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Tag: massage tips

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Ashiatsu barefoot massage, Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges, Tuesday Toesday, Why FasciAshi? by February 15, 2024 0Comments

Barefoot Massage Open Challenge 2024: coming in March!

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 what common restrictions Barefoot Massage Therapists are working around. Together, we’re compiling tips and tricks, videos, exercises and food for thought content for everyone that will help your body be ready and pain free to give a long career full of barefoot massage sessions!

Make sure to subscribe to our new SubStack, which works like a blog and newsletter in one! As we post new content, it’ll show up in your inbox, too! That’s where the challenge will be posted.

We haven’t been able to consistently post an actual ANNUAL challenge, because, well, life. It all started in 2018 and coincided with the CrossFit Open – just something for Barefoot Massage Therapists to push themselves through. We’ve had 3 so far, and this will be our 4th! The goal all along with these challenges has been for you to get out of your box and try something NEW. Our main focus when teaching FasciAshi is for you to make the techniques effective because you are educated on the theory and feel the ease of its application flow through your body. Your inner wisdom shines through when you are able to contemplate WHY or HOW your massage strokes work. When that is put into action in the most physically efficient and effective way possible for your body, you can see progress in yourself, your clients, and you’ll have a seriously better chance of staying in this profession longer.

We’ve got fresh content coming weekly starting March 8th, 2024 – but in the meantime, did you know that we’ve also got an archive of challenges from previous years?! You can dive into them for the 1st time, or the 10th!

Here’s a list of past years’ Barefoot Massage Open Challenges:

(Or just go watch the YouTube Playlist if reading is TMI RN!)

2021 “reSOLEutions”

This was a 3-month long, content creating challenge that pushed you to create NEW content on specific topics that educated YOUR community: Jump in on that challenge here – it was only 1 blog post to pull you through the entire project >>>

2019 “Mobility & Massage”

This was an ambitious 2x/week 5-week challenge that had you moving and massaging in ways to create more physical endurance and mindfulness in your sessions. Jump in on any of the weeks here>>>

2018 “Ashi-Challenge”

This was our first challenge that pushed you out of the routine and encouraged you to work more creatively than robotically. Try these challenges out and see how it changes your approach.

Stay tuned to our new SubStack for what we are preparing for you in March!

Pro tips, Why FasciAshi? by October 24, 2023 0Comments

National Massage Therapy Awareness Week: 2023

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 their practices.

If you need some facts to share with your local community, follow these links for great resources to pull from:

OK, now lets get to the juicy part:

Our tips to tune into your own awareness while giving a Barefoot Massage session.

Pulling from the resources listed above, we noticed that according to the national consumer survey from the AMTA, & & . It’s important to recognize here that a well-informed Barefoot Massage COULD be perfect for many elements of injury treatment & pain management – depending on the person & situation …both client & therapist.⁣

This doesn’t just automatically happen when you put a foot on someone. & strategically . FasciAshi is Myofascial, Neuromuscular & Stretch Therapy techniques meant to be individually sequenced as needed for each person underfoot. No two appointments are the same. The more you learn, the more barefoot technique vocabulary & reasoning skills you’ll have to customize for these clients: it just needs to be put into practice to elevate the outcomes.

SO how can you pull details out of your massage education resources from the Center for Barefoot Massage and work with more attention on your intention?

If you’ve attended any of our Center for Barefoot Massage classes already, review your manuals & check out some of the “Why’s” & the anatomical focus points to help pick strokes that work for each client individually this week. Don’t do every stroke you’ve ever learned: just do the ones they “knead!” Next, ⁣check into the mindfulness lists from our Intermediate, ROM and Advanced class manuals to hone in on the intent of your stroke as needed for the person.

Here’s an example for you to try this week in practice:

How can you make your movements/strokes more effortless on your body, but still have the same intent and focus of intensity and effectiveness for your client? Now, this isn’t an excuse to massage lazily: we are asking you to reevaluate all the physical effort you are putting into each stroke, and check yourself to see if it’s needed.

  • Can you relax your grip on the bar?
  • Can your foot on the table be aimed in better alignment with it’s same side knee and hip in a way to better distribute pressure through the working foot?
  • Are you moving with breath – and how are your movements impacting the breath of you and your client?
  • Can you just give it weight, and wait?

⁣There you go!

Take that much of a new perspective to try this week in your massage appointments: our experience has shown that it definitely helps!

(We hope to see you in class soon to teach you more!)

Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by March 27, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.4: #Massage Week 4

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!  >>>>

Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by March 24, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.5: #Mobility Week 5

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 too difficult. Narrow the grip if you had no difficulty executing the warmup drill. Repeat up to 10 times.
  • Modification or Isolation: Shoulder Pass-thru’s: just do one side at a time instead

Turbo Dog

While it might appear to be about strengthening your arms and back, there’s a lot more to it.

