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Tag: massage table

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Footnotes by 09/03/2023 0Comments

Can I do Barefoot Massage on a mat? Or does it have to be on a table?!

This is a frequently asked question – especially if you have low ceilings that may be difficult to build bars in, if you are very tall with low ceilings and are considering dropping your table to the floor, and/or if you are already offering Thai/Shiatsu/Breema/Rossiter Matwork on the ground and want more footwork.

The style of Myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage that we teach does actually require the massage table to be elevated up off the floor – as techniques learned in our Fundamentals, Intermediate, Range of Motion and Advanced courses all “dangle” the clients limbs off the edge of the table and need that gravitational drop and hang in the joint. Westernized Ashiatsu in itself needs the trifecta of the overhead bars, on an elevated table and needs to be using some kind of lubricant to glide on the skin. So putting Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage down on the floor would take away from this potential and would not be true to the name or lineage.

…HOWEVER:

Our Fijian/Matwork Barefoot Massage class is meant to be on the floor! Ok, not literally on the floor: we teach on skinny mats, not even as wide as a typical massage table, but Fijian can also be done on your yoga mat with a BodyCushion system on top, on a massage table flattened to the floor, and/or on Thai and Shiatsu mats! No bars are needed to be installed for the Fijian/Matwork techniques, either!

Fijian Barefoot Massage class in actionFijian Barefoot Massage class in action

You can install the strap to make your life easier and to assure that you aren’t pushing through your wrists/hands on a support crutch – like the back of a chair, a cane/walker, or ballet bars (none of which are things we would ever recommend: underhand support is not your friend if you are trying to save your hands for a longer massage career.) In a Fijian Barefoot Massage, you can use the strap to lean into, or sit in a chair, or sit in a floor chair lie a Back-Jack, while using your feet to do the work. Read the many blog posts below that are related to Fijian Barefoot Matwork to better understand it’s rad potential – and read the Fijian/Matwork 1 class page to read the course description!

Read more about how Fijian Barefoot Matwork is different than our table-top Myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage

Fijian massage in action - the LMT is sitting on a chair working on the clients lumbosacral area
16 CE hours | Two days in class | *$500 tuition

 

Footnotes by 04/14/2020 0Comments

How much is ashiatsu training?

How much does ashiatsu training cost?

How much are classes?

  • Fundamentals:  $750(3 days, 24 CE’s)
  • Fijian: $500  (2 days, 16 CE’s)
  • Intermediate: $500  (2 days, 16 CE’s)
  • ROM: $500  (2 days, 16 CE’s)
  • Advanced: $500 (2 days, 16 CE’s)
  • Hot Ashi: $250   (1 day. 8 CE’s)
  • IF IT’S A TRAVEL CLASS: meaning, if the instructor travelled to the location to teach there, then the tuition will be +$100 more than usual to help cover the costs of bringing an amazing guest instructor to town!

Payment plans are available, read more here

 

 

Included in your tuition costs:

  • Alumni Membership Website access, which includes curated resources and materials to start your new barefoot massage practice.
  • Study videos demonstrating each stroke taught in class.
  • Online networking and support group with fellow practitioners and instructors.
  • A printed and bound class workbook, with:
    • anatomical references to each stroke
    • THe structural goal to each stroke
    • pro-tips from the founders,
    • your notes and journal entries from observation time in class.
    • Specific Cautions and Contraindications to the strokes learned- and each section of our Pathology and Contraindications were reviewed by Ruth Werner, BCBMT.
    • Strap installation instructions in each workbook,
    • Bar Installation instructions included in the Fundamentals class workbook.
    • Client evaluation forms to help gather feedback during your self-study practice sessions.

Any additional costs?

