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Ashiatsu barefoot massage

Recap from the 2018 World Massage Festival

Last month at the 2018 World Massage Festival in Las Vegas, we taught the biggest ashiatsu class on record!

We had almost 100 massage therapists (93, to be exact) sign up for a full day of training in our HandsFree Ashiatsu class at the World Massage Festival. Five of our FasciAshi instructors traveled from across the country to meet up for a feet-up just off the Vegas Strip. Jeni Spring, Mary-Claire Fredette, Julie Marciniak, Dawn Dotsonand Sara Newberry joined forces and shared little samples of what it takes to be a Barefoot Massage Therapist.

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The importance of communication in charging for additional services

I personally charge the same for everything I do at my office. I’ve never thought that anyone should have to pay more because their body needed a different kind of work (ie. charging more for deep tissue massage). I add on aromatherapy sometimes, and sometimes there’s…whatever I come up with. That’s my gig.

Adding on services or a modality to your massage is totally fine, but if you charge, you better let your client know ahead of time it will cost more.

(Heck yeah, I’d pay extra for an Aroma-nap after a massage. As long as I knew there was a fee first. Putting on your menu or online would be a fab idea.)

I worked on a client today who had just come back from vacation. As I work on him every week, he got a massage while he was gone. It was hands-on, but that was all that was available.

The therapist told him that it wouldn’t be as deep as barefoot massage, and he was ok with that. Because he told her he sees someone who’s been a massage therapist for 20 years and has been teaching for ages, she got a little worried about what he was expecting.

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Why doing barefoot massage all day doesn’t wipe me out anymore

Pretty much everyone knows that the career-span of a massage therapist is not great. Some sources say 3-5 years, others say 4-6. We burn out and/or hurt ourselves. Then we typically do one of 5 things:

  1. quit

  2. do massage part time and another job full time

  3. specialize in “lighter” work

  4. teach

  5. learn barefoot massage so we can do deeper work.

3.5 years into doing traditional hands-on massage, I had the usual complaints-mine were pain in my left wrist and tendonitis in my right elbow.

Years earlier, I had actually climbed up onto a table and placed my knees in a client’s bum and proceeded to actually massage with my hands all over her back. Yup. That’s not a “thing”. That’s a bit weird. (She did love it, though!)

When I found a barefoot massage, that was my “aha!” moment.

So barefoot massage was my gig for a very long time. Because I tend to be a rule follower, I did the moves I was taught. If I couldn’t work a muscle a way that I needed to, I’d invent something else.

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What’s the difference between us and other barefoot massage training?

This is a question we’ve been getting a lot lately–not only from people wanting to learn barefoot massage, but also from those who are interested in teaching. What’s the difference between FasciAshi from the Center for Barefoot Massage and Ashiatsu massage from other programs? Intuitive versus a routine There are many differences such as how we teach educated, intuitive myofascial work…

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Barefoot Massage Open: Ashi-Challenge 1.5

It’s finally WEEK 5 of the Barefoot Massage Open ashi-challenge!  You’ve started a massage at the clients feet. You’ve used your non-dominant foot for 20 minutes straight. You’ve began a massage with them face up. You’ve done an ENTIRE MASSAGE APPOINTMENT in the side-lying position.  What now? What game changing difference can you POSSIBLY add to your barefoot massages?

Patience, Padawan. Read on to find out.

I think you’ve shown yourself to be tough enough to challenge the way you massage over the last 4 weeks. I’m sure asking yourself “but why?” in every move you make is becoming more second nature.  Just you wait…. there’s SO.MUCH.MORE.

The goal all along has been for you to get out of your little shell and try something NEW. Our main focus with FasciAshi is for you to make this ashiatsu intuitive, but also educated. Your inner wisdom shines through when you are able to contemplate WHY or HOW your massage strokes work, and then put that $#!+ into action!

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