Today’s Barefoot Massage Training Instructor spotlight is Sharon, our multi-faceted hoola hooping, pirating, ukelele playing instructor, who is a whiz at creating pickled concoctions.
Your name:
Sharon Bryant (no, I’m not related to Bear Bryant, that we know of…)
Pets?
Maddie and Gypsy, my precious rescued fur babies (dogs). Gypsy is our little girl, a black lab mix that is around 8 years old. She came to us so frightened we had to adopt another dog to break through her fear of EVERYTHING.
After an entire year working with her, she still couldn’t take a treat from my hand. Maddie is our big girl. We adopted her from the pound where she’d been incarcerated for half of her short little life (she was about 6 months old). She was on the list for euthanization and we sprung her literally two days before it was her time. She is now around 6.5 years old. She’s a boxer, German shepherd, rottweiler mix and is an awesome dog. They are both ROTTEN.
Myofascial Ashiatsu is not easy. Even our ‘beginner’ class, FasciAshi Fundamentals, is really hard. There is a lot of anatomy knowledge that we expect out of our students. Although the work will get much easier with practice, these first 3 days in class are definitely challenging on your mind, body, and ego.
You’ll be massaging for two full hours in a row every day, plus learning to massage with a new tool (your feet – which is SO much harder than it looks) and then somehow massage a client using everything we learned over 2 days boiled down into a 90 minute session on the 3rd day. THAT’S FREAKIN HARD!!
Why?
I want our students to understand WHY the angles and approach to each stroke are in place, so that the work doesn’t turn into a mindless smearing of lotion, or result in injury. I don’t just want you to look good doing the work and have cool Instagram pictures, I want you to get the intention of the stroke down so that your clients feel the full potential of the technique. If you can understand why ‘Lateral Leg 2’ uses a certain foot to massage as it posteriorly tilts the clients pelvis while bending their knee, then you can use that particular stroke, or parts of that stroke, intuitively on the clients who “knead” it most… Not just because it’s the next item on the list of massage strokes that you are ‘supposed’ to do.
Methods get muddy when you don’t understand the theory or reason behind them.
What we are trying to teach in class helps you offer the pain relieving, stress reducing healing that the public is looking for… the expectations your clients and future clients have for therapeutic massage can be met under YOUR FEET.
FasciAshi requires MINDFULNESS, but in the process of being a student again, it really does fill your mind, and can be overwhelming.
I know that its hard.
If it were easy, it wouldn’t be called Continuing Education.
You may have noticed that the Center for Barefoot Massage recently added a few new classes this year. One that I’m really excited about teaching is Fijian Barefoot Massage. This style is such a great addition to our company and having the original creator, Lolita Knight’s blessingto teach her original work and carry on her legacy has been a true honor for us. The Center for Barefoot Massage has done this technique right by putting more theory and intention behind the original format, which makes for an exciting and engaging class.
Fijian massage is a deep tissue barefoot style of massage that’s done with the client fully clothed on a mat on the floor. It uses movements and techniques that are specific to its unique style. The original creator of this massage, Lolita Knight took influence from her massage experiences while visiting Fiji.
All of our instructors have a preference for the type of stools they use in their own personal practice. Today I’m talking about the one that stays at the head of your table by the headrest. (If you want to learn more about the different step stools we use, you can read about that here.)
You have plenty of options, but I’ll go over some of the stools our instructors have been using in the last 17+ years, what we like and don’t like about them.
There are many choices available. In large, what we get tends to be based on 3 things:
1. what we can afford
2. how it looks
3. its sturdiness
Typically, we prefer to use a standard height 24″ stool for both the standing and seated work. Old school barefoot therapists often needed 2 stools-1 for standing and the other for seated work.
However, it’s ridiculously easy to add a bolster to increase height for seated work if you don’t have an electric table but you want to be higher.
Stability is your #1 priority.
How it looks should be secondary to that. With that being said, you need to get what you can afford.
As with setting up your bars, the use of the stool may be individual to each barefoot therapist and room setting.
Affordability, surface area, tipability factor
Many walls have baseboards at the floor, which affects the stability of stools, the “tipability factor”. Baseboards may be thin rubber, relatively thin wood or custom thicker wood (which is what I have in my office).
