Are You Working to Your Detriment? Let’s get honest: if you’re pushing through pain, contorting your body, or grinding your hands into clients just to deliver “deep tissue” work… you might be sacrificing your own well-being for the sake of theirs. And it’s probably not even getting the results you think it is. Deep doesn’t have to mean destructive. At…
(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…
Most of us went into the field of massage because we wanted to help people. Maybe we already were giving out shoulder rubs on everyone we could get our hands-on. Perhaps we just knew that we weren’t meant to be a counselor (ahem, Mary-Claire here, speaking from experience). But we had the heart to serve, to help others, to make…
As massage therapists, we’ve got a pretty good thing going on in general. Clients come in tight or sore, and we make them feel better by the time they walk out the door. Barefoot massage is deep but comfortable and can put muscles back in place where they belong. Hands-on massage therapists provide pain relief as well, and relaxation. For that,…
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.
Nobody wants to work on sick clients. In fact, we’re not legally allowed to in Ohio. Especially this time of year, when we are in close proximity with multiple clients in often small, heated rooms, it’s important to understand who you can work on in regards to common illnesses. Today, I’m going to talk about the difference between viruses and when antibiotics are used.
Part 1 focuses on 4 common viruses, how long they’re contagious, and the symptoms. At the end of the post, I’ve got a list of what to do if a sick person has come into the office. Part 2, coming next Friday, concentrates on antibiotics, their use, and contraindications.
Will antibiotics help?
Antibiotics will not improve viral infections–we just need to “ride them out”. Antibiotics are prescribed for the treatment of a bacterial infection, but they are NOT effective against viral infections.
Viral infections, and how long to keep people off your massage table.
In this Tuesday Toesday tip, we’ll show you how to add in a delightfully warm pillow to enhance your barefoot or hands-on massage. It’s perfect for the winter or even if you keep air conditioning running in your massage room year ’round. Items needed (in addition to your massage table and all that jazz): ❀ an inexpensive heating pad. I actually…
Our FasciAshi Range of Motion (ROM) class is where stretch therapy meets ashiatsu massage. There is a growing presence of ‘stretch providers’ in the massage therapy, yoga and personal trainer industries, possibly due to the evolving understanding of the properties of fascia. The public is noticing more and more that a movement practice of some kind is essential to a healthy body – and some are turning to their massage therapists for help.
The human population is becoming more and more sedentary.
The leading cause of disability is musculoskeletal pain, and over 80% of acute and chronic injuries are caused by the body not moving properly. (I should know, I just spent a day on the couch writing this blog post!!) One goal of stretch therapy and movement re-education is to make the client more aware of their habits of movement and more comfortable in his or her body with less compensation.
We all need varying movement to maintain healthy tissue hydration, regeneration, and repair. Motion is lotion, no matter what lifestyle you live. The smooth moves we teach in the FasciAshi ROM class could be just the thing that your clients are ACHING to try!
Why should you start to consider using your FEET to massage with? I can think of a million reasons, but I boiled it down to just enough to count on one foot. 5 reasons to learn FasciAshi Barefoot Massage. Just five. Read on to see if we can further romance you into learning our favorite way to do deep tissue, myofascial release and trigger point work with our FasciAshi style of barefoot massage therapy.
Why would we ask you what makes you a remarkable massage therapist? The word “remarkable” comes from France in the early 17th century: remarquable, from remarquer means to “take note of”. In other words, what makes you different from other massage therapists?
If you are not remarkable in some way, why should clients pay to have you massage them?
Have you given it a thought?
From a marketing standpoint, we need to know what makes us different from another massage therapist. If we don’t know how we stand out above the competition, we have no inclination of why people would prefer our services.