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Footnotes

Commonly asked questions about the Center for Barefoot Massage instructors of ashiatsu, fasciashi, fijian and other forms of massage done using one or both feet.

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Footnotes by 12/07/2018 0Comments

After I take the class, can I train my staff?

We get asked this question a lot – “Can I train my staff when I get back to work?” Or, “My spa director wants me to attend class so that I can train the employees everything I learned!”

Long story short – you cannot teach the work you learn in our classes UNLESS you are accepted into our instructor training program.

By attending our training workshops you will be a part of our professional family, and you’ll represent our work with every step you take.

As such, we have quality assurance and maintenance considerations to prevent any misrepresentation of the work itself, and to halt any unauthorized instructional programs. It is essential that the purity and safety features of our myofascial barefoot massage work, as well as the high-quality teaching standards established for the Center for Barefoot Massages curriculum, be upheld and honored for the continued respect of this lineage, as well as for the growth and support of our loyal FasciAshi practitioners.

This training we provide does not qualify or certify you to teach our protocols, sequences, techniques or methods in any environment, in any capacity. Attending our workshops or acquiring our materials does not qualify you, or give permission to teach any aspect of the technique, or present the FasciAshi format.

Implying that you are an instructor, trainer, a Certified practitioner, or any similar designation in any format is unethical, and goes against the Training and Use Agreement that every one of our adult learner students sign. 

The FasciAshi courses you attend are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the “knowing” the work. While in class, we encourage you to focus on learning the material for yourself, and retain what you can – without any agenda to teach this to your staff or other massage friends. Studies do show that there is never 100% retention level of material presented in adult learning – as humans, we learn what we can, and we take away what is most relevant to us at that time. Attending the course once as a student is not sufficient experience or training to represent any professional technique well. Don’t be come this student.

We want the best training for you, and for the sake of the future of the growing barefoot massage industry, we want the best possible representations being echoed across classrooms. To help our profession grow, as well as our little niche within it, we work very hard to deeply train our experienced staff in many nuances and elements of myofascial barefoot massage and curating a successful learning environment. We do not feel that this work should be passed down by word of mouth, so to speak. Let your staff and friends experience the same depth of information and resources, and encourage them to attend a live training with us. The benefits they will reap will equal yours, and you can continue to grow on your own path at first, and then together as a team.

Unless you have successfully passed our FasciAshi instructor training program that leads to status as a FasciAshi Instructor, and have written consent from the creative forces behind The Center for Barefoot Massage, LLC, you cannot teach what you learn in our classes. If you are interested in teaching FasciAshi, and want to help us spread our toes and expand our footprint on the massage industry, if you resonate with our philosophy, we welcome you to email us your resume and letter of interest to info@barefootmassagecenter.com

The Center for Barefoot Massage and FasciAshi as brands are comprised of a proprietary set of trademarks, logos, and designs. These, along with its copyright materials such as handouts, manuals, posters, media, online resources and other intellectual property is and shall remain in full ownership of The Center for Barefoot Massage, LLC. Any reports that show proof of our intellectual property being reproduced and taught without authorization will be met with legal consequences.

Thank you for understanding and respecting our commitment to barefoot massage excellence.

Footnotes by 12/01/2018 0Comments

Is there an ashiatsu weight limit for Massage Therapists?

That’s actually a common misunderstanding – there is technically no ashiatsu weight limit in our Beginner/Intermediate level FasciAshi training (Fundamentals, Intermediate: Supine/Sidebody and ROM.. there ARE strength and skill requirements and weight restrictions for the Fasciashi Advanced class, however.)

ASHIATSU IS MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ON CLIENTS WHO ARE 50-100 POUNDS HEAVIER THAN THE MASSAGE THERAPIST.

ashiatsu-weight-limit
ashiatsu weight limit?

One thing that needs to weigh heavily on your mind: do you have the client base that even needs Ashiatsu? This deeper than deep tissue massage technique is meant to be performed on clients who are 50-100 pounds heavier than you. If you are massaging people who weigh less than you, then you’ll be working too hard against gravity – sometimes even working on someone who is comparable in size/weight to you can be more difficult to massage with your feet if they cannot tolerate deep pressure. I highly recommend that you save your FasciAshi massages for the larger framed, dense tissued clients who are difficult to work on with your hands. If you don’t have the right client base for this technique, you may want to re-evaluate why you want to learn this style of myofascial ashiatsu, as it’s not meant for every client, it’s not meant for every massage therapist, and if this work is utilized incorrectly, or for evil not for good so to speak, then you can cause repetitive strain issues within yourself, and easily injury your client. Being that our experienced instructors and their team of barefoot massage therapists provide barefoot massage ALL THE TIME, all day every day, we have experienced first hand (or… first foot?!) what it feels like in our bodies to do 20 ashiatsu sessions within a week on small bodies, and what it feels like to do the same amount of sessions on larger bodies. Barefoot massage techniques offer a big tool you’ll be using to massage with, so it has to be used on the right job.

