(This article was originally published on 6/11/2024 by Jeni Spring here, and the social media recap from Julie Marciniak was posted 4/16/2025 here and here.) One of the questions that we Barefoot Massage therapists get asked VERY often is “Can you actually feel knots when you massage with your feet?” Yes, we can! OF COURSE we can feel things through our feet! It’s…
Get ready for this years Barefoot Massage Open Challenge! This year’s topic for the “Open” is on common physical imbalances of Barefoot Massage Therapists that could result in injury. Our instructors have been talking behind the scenes A LOT about all the things that make up “body mechanics“… things like your alignment while working, as well as what movement possibilities and…
Resources for you to use to educate your immediate circles on the benefits of Massage AND ways to help YOU be more aware within your Barefoot Massage sessions. First off, welcome to this years National Massage Therapy Awareness Week! This long holiday is our professions chance to spend an ENTIRE DEDICATED WEEK to promote the health benefits of massage therapy and…
When we talk about what we do, our instructor team at the Center for Barefoot Massage has been working very hard to deepen the use and understanding of the phrase “Barefoot Massage” rather than using the single A-word, ashiatsu. We see that word in play a lot, especially used alone on its own as a massage service across the nation…
Hi, I’m Jeni Spring feeling the need to chime in here about the Ashi-Strap! Have you seen something dangling from Ashiatsu Bars in pictures across the internet? Is someone you follow online leaning or sitting in a strap of some kind while massaging with their feet?
I started that trend. You’re welcome! Now the strap is integral to the Myofascial Ashiatsu technique taught at the Center for Barefoot Massage.
Doing a Google Search for “Ashiatsu Massage near Me” doesn’t always bring back the results you need. More and more Massage Therapists across the nation are learning barefoot massage. There is a wonderful surge of trained ashiatsu practitioners in the industry… but not all are actually trained in our “FasciAshi” myofascial ashiatsu barefoot massage technique, or held to our standards.…
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:
1.3: Game Face (Spend an hour with the client supine!)
1.4: Not yo’ momma’s Ashi: (Spend an hour with the client in Sidelying!)
1.5: Weight then Wait (Stop moving!)
+ 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…
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 absolutely MUST 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.