Happy Star Wars Day! Today Mary-Claire is going to tell you about how your barefoot massage training is like Star Wars. Seriously.

(Don’t miss todays Foot Note Quote on Instagram from Jeni, and her take on Star Wars and FasciAshi!)

Going back to the good old days of young Luke Skywalker, you know from the beginning that his life is about to change when he discovers his family murdered by Storm Troopers. ::Spoiler Alert!!:: He doesn’t know he has talents that lie within him, that he may be the one who will bring balance to the Force, yet when he meets Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda, that all changes.

Both Obi-Wan and Yoda are  wise (if not enigmatic) souls, and they guide young Luke to discover his latent talent. Yoda’s plan is for Luke to delve deep in his mind and body to morph him into a new, stronger man.

Through practice and sage advice, Luke discovers that he has strength in body and spirit.

But Luke wants to give up–it’s hard work to learn to be a Jedi. He’s not going through the old ways of learning at the Jedi Temple, he’s on a streamlined path of training, he’s travelling the Galaxy to find the lost guru. He’s merging the old with the new. Darth Vader challenges him to take action, which Luke must accept because he needs to save the galaxy and balance the forces of evil with good.

Along the way, there are many challenges. He learns that the dark lord Vader IS HIS FATHER! ::GASP! Big spoiler there: he loses a hand. His mentors disappear. He must convince the evil crime lord Jabba the Hutt to demand the beast release his friends. Luke’s challenges are beyond what he could have imagined a short time earlier, but he transforms himself into an amazing, knowledgeable, resourceful Jedi.

Imagine now that you are Luke, and your massage life is good until you discover that that you have aches and pains more frequently. And you realize that one day, massage life as you know it may be over. The pain accompanied by giving your clients the deep tissue work they want feels like it may kill you.

But then you discover your wise Jedi masters, our instructors at Center for Barefoot Massage. These women have years of knowledge and experience, and they are willing to guide you into a new path to resist the light and the dark forces within (your broken body).

In just 3 days, your instructor teaches you skills that will change your life. Over the course of four (and more to come!) classes, you will hone your skills and become one with the force. (The forces of gravity, that is!)

But you must be willing to go on that journey, to practice and receive feedback.

You may complain that it’s too hard-your body hurts because you’ve learned to move it in new ways. Perhaps you whine because you’re not as good as you want to be immediately after class. (“But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!” says Luke.)

Or maybe you get aggravated because your instructor makes the massage look so easy.

The membership site and our private FB FasciAshi Tribe group, along with your instructor, are there to support you in your challenge of learning a new way of life.

You may encounter problems along the way-maybe clients think feet are weird. It’s too hard. There’s so much to learn.

“Fear is the path to the dark side…”

Don’t be afraid. Like young Luke Skywalker, you’ll persevere and will become the best Jedi barefoot therapist there is.

May the force (of gravity) be with you today in your massages, and may the Foot be with you, always.

May the 4th be with us all.