Tuesday Toesday Tip-today we have another tip for using an extra large sheet-in this one, you don’t need rubber bands. You can either watch the video or read the transcript! In today’s video, we show you a quick tip for if you’re using twin or extra long sheets that bag and sag on the table. Let’s get them nice and…
Jeni Spring is her name, and barefoot massage is her game! If you’ve giggled at pun-ny funny ashiatsu sayings, if you’ve heard of Heeling Sole in San Antonio, if any #2sDayTOESday tips have helped your workday, if you’ve needed inspiration for ashiatsu at events, or if you use an Ashi-Strap in your practice (or have at least seen them in pictures) – then you’ve seen some of the footprints she’s leaving on the massage world. Lets get to know the #BossLady behind the Center for Barefoot Massage!
When you meet our Durham barefoot training instructor Julie in person, you may be fooled by her petite size. Her sweet-sounding Southern way of talking is simply sugar coating on her wickedly deep and specific feet, which she uses to Rolf.
Your name?
Julie H Marciniak
Tell us about your pets!
Jack is our last dachshund baby. We lost Max right before Christmas this year. He was a dachshund too.
Introduce us to your family.
My eldest is our son Blake, SPC (Specialist) in the Army. Our daughter Michaela is a sophomore in college. My husband is Michael, a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard (his photo is in the header.).
What did you want to be when you grew up and why?
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…
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 blessing to 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.
You may be asking two very important questions.
One, what IS it and two, how is it different from what I’m already doing with Ashiatsu and FasciAshi? (Bonus: how is it different than Hot Ashi?! Read this.)
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…
For those of you who know me – you know that I love the ashiatsu portable bars. I was originally trained in ashiatsu on a very old style of the portables, (that were new at the time) and they feel like home to me. Although I honestly couldn’t afford them back then, I put my first set on a credit card and made sure I got my money’s worth out of them ASAP. Ever since, I’ve used them regularly at local Farmers’ Markets, sporting/yoga events and massage conventions. I’ve taught on portable bars across the country and in Germany. I used ashiatsu portable bars daily for 6 months at one point because I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay in that location long enough to justify building permanent bars.
I just spent 3 solid days working on a set of portable bars that I own. Now that *anyone* can go buy a set of portables, I wanted to fill you in on all the things I don’t think anyone will actually tell you about them. HERE WE GO!
Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing. – Pelé Why you should continue to take continuing ed ce classes in barefoot massage… This is day 4 of 5- our team of barefoot massage instructors is getting 2 feet deep into learning two of the Center…
On Wednesday, I wrote about the deliciousness of using heat during a massage. Because of the multitude of benefits that the combination of heat and massage can provide, instructor Sara Newberry and I (Mary-Claire Fredette) teamed together to create the world’s first…
Hot Ashi!
It’s a combination of heated Mother Earth Pillows and, you guessed it, barefoot massage! It’s first in our specialty class lineup.
A little history on how this came about…
I’ve been doing barefoot massage since 2002. The trouble is that my hands and feet were always cold after washing them. A heating pad has been my feet’s friend since about Day 1. When I learned “thermal connective tissue release” Pillossage with Mother Earth founder Karen Kowal back in 2011, I knew I had found the answer to my cold hands.
Almost ALL of us love to be warm when we get a massage. There’s something so comforting about even just lying down on a heated massage table. It’s like stepping into a warm bubble bath, knowing you relaxation is going to commence immediately.
Have you ever dabbled with using heat for a massage? Maybe you’ve played around using a heating pad to keep your clients feet warm, or set a small oscillating heater to blow warm air on your clients.
Perhaps you’ve draped warm Mother Earth pillows over an aching joint or shoulders, because you know how good that feels.
(As I write this, I’m alternating a Mother Earth flax pillow between my lap and my shoulders. Ahh…)