You are more likely to have a problem with the stool tipping if you don’t stand in the center of it, and the edge of the stool is not by the wall.
I’ve been on the receiving end of a stool tilt. I don’t recommend it.
Classic round bar stool The least expensive is a classic round stool. I used to get them from Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% off or $5 off coupon. They are currently retailed at $39.99. Legs that are square are more stable than those that are round.
Pros: price, classic and simple 1990’s look, easily able to find at local stores or thrift shops, a round meditation bolster fits on it well Cons: easy to tip, tends to get wobbly over time (I’ve seen some wobble within a day)
Saddle stool These stools usually start at $69 and go up substantially from there. Less expensive ones are more likely to wobble and fall apart quickly while spendier versions will be around for years.
They can be found at many stores in your area.
Because they are rectangular, you have more stable footing than with the round stool.
Most often found in painted black or natural wood tone, I have seen these in periodically in vibrant colors such as red also.
Jeni’s tip: short therapists can turn the stool perpendicular to the wall and add a bolster behind his/her back to get themselves closer to the client if needed.
Pros: look nice, can be purchased in a variety of colors, easily able to find at local stores, can be used perpendicularly with bolster Cons: inexpensive ones are often poorly made and can fall apart quickly, can tip easily if you’re not standing correctly & have a baseboard
Padded saddle stool
For about a week, I used a rectangular stool with built-in paddingbut didn’t care for it. I found it unwieldy to swing my leg over it when seated. Because the stool wasn’t meant for standing on, my foot quickly imprinted on the foam padding, making it uneven within a week of using it.
Pros: you don’t need an additional bolster Cons: the seat’s not meant for standing, can wobble if built poorly, probably has buttons on the top of the cushion
Tolix style stool Why are they called “Tolix”? They were first designed in 1934 by Xavier Pauchard for the French Company Tolix.
These square stools can be found both in metal and metal with a wooden seat and are often seen at restaurants and bars with outdoor seating.
They are sturdy, can be found in a huge variety of colors ranging from white or aqua to red or black.
If you order online, you may have to put them together, or you can find them at places like Target (which is where this particular one came from).
They’re often $69+, and sometimes you can only find them in sets of 4.
The square seat gives you oodles of room for your feet, and there’s plenty of space for a classic round meditation bolster.
Pros: very sturdy and stable, solidly built, available in a wide variety of colors Cons: feels cold on your feet (even through a towel) as the stool is made of metal
Tolix style stool with back I purchased the Tolix style stools with the backs to help students prevent tipping while standing during barefoot massage .
Like the others, these are metal with the seat made from bamboo. These came as a 4 pack from Amazon.
Having the back may be overkill, but they look nice (and they’re my favorite so far.) The round meditation bolster stays on well-it kind of snuggles into the back and doesn’t slip around.
The other Tolix style stools are just as stable if you stand correctly, though.
Pros: very sturdy and stable, solidly built, looks nice Cons: feels cold on your feet (even through a towel) as the stool is made of metal, pricier than others without back
Custom stools The beauty of having a custom-made stool is that you can have it designed exactly how you want it. Whether you want at a different height or a broader base, it will be perfect for you and your space.
This welded stool has a slightly padded top and wide platform for both sitting and standing.
A past instructor who owns this stool says:
It is 25”, has a wide sturdy base and a lightly padded cleanable top. It also sits more flush with the wall since there isn’t an angle to the legs. It tips far less than other stools I’ve used.
Pros: it’s perfect for you, should be very stable
Cons: cost can be prohibitive (this particular stool was over $200), won’t have right away, is heavy if made with metal.
At Bull City Soles in NC, our instructor Julie has had 3 stools made in a couple of different styles. They are wooden and super sturdy.
Julie’s stools at Bull City Soles in NC
Pros: they’re built to exactly your specifications, less expensive than welded stools, broad & stable base, can paint/decorate/put your logo on them Cons: more expensive than many ready-made stools (these were about $120 each)
As you can tell, there are a lot of options for stools. Prices can range from very inexpensive (round stool at thrift store) to very pricey (custom stools) and everything in between.
Remember that stability is your priority and go from there!
What stool do you love in your barefoot massage office?
Mary-Claire Fredette is a co-founder for the Center for Barefoot Massage and doesn’t want you to tip your stool over onto your client’s head or bang it into the wall.