Gravity and alignment of your body during your massage are the two main things that do the work of adding pressure and initiating movement. A FasciAshi therapist shouldn’t be pushing and pulling themselves through the strokes – the subtle movements initiate from your core, and the alignment you create within yourself during each stroke is where the depth comes from.

Fluid movement, awareness of breath, great coordination and balance will help diminish any physical challenges you may experience during the workshop…

…it’s more about your awareness of those factors than it is any kind of ashiatsu weight limit.

For safety reasons for your fellow students, your future clients, and our equipment in the classroom, we are cautious and try to bring an awareness of the physicality involved with this work before you arrive for your myofascial ashiatsu workshop with the Center for Barefoot Massage.  You are in for a 3 day boot camp – but once your coordination and flow come together, it’s a lot easier! We will need to know your height and weight once you register, so that we can coordinate the set up of the equipment and find the clients that you’ll be working with. Also for safety reasons, if you weigh over 200 pounds, you may be required to bring your own portable massage table –  please ask your instructor if that is necessary.

In your preparations for FasciAshi class, we ask that you are confident that your upper arm strength can pull your body weight off the client at any moment if needed – in case you lose your balance, or in case your client needs an immediate removal of pressure. So just find a bar in a playground, and work on activating your pull up muscles. (You don’t have to do a pull up – just work on the action of it.)

You’ll need a healthy mental and physical endurance level to maintain focus and strength in class during our daily 2.5 hour long practice rounds. (Work on your massage endurance – add in a few longer massages in a row leading up to your class.)

We ask that you are flexible enough to stand up & down from a 24 inch stool quickly and easily from the floor in one smooth movement. You should also be able to sit on a stool with your knees close together in a cannon ball position. We sure do make Barefoot Massage look easy, but once you are standing on the table or sitting on the barstool, it can feel much harder than it looks! (Mobility and Yoga, dance, and movement in general will help you with this!)

If this all seems to sound like ashiatsu may not be the best fit for your clients or you right now, then DEFINITELY consider our Fijian Barefoot Massage training!

Check out this blog post for more!

AND Read this blog post about Fijian Barefoot Massage!

Footnotes by 12/01/2018 0Comments

What Ashiatsu Massage Table do I need?

You need to have an ashiatsu massage table that will hold your body weight, plus your heaviest client, plus a few hundred extra pounds breathing room within the working weight capacity of that table.

DO YOU HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL SUPPORT THIS WORK?

We ~tend to~ recommend the Earthlite Ellora or the Earthlite Spirit – or something comparable. No aluminum legged portable massage tables.

Barefoot Massage Tables for Ashiatsu, Fijian and Sarga
Our classrooms are stocked with 32″ & 35″ Earthlite Spirits, and many of our instructors have one of the two versions of Earthlite Ellora’s in their treatment rooms – so you can try the tables out during your myofascial ashiatsu training.

There are also other tables that work great to stand on… if your table checks these boxes, then it’s more than likely good for Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage:

  • 32″ wide OR WIDER
  • Double decking (2 or more layers of plywood under all the padding)
  • Wide-set frame around the perimeter of the table, and support beams that cross the width or length for better weight distribution
  • Sturdy, Strong single hinge @ center of table if portable (No extra moving parts, like a tilt)
  • 2 knobs on each wooded leg if a portable table (Aluminum/metal portable tables are not safe)
  • Scissor lift if electric/hydraulic table (not center stand: these will tilt.)
  • 500+ pound working weight capacity (different than static weight capacity)

 

What won’t work?