  • Start with Downward Dog: (Hold 5 Breaths)
  • On your hands (shoulder width apart) and knees (hip width apart)
  • Wrap your shoulder blades toward armpits, feel for activating chest muscles and upper back, and relax head and neck.
  • Inhale – Bend elbows 3 inches from the floor, moving them toward each other
  • Exhale – Straighten your legs and lift into Downward Dog.
  • Keep energy moving through your arms and chest, keep collarbones moving towards your feet.
  • Reach your forearms away from your wrists. Use your upper back, chest, and arms to hold the space between the bones of the shoulder joint.

Elevate & Depress Scaps during Scap pull-ups:

  • Begin in a normal pull-up position with a palms-away grip and hands shoulder-width apart.
  • From a full hang, with just slightly shrugged shoulders, you want to draw the scapula down and together, thus raising your body slightly but without bending your arms and pulling as in a regular pull-up.
    • The best learning cues are: Try to “bend the bar” and think about doing a reverse shrug (i.e. shoulders drawn downward). Do this, and you’ll feel your head shift backward and your chest raise upward, as your scapular pinch together.
  • Hold the top position for one second, then return to the starting position. The range of motion is only a few inches to a foot or two (when you get really strong!).
  • Do six to twelve reps, keeping nearly straight arms and tight spinal erectors and glutes throughout.

PULL-UPS YO!!!

Use your bars! Start with scap pull ups then pull all the way through!!!! Tighten all the things! You can do it!

Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by March 12, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.3: #Massage Week 3

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.

Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by March 9, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.3: #Mobility Week 3

Barefoot Massage Therapists need a good amount of strength and flexibility in their hips – which is where mobility exercises that help to create a balance between the two concepts come into play. This week, it’s time to work on those hips! Resistance bands are a great way to strengthen muscles without causing too much stress, so grab your band and get started.

Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by March 5, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.2: #Massage Week 2

Here we are: 2 weeks into the second annual Barefoot Massage Open, a weekly massage challenge for ashiatsu therapists – this Friday we’ll step into WEEK 3! But lets not get ahead of ourselves…. lets focus on the now! Today is Tuesday, which means it’s #2sdayTOESday & also massage day in our #AshiatsuChallenge…

(It’s also Mardi GrASHIATSU today!!)
Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by March 2, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.2: #Mobility Week 2

This year, for our SECOND ANNUAL ASHI-CHALLENGE (which coincides with the CrossFit Open) we bring you the BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.0: with 2x the content!!!

On Fridays, our New York Instructor Dawn Dotson will be posting mobility/stability exercises and activities for your body…. And on Tuesdays, Jeni will post challenges to do while you massage!!!

Here’s our Week #2 Mobility challenge from Dawn

Watch the video and work on this for the next week!

barefoot massage open 2.2 mobility challenge

Having knee pain? Need some mobility tips?
Here ya go! This week we focused on strengthening & mobilizing the knee ?
…..

Flexion gapping is a great way to warm up and create more space!

•To start off, grab your lacrosse ball and place it behind the knee. •Grab your shin and PULL. •Point those toes straight up and create as much tension as possible.
Hold for a few seconds and release.
……

The TKE is a great way to strengthen your legs without stressing the knee!

• Attach a resistance band to a stable object and place behind the knee. • Keep your opposite leg straight.
• Fully extend the knee and use your quads to squeeze the lockout harder.
• Drive your knee out and don’t cave in.
…..

Leg raises! Great for strengthening muscles

• With legs out straight, sit as tall as possible and point your toes towards you. • Keeping your quads together, turn them outward and continue tension in the legs.
• Try to lift your legs straight up without losing tension and keeping quads turned out.
…………….

Work on those pistols!

• Find a box or bench and slowly lower yourself keeping tension and control. • Reach your arms out for balance and look straight ahead .
…………….

Got questions about how to do these exercises?

No Prob! Ask them in the comments below, or email Dawn@BarefootMassageCenter.com

FAQ, Pro tips, The Barefoot Massage Open Ashi-Challenges by February 26, 2019 0Comments

BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.1: #MassageMusic

This year, for our SECOND ANNUAL #ASHICHALLENGE (which coincides with the CrossFit Open) we bring you the BAREFOOT MASSAGE OPEN 2.0: with 2x the content!!!

On Fridays, our New York Instructor Dawn Dotson will be posting mobility/stability exercises and activities for your body…. And on Tuesdays, Jeni Spring will post an #AshiatsuChallenge for you to do while you massage!!!

Want to catch up and do last years 2018 Barefoot Massage Open challenges? Start here!

Here’s our Week 1 #AshiChallenge

Massage Music

Watch the video to get in on the fun!

Change your massage music!

Click here to follow our FasciAshi Spotify playlists!

 

Do YOU have a great massage music playlist? Please share your link in the comments below! This is always such a frequently asked question with massage therapists, it’s sure to be helpful to another LMT!