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Author page: Mary-Claire

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business by 12/22/2017 0Comments

Unboxing the Earthlite table cover

There was a big discussion recently on a Facebook massage group that I’m in, and it was about the sanitation of massage tables. Some people really think we need to be a little more operating room ready and make sure our tables are completely sanitized prior to replacing our linens.

One massage therapist went so far as to say that if she’s getting a massage, she will look underneath the sheets to see if there is a sanitize-able (I think I made up that word) protector under the fitted sheet. If not, she will walk out the door.

I did go to school a long time ago (graduated 19 years ago), and we never discussed anything like this, at least to the best of my knowledge. We did talk about wiping off the tables and of course using clean linens for each client!

At the time, I had been interested in sports massage, so I bought a waterproof table cover. But the material felt like an outdoor tarp. And it was boxy. There is no way you could put sheets on top of it.

Cozy fleece pads can be washed, but it’s unlikely that they are typically changed between clients. My Earthlite deluxe heating pad has the wires inside the fleece, so it can’t be washed. It can only be spot cleaned.

So I did a little research and came across the Earthlite professional table cover. 

Ashiatsu barefoot massage by 12/16/2017 0Comments

Free one day class drawing

If you’re reading this on December 15, you still have time to enter to win our FREE one day of class drawing! We’ll choose the winner tomorrow, December 16, 2017.

Click here to enter!

You just need to be a massage therapist in order to redeem your one day of free class, and it’s not transferable. So don’t enter your Grandma’s email hoping she’ll win and give it to you. ?

Take a one day of our massage continuing ed classes, and it’s free. (This would apply to our Converge class, and you need to be a barefoot therapist to take the class.)

Enrolling in a 2-day class (ROM, Intermediate, or Advanced) means you’ll only have to pay for 1 day. And that means if you win and discover the art of barefoot FasciAshi massage, our 3-day Fundamentals, class, you pay for just 2 days.

It’s a saving of $224! Woot woot!

Which class will you take if you win?

Fine print: there is no cash value, and it's still not transferable to anyone else. You simply don't pay for one day of our classes if you win.

Know a massage therapist who’s ready to save his / her career and body? Pass them this info, but remember that it needs to be tonight because we are doing the drawing on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2017!

 

Pro tips, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 12/12/2017 0Comments

Tuesday Toesday – using a heating pad to warm feet

This time of the year, many of us are struggling with warm hands and feet when we do our barefoot massage. In fact, I often have a problem in the summertime too when the air conditioning is cranking. Today, we’ve got a cheapo heating pad to the rescue.

Firstly, the directions tell you not to lie on the heating pad, but that’s because the manufacturers don’t want you to fall asleep on one and burn yourself. I’ve had an unlucky client who lost her match with the heating pad this way (at home).

Standing on it is ok because you’re really on there for a short while. Plus, you’re awake. And you can tell if it gets too hot. By that time, you have been happily massaging with those hot feet.

Uncategorized by 11/23/2017 0Comments

What our barefoot team is thankful for…

Since it’s Thanksgiving, it seems apropos to share with everyone out there what we’re thankful for. While lives and business can be a challenge and a lot of work sometimes, our instructor team has a few people in our lives we’d like to give a shout out to the people we’re thankful for.

Firstly, we’d like to say a big fat thanks to all of our students and those who believe in us and our work. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are.

A big thanks goes out to Dianna from Pure Pro and to Allissa and Michael from Massage Business Blueprint!

And now, personal thanks from our instructors:

Pro tips by 11/21/2017 0Comments

Eliminate massage sheet squish

We see it all the time when massage therapists are learning barefoot massage in class. They step on each side of the client’s body by the hips. Invariably the sheet pushes the client’s bum down towards the massage table.

It feels just plain weird. And annoying too. Plus, it makes your client aware that you are walking on the table.

They KNOW you are, but they don’t need to FEEL that you are.

Ashiatsu barefoot massage, Pro tips by 11/17/2017 0Comments

Ashiatsu massage cream

I’ve said for years in class that learning the right amount of lubricant for Ashiatsu is really one of the trickier things to figure out. If you use lotion, it absorbs too quickly. Oil tends to be hard to reapply-I’ve felt it drip on my back from 3 feet up. Gross. And we’ve tested various massage creams too. Some are dry, some are more viscous.

So what’s the best Ashiatsu massage cream?

It’s really very individualized. We’ve found that some therapists want to stick with what they’ve been using for hands-on massage. Sometimes that works, sometimes not so much.

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.

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 10/14/2017 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.