  • Optional Sole Provider boosted listing on our alumni locator map: ranging from FREE-$80-$150 (Basic listings are FREE!)
  • Optional Pro-Membership for upgraded study videos, with monthly anatomy and marketing challenges: Price TBA upon next release
  • Bar installation cost varies greatly depending on supplies, design and labor. Common costs range between $150-$400
  • Support Straps (Ashi-Straps) are $25 each, and you’ll want a few to switch between clients.
  • Portable Bar designs available for $150! You’ll save on shipping and will be able to custom design your travel bars to your exact measurements for the best body mechanics. Contract a local welder to build the portable bars off our designs, and you’ll be supporting local businesses in your area.
  • ~Eventually~ a level of Endorsement will be available after testing: price TBD.
Ashiatsu barefoot massage by 10/29/2019 0Comments

Tuesday Toesday Tip- Using an extra large sheet in barefoot massage (#2)

Tuesday Toesday Tip-today we have another tip for using an extra large sheet-in this one, you don’t need rubber bands. You can either watch the video or read the transcript!

In today’s video, we show you a quick tip for if you’re using twin or extra long sheets that bag and sag on the table. Let’s get them nice and snug so you keep firm footing in your barefoot massage.

Here’s a link to the original video (2017) where I use the same sheets but rubber bands or hair ties–that’s quick and easy too and works perfectly if you don’t have a protective cover or wrap-around fleece pad.

Both of these are great tips for hands-on massage too.

You just need, in addition to sheets, an Earthlite protective cover or a fleece pad that goes all around the table (doesn’t just lay on top).

Find out more about the Earthlite protective cover with this link to the blog post I wrote a while back.

Here you go!

Pages: Page 1, Page 2
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.

Ashiatsu barefoot massage, Pro tips by 04/10/2018 0Comments

How to make more room for your feet during barefoot massage

Have you ever gotten really excited to see a new client walk into your massage office because they’re so big that they are going to be an AWESOME barefoot massage client? But then you have a moment of dismay because they are so big that you don’t have room for your feet on the table?

I’ve tried hanging on for dear life with little space for my toes. Why not do this?

  1. Because my gastrocs were screaming at me
  2. my feet were more prone to cramping (try working out a cramp with one foot while massaging with the other. I don’t recommend it.)
  3. and my hands, forearms, shoulders said an unpleasant hello to me the following day.

Today, we’re going to show you a super quick fix for how to make more room for your feet during barefoot massage when your client takes up most of the table.

Best of all, you already have the equipment you need: your short stool.

Your table is usually around 23″-24″ high, and your short stool is 24″. This is a perfect height to shimmy right up flush to your massage table.

I like to place it somewhere around my client’s hip / waist area so that I can easily access the legs, hips, and torso. Sometimes it takes a little finagling to figure out what’s the best place.

Do NOT compromise your body mechanics! If something feels “off” then change positions.

Because your pressure will be shifted into your client, your stool should be stable and not be wobbly at all.

Make sure you put your strap behind your back for safety, and if your stool feels unstable, get down and put it in a more stable position.

Remember that safety and good body mechanics are priorities.

Once you finish working on one side, simply step down, pick up your stool and replace it on the other side to rinse and repeat.

Sliding your feet into flip flops or stepping on a clean towel / yoga mat will keep your feet clean and free of debris so you don’t have to reclean them.

While all this rigamarole may feel like a huge gap in your massage, remember that your client hasn’t any other ashiatsu experience from you, so it will seem completely normal. And it really only takes a few moments to move you and your stool from one side of the table to the other.

Just make sure you smoothly get up and down off the stool and don’t jostle it about or, heaven forbid, whack him on the body with it. 😉

Let us know if you have any other scenarios you need help with by leaving a comment below!

And if you know of someone who could use this tip, make sure you pass it along.

Until next time, keep those toenails short and your feet nice and soft. 😀
And as usual, our class schedule can be found here.

 

Pro tips, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 10/17/2017 0Comments

7 electric massage table tips

{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.

Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 09/12/2017 0Comments

Tuesday TOESday: Ashiatsu Face Cradle Position

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.

Pro tips, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by 07/25/2017 0Comments

Tuesday TOESday: The magical thing you didn’t know your massage table could do.

Did you know that your portable massage table has many settings and FEETures that work awesome specifically for Barefoot Massage?

floor-massage-table
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.

Ashiatsu barefoot massage, Pro tips by 05/19/2017 0Comments

Ashiatsu massage tables

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.