Strange title, right? Why would we tell you to not take our ashiatsu certification training when we obviously want people to take our classes? While this may come across as a little snarky, it’s not meant to be–it’s honest insight on if you’ll be a good fit for our barefoot massage workshops.

We are not for everyone. Craniosacral is not the best massage for the client who wants deep tissue and barefoot massage is over the top for clients who are petite or want a feather touch.

There’s a fair amount of competition for barefoot massage certification training.

You can learn online with some companies. Maybe you think you can figure it out from YouTube videos with no formal training at all. Or find an old DVD on the topic.

We are not your people.

Maybe you’re cool with instructors who bought into a teaching program and received their nice, neat little packet explaining how to teach. Perhaps they even did a live class with an instructor trainer.

Maybe you prefer to train with a massage therapist who has never made a dent in their local community with their barefoot massage business. You don’t mind that they don’t have a model massage business or actively practice the work they teach.

You think to yourself: It’s just massage, not rocket science. It’s not that important for the instructor to set a good example, or to live and breathe the material they present.

It’s OK with you that an instructor has only been massaging with their feet for a year, and teach not because it’s their passion, but just simply as a hobby or to make money.

It could be that you are really a tightwad conservative in your spending, and you don’t think it’s worth the money to take a class that may cost more than others.

Travel expenses, time away from work, lodging, etc. are all pricey, and maybe it’s simply not worth the money to invest in your career at this time.

You only want your massage CE hours so you can check off a little box for your continuing ed requirements for your state, AMTA or ABMP.

That’s ok. We’re perfectly fine if you don’t take our ashiatsu training.
Perhaps you think that one class is just like another. I mean, it’s barefoot massage, right? Forget the research about what makes companies different. Take the closest ashiatsu training course and call it a day.

Or maybe you are the one who schedules a session with the busiest, hardest working ashiatsu therapist in town, just so you can feel how they massage with their feet. You assume you can easily steal the moves and recreate the same quality work.

Feel and steal.

That’s cute.

You may think that you should automatically be certified in a modality because you showed up and stayed awake for all of the massage training. (That’s actually called attendance, which is required for CE hours, not certification.)
No problem.
You are not our people. And we are totally fine with that.

Our people:

• look to raise the standard in the massage industry and seek out live training from accredited sources that only teach massage techniques to licensed massage therapists. (Not unlicensed bodyworkers or health professionals outside the massage field – like chiropractors and acupuncturists.)
• are willing to invest in their careers, because they know it’s a smart business and career move.
• believe that myofascial barefoot massage makes sense and works.
• don’t mind taking time off work and traveling, because they know that being surrounded by a live group of therapists can network and connect them to like-minded peers.
• want to learn something other than the fluff-and-buff massage techniques they see in lots of videos.
• love being part of a tight, caring community.
• know that reviewing anatomy as they learn barefoot massage challenges them to become more knowledgeable in their craft.
• appreciate having a continually growing membership site with useful videos and downloadables.
• continue learning on a regular basis by involvement in community and taking more classes.
• may be a little messy when they work-tank tops, messy buns, etc. (You don’t have to be, but it’s OK if you are!)
• care about healing others in a way that allows them to continue their career without injury to themselves.
• value and respect the expertise of our instructor team, who all specialize in barefoot massage in our own busy practices.
• understands that safety is a priority and want tried-and-true ashiatsu bar design with customized consultation from a team who’s been there, done that.
• show their excitement with appreciation when a new Tuesday Toesday Tip or blog post hits home for them.
• can laugh at themselves when they make a mistake and chalk it up to a good learning experience (like that time I sat on a client’s hair becuase I didn’t see it on lying on my stool. Hey-it was dark in the room!)
• understand that certification means more than just showing up for class--it holds them to a higher standard where they can prove that not only do they practice ashiatsu well, but they understand why they are doing what they’re doing.

We love our people❤️

If you’re one of our people, we’d love to have you in a class one day and meet you in person! You can find out more about our classes here.

Or visit us on social media. We’re not keeping up with the Joneses. We’re just being ourselves and providing awesome content in a slightly quirky fashion.

Facebook? We’re there.

Instagram? Yup.

Twitter? Indeed.