. It was a knot.

Like with craniosacral, if you think you’re feeling something, you’re feeling something.

We’re going to get just a teensy bit sciency here.

Ashiatsu barefoot massage, Pro tips, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 10/31/2017 0Comments

Tuesday TOESday: another easy way to add ashiatsu cream

Recently, Jeni wrote a blog post about how to re-apply lubricant to her ashiatsu client by applying it to her shin. Today I’m sharing another easy way to add ashiatsu cream. Sometimes I wear long leggings or stretchy jeans (Must. Have. Stretch.) that come down to my ankles and so I can’t keep extra cream on my shins.

Why does this whole applying cream thing matter?

If you put cream all over your hands like you do for hands-on massage, the bars will get slimed up. When the bars are slippery, you need to grip them tighter. Because you grip the bars tighter, your forearms get sore. And then you’ve taken away part of the reason why you’ve learned ashiatsu in the first place: to save your hands and forearms from undue stress.

Ashiatsu barefoot massage, FAQ by 10/27/2017 0Comments

(Barefoot) Massage Therapy Awareness Week: The many styles of Barefoot Bodywork from around the world

The American Massage Therapy Association promotes massage awareness in the public with “Massage Therapy Awareness Week“. We’re going to add the word “barefoot” since, well, that’s what we do. 😉 Barefoot massage has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, but it’s really been popular in the US for a comparatively short while.

We wrote about Daniel Nowozeniuk winning 2nd place in the Freestyle category at the World Massage Championship this May (2017). While technically he wasn’t barefoot since he wasn’t allowed to shed his shoes, he gave a fantastic rendition with his feet on the table while wearing Vibrams. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and intuitively inventive people from all around the world have dipped their toes into the world of barefoot bodywork because it was more effective than using hands, thumbs, and elbows.

A big part of what we at the Center for Barefoot Massage stands for is the growth of the ENTIRE niche field of barefoot massage. We want every massage therapist to learn how to use their feet to massage, in some form or another, at some point in their career. We want the massage industry to know what barefoot massage is. We want the term BAREFOOT MASSAGE to be as recognized as hot stone and sports massage. #BarefootMassageWorldDomination!!! It starts with simply knowing about some of the staple styles: so here we go!

Ashiatsu barefoot massage by 10/20/2017 0Comments

Update to our Intermediate FasciAshi class!

Center-for-Barefoot-Massage-Intermediate-barefoot-massage-CE-courseWe are proud of the strokes and theories presented in the Intermediate FasciAshi course, and we get so excited at the potential this particular workshop offers for your growth in the technique! It’s a class favorited by our instructors, and an important step towards bringing the skill level of your feet up to par with your hands.

Our Intermediate course, where you’ll learn the supine and sidebody FasciAshi material, has been a 12 CE hour course since it’s release early this year. Feedback from our students and faculty has shown that the amount of information provided within this 12 hour long class is too much for the time span allowed. The Center for Barefoot Massage is listening to you! We are extending the class to allow more time to allow you to experience the class without feeling rushed.

Starting in March, 2022, you’ll see the FasciAshi Intermediate: Supine & Sidebody course listed for $500, which is our standard price for all two day, 16 CE classes. You’ll see this change reflected soon on our website – it is already in place for any 2018 Intermediate class listed.

Pro tips, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 10/17/2017 0Comments

7 electric massage table tips

{Today’s post has been brought to you by our Durham instructor Julie Marciniak, who is under 5′ tall.}

It’s been 15 years since I learned ashiatsu! Learning ashiatsu was a career saver for me.  There’s no way I’d be able to maintain a practice of 25+ years without it.

I still remember how excited I was to come back and put up my eyebolts and get my feet on clients. I had a taste of what it was like to be able to REALLY go deep without hurting myself. Nothing could hold me back now! Except…table heights.

Ughhh…. When you’re short, it’s all about height. ?

The first ten years of my massage practice I learned that I needed a low table for me to deliver deep pressure. But when I came back from learning ashiatsu I realized that for me to work at my current table height, my bars had to be low.

The only system of overhead support back then was using eye bolts, only available when you could locate at your local home improvement stores. Eventually, I figured it out and made it work with my current table but I knew an electric table was in my future.

15 years later, I now own four electric tables. I still have my original Oakworks table(she’s ten years old!), and I also have 3 Earthlite Elloras. (Read our post about the Earthlite tables here.)

So I know a little bit about working with electric tables. ?

There’s one thing I recommend to students learning ashiatsu.  You NEED an electric massage table. If you are in this for the long haul, then make it a priority. It’s THAT important, and you WILL thank me later. Here are a few tips I recommend for your current or future electric table and these tips are more specific with ashiatsu therapists in mind.

Ashiatsu barefoot massage, FAQ by 10/14/2017 0Comments

FAQ: Am I too big to learn barefoot massage?

In our FAQ series, we’ll be going over all of our Frequently Asked Questions in depth. We’ll address questions therapists often have prior to attending class, but also give helpful information to educate the public on the benefits of barefoot massage. Today’s question is a popular one: “Am I too big to learn barefoot massage?”

Massage therapists, and actually clients too, often wonder if there is a weight limit for massage therapists. I’ve actually been asked how much I weigh prior to giving a barefoot massage. Quelle horreur! Do not ask a lady (or an ashiatsu therapist!) her weight. Rule for living #1. 😉

Let’s be frank, though, shall we? While there is technically no weight limit per se, we all need to be honest about our ability to move with grace on the table. If you can move like this yoga lady, let’s talk.