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!
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.
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.
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.
There was a big discussion recently on a Facebook massage group that I’m in, and it was about the sanitation of massage tables. Some people really think we need to be a little more operating room ready and make sure our tables are completely sanitized prior to replacing our linens.
One massage therapist went so far as to say that if she’s getting a massage, she will look underneath the sheets to see if there is a sanitize-able (I think I made up that word) protector under the fitted sheet. If not, she will walk out the door.
I did go to school a long time ago (graduated 19 years ago), and we never discussed anything like this, at least to the best of my knowledge. We did talk about wiping off the tables and of course using clean linens for each client!
At the time, I had been interested in sports massage, so I bought a waterproof table cover. But the material felt like an outdoor tarp. And it was boxy. There is no way you could put sheets on top of it.
Cozy fleece pads can be washed, but it’s unlikely that they are typically changed between clients. My Earthlite deluxe heating pad has the wires inside the fleece, so it can’t be washed. It can only be spot cleaned.
If you’ve ever had a barefoot massage client who is so tall that they have to duck to get through your doorway, then you can bet they’ll be so tall that they’ll dangle off the ends of your ashiatsu massage table, too! Today’s tip tells you about a little-known massage table accessory – the head rest extender.
You can also use a footrest extender at the other end of the table – but in both cases DON’T STAND ON THEM!! (They really only can hold enough weight to support the client, not also your bodyweight.) We’ve previously shared a barstool trick that allows you to stand off to the side or on a diagonal if you need more leverage to lunge into those larger clients.
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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.
{Today’s post has been brought to you by our Durham instructor Julie Marciniak, who is under 5′ tall.}
It’s been 15 years since I learned ashiatsu! Learning ashiatsu was a career saver for me. There’s no way I’d be able to maintain a practice of 25+ years without it.
I still remember how excited I was to come back and put up my eyebolts and get my feet on clients. I had a taste of what it was like to be able to REALLY go deep without hurting myself. Nothing could hold me back now! Except…table heights.
Ughhh…. When you’re short, it’s all about height. ?
The first ten years of my massage practice I learned that I needed a low table for me to deliver deep pressure. But when I came back from learning ashiatsu I realized that for me to work at my current table height, my bars had to be low.
The only system of overhead support back then was using eye bolts, only available when you could locate at your local home improvement stores. Eventually, I figured it out and made it work with my current table but I knew an electric table was in my future.
15 years later, I now own four electric tables. I still have my original Oakworks table(she’s ten years old!), and I also have 3 Earthlite Elloras. (Read our post about the Earthlite tables here.)
So I know a little bit about working with electric tables. ?
There’s one thing I recommend to students learning ashiatsu. You NEED an electric massage table. If you are in this for the long haul, then make it a priority. It’s THAT important, and you WILL thank me later. Here are a few tips I recommend for your current or future electric table and these tips are more specific with ashiatsu therapists in mind.
In almost every massage I receive, I adjust the preset face cradle position as soon as I lay down in it. Sometimes it’s still set to the person who was on table prior to me, or maybe the LMT just snapped it into a random setting right before my session. Most of the time, I adjust the face cradle postioning because I know that an uncomfortable pillow can RUIN my entire experience during the massage.
…I can’t be the only massage therapist who does this, right?!
Read on, and watch the video below to see how we position a face cradle for an Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage.
My flannel massage sheets are the bomb. They are perfect for ashiatsu for several reasons. The fitted sheets are nice and snug, so my toes don’t get stuck in them when I move around, and they’re super comfy. Other massage sheets work well also (some of our instructors love Comfy Co.), but I’ve worked mostly with the flannel.
Twin sheets from anywhere work great for hands-on massage or for barefoot massage if you’ve got a wider table (like the 35″ Earthlite Spirit and Ellora that we love). However, my table I use regularly is 32″.
So when I recently purchased some lightweight twin sheets for summertime use, I had a little ashiatsu conundrum. My toes got stuck in the sheets whenever I turned, and the extra fabric got in the way, twisty and pulling when the client rolled over.
If you use flat sheets on the bottom, it’s easy to pull the corners into a knot to keep the sheet snug on the table, but it doesn’t work for extra loose fitted sheets. While I did consider cutting the sheets and resewing, that seemed like a waste of time and effort, so I pulled an old trick out of the bag that I hadn’t used in years–rubber bands.
How to fix your sheets so they work for barefoot massage:
You just need 2 regular sized rubber bands (you can use hair ties too if you have those handy.) Pull the sheet super snug in one corner, wrap a rubber band around it a few times until it stays put, and tuck the extra fabric under the sheet.
Do the same thing on the other side, and voilà! You’ve got a snug sheet for your barefoot massage, and you won’t trip on the extra fabric.
Just make sure you take the rubber bands off before you wash the sheets, or your sheet won’t get clean. Plus, the bands may melt in the dryer. Can you say “messy”? 😉
Do you have any favorite tips you’d like to share?
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.
Did you know that your portable massage table has many settings and FEETures that work awesome specifically for Barefoot Massage?
Fold those legs up underneath the frame and take your massage table to the floor!
Have you ever been sitting at home wishing you could practice some of your barefoot moves on your partner or kids, only to find yourself frustrated about bolstering and the challenge of maintaining cervical alignment?
That massage table is so much more supportive and comfortable than just the floor or a yoga mat!
You lie them down prone and prop some towels under their head. Maybe you place a pillow under their chest so they’re up high enough to breathe and maintain alignment, never really feeling entirely satisfied with the results.
Some people ask us if there is a certain ashiatsu massage table they should be using to do barefoot massage. While you can probably still use the table you already have, there are tables we definitely prefer. Our favorites are the Earthlite Ellora and Spirit.
Will other tables work?
The short answer is: it depends on the brand and model. We’ve worked on many different models with different results. Many tables cost less due to less solid materials and only 2″ of foam.
If you want your clients to come back, make sure your table has 3″ of foam.
Once I had a student working on me when I heard cracking coming from the table.