  • Convertible Lift tables that are a hybrid of an electric lift frame with a flat-folded Portable table on top ARE NOT SAFE and standing on them is not recommended by those manufacturers.
  • Electric/Hydraulic tables with a pedestal lift: look for a scissor lift that is balanced in the center to prevent tipping and motor performance issues.
  • Tables with a tilt: the more moving parts the weaker the table is to stand on
  • Aluminum/Metal legged portable tables: these may not sustain our diagonal vectors of pressure.
  • Lightweight portable tables with a hammock or mesh (non-wood) decking/platform: your foot will sink through the padding!
  • Skinny (less than 30″ wide tables) due to tip hazard and less area to safely stand

TABLE TUNE UP! If your table passed those tests, here’s some tips to give it a quick tune-up before you stand on it:

Portable tables:

  • Flip it on it’s side and tighten EVERY screw. (Including hinge screws, leg-pulley screws, decking screws/bolts.) Don’t tighten so much as to strip them, just make sure there’s no wiggle left.
  • Notice if any plastic washers are broken, or the plastic pulleys. Most of the time these are covered by your table’s lifetime warranty and can be replaced free or cheaply just by contacting the manufacturer. Replace any broken plastic parts ASAP.
  • Notice if the elastic bands are still suspending the cables, and still have elasticity. Contact manufacturer if not.
  • Always make sure that the adjustable table legs are securely attached: if not completely screwed on at each setting, once you stand on the table that bolt can bend, and it will lessen the stability but also make it really tricky to get the adjustable part of the leg on and off later.

Stationary/Electric/Hydraulic Tables:

  • Make sure it’s been leveled out. Most models have adjustable feet, so that you can make sure there is no wobble or tilt. Many models of the Earthlite Ellora are sensitive to this, and after some use, if not properly leveled, will develop a “ping” sound when raising/lowering the height, especially when a client or you are also on the table. The tables can easily get moved with clients getting on and off of them, and with you pushing on them in all directions, so recenter them under yo
  • ur bars regularly, and check the levelness of the entire table often.
  • Make sure no cords are in the way of the moving parts – so they aren’t pinched, kinked, or run over.
  • Check with your table manufacturer about any maintenance that can be done to prolong the life of the motor.
  • Clean and safely position any height adjustment pedals so that nothing interferes with it’s function.

MOAR Table tips, tricks, hacks and ideas:

electric-ashiatsu-massage-table
electric “hydrolic” ashiatsu massage table

 

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.

Footnotes by 11/29/2018 0Comments

What Ashiatsu Contraindications are there for attending FasciAshi students

We will thoroughly discuss ashiatsu contraindications for your clients in every FasciAshi class.

We aim to maintain a safe learning environment for everyone, to massage ethically, and to ensure that every attendee in class gets to experience what the work feels like. As such, there are some ashiatsu contraindications, health cautions and concerns that students need to consider for themselves.

Speak with your instructor to clarify your specific situation and see if receiving 2-3 hours a day of ashiatsu during training through the Center for Barefoot Massage is, or maybe isn’t, appropriate for you at this time.

ashiatsu-contraindications
Ashiatsu Contraindications for Students in FasciAshi Classes

Anything contraindicated for deep tissue, or myofascial release, will be contraindicated for receiving Fasciashi in class

The deep compression provided by this modality could be dangerous for those still recovering from invasive procedures or ailments.

If you are currently pregnant, trying to get pregnant, have recently had breast/gluteal/calf implants and/or some select surgeries within the last 9 months, we regret that you cannot attend the seminar. 

It is not our intention to discourage or discriminate anyone from taking this class, we must focus on a quality workshop experienced by all and maintain the safety standards of the modality.

Footnotes by 11/29/2018 0Comments

Do I need to be a Licensed Massage Therapist to learn FasciAshi?

Do you need to be a Licensed Massage Therapist to learn FasciAshi?

Yes. Attendees in our courses MUST be Licensed Massage Therapists who are legally eligible to provide paid, professional therapeutic massage therapy services to the public in accordance with the laws in their state. Since we are massage therapy educators, we are here to “solely” teach massage therapists.

The Center for Barefoot Massage is working to help support and grow the massage industry, and is only training Licensed Massage Therapists within the field of massage therapy, to those who have the license to touch.

Read the Cancellation Policy

barefoot-massage-ninja
Licensed Massage Therapist can be BAREFOOT Massage Therapists!
MASSAGE STUDENTS who are still attending their entry level, pre-licensing training are not eligible. Those who have attended and completed massage school are also not eligible until you are licensed by the state you are practicing in. This is a new rule as of 2023.

BODYWORKERS who are not licensed but are allowed to practice Rolfing, Shiatsu, Thai, etc, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE to attend our courses without first obtaining a massage therapy license.

If the practitioner resides and practices in a state that is not currently regulated, then prior to registration or within 15 days of the start of class, we will need you to provide a copy of your massage school transcript, showing completion of a minimum of a single 500 hours in-class massage therapy training program. We may also require proof of professional liability insurance.