Ain’t nobody got time for dat.
Find out more or take her classes (usually in Cincinnati) ranging from Fijian to Advanced and everything in between.
Throughout the course of this years and last years Barefoot Massage Open, we’ve pulled out some pretty heavy challenges. I hope that todays challenge helps to answer a very common frustration that many of my mid-level students have: how do I fit it all in?!?!?!
I think that these particular past topics will help you optimize this weeks challenge – so go review these before scrolling down too much further:
+ Take what you learned from this years 2.2 Challenge (Xray Vision) which helped you study the structures that lay underneath the tissue you are aiming at AND revisit the last challenge I posted, 2.3 Mindfulness – where you took a long hard look at what strokes you do most often and why.
Got all that at fresh in your thoughts again? OK, now lets scroll down! >>>>
The Barefoot Massage Open 2.5 #Mobility with Dawn Dotson
Ashi Bar Pass-Thru:
Start off laying prone on the ground. Keep your arms extended and grip loose. See video
Raise the PVC pipe behind of your body . Once overhead, retract the shoulder blades down and pull behind your back.
You can adjust and widen your grip if that movement was too difficult. Narrow the grip if you had no difficulty executing the warmup drill. Repeat up to 10 times.
Modification or Isolation: Shoulder Pass-thru’s: just do one side at a time instead
Turbo Dog
While it might appear to be about strengthening your arms and back, there’s a lot more to it.
Start with Downward Dog: (Hold 5 Breaths)
On your hands (shoulder width apart) and knees (hip width apart)
Wrap your shoulder blades toward armpits, feel for activating chest muscles and upper back, and relax head and neck.
Inhale – Bend elbows 3 inches from the floor, moving them toward each other
Exhale – Straighten your legs and lift into Downward Dog.
Keep energy moving through your arms and chest, keep collarbones moving towards your feet.
Reach your forearms away from your wrists. Use your upper back, chest, and arms to hold the space between the bones of the shoulder joint.
Elevate & Depress Scaps during Scap pull-ups:
Begin in a normal pull-up position with a palms-away grip and hands shoulder-width apart.
From a full hang, with just slightly shrugged shoulders, you want to draw the scapula down and together, thus raising your body slightly but without bending your arms and pulling as in a regular pull-up.
The best learning cues are: Try to “bend the bar” and think about doing a reverse shrug (i.e. shoulders drawn downward). Do this, and you’ll feel your head shift backward and your chest raise upward, as your scapular pinch together.
Hold the top position for one second, then return to the starting position. The range of motion is only a few inches to a foot or two (when you get really strong!).
Do six to twelve reps, keeping nearly straight arms and tight spinal erectors and glutes throughout.
PULL-UPS YO!!!
Use your bars! Start with scap pull ups then pull all the way through!!!! Tighten all the things! You can do it!
We structured our FasciAshi classes to incorporate a Mindfulness practice – so I’d like to challenge you to bring an element of mindfulness and attention to your massage practice this week.
Do you have a “Signature” stroke? That one stroke that, for some reason, you feel that you absolutelyMUST find a way to sneak into every single session because you love it so much? I think we all have one. This week’s #AshiatsuChallenge is to help you find WHY you are doing what you are doing.
Barefoot Massage Therapists need a good amount of strength and flexibility in their hips – which is where mobility exercises that help to create a balance between the two concepts come into play. This week, it’s time to work on those hips! Resistance bands are a great way to strengthen muscles without causing too much stress, so grab your band and get started.
Here we are: 2 weeks into the second annual Barefoot Massage Open, a weekly massage challenge for ashiatsu therapists – this Friday we’ll step into WEEK 3! But lets not get ahead of ourselves…. lets focus on the now! Today is Tuesday, which means it’s #2sdayTOESday & also massage day in our #AshiatsuChallenge…
The 
These stools usually 
Why are they called “Tolix”? They were first designed in 1934 by Xavier Pauchard for the French Company Tolix.
I purchased the Tolix style 
This welded stool has a slightly padded top and wide platform for both sitting and standing.
Mary-Claire Fredette is a co-founder for the Center for Barefoot Massage and doesn’t want you to tip your stool over onto your client’s head or bang it into the wall.