Category Archives: Ashiatsu barefoot massage

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Antibiotics, viruses and barefoot massage – part 2

In Part 1 of Antibiotics, Viruses, and Barefoot Massage, I talked about 4 types of common viruses and when how long you should avoid contact with your massage clients who have these viruses. Today, it’s all about antibiotics.

Both viruses and bacteria can be spread by inhalation of microorganisms or spores via close personal contact, via sneezing, coughing, or even laughing.

Remember that antibiotics don’t work for viruses, but they’re instead used to fight the bacteria harmful to human health. We’ll go over bad bacteria types, different antibiotics, what they’re used for, and how this affects your barefoot massage.

While antibiotics may be taken preventively (say, prior to oral surgery), for the sake of this blog we’ll assume that your massage client is taking antibiotics to fight a systemic infection.

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Success is no accident

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing. – Pelé

Why you should continue to take continuing ed ce classes in barefoot massage…

This is day 4 of 5- our team of barefoot massage instructors is getting 2 feet deep into learning two of the Center for Barefoot Massage’s new courses.

We began with instructor training with a FasciAshified version of Fijian (with permission from Fijian founder Lolita Knight) and are completing our barefoot training with our new class, Hot Ashi. 

(Not all instructors will teach both modalities-you’ll get to travel to learn from and meet other instructors!)

Our instructors all specialize in barefoot massage.

But there’s always room to grow and to learn.

We instructors all are considered experts in our field, and yet we all continue to tweak our moves and discover new barefoot modalities. We work with other instructors to find how we can do better, how we can problem solve more efficiently.

Some therapists think that if they learn something once, they can “figure the other stuff out” on their own. Maybe, and maybe not.

Did you know that all of our instructors have been in a Fundamentals class at least 3-4 times? We have our own instructor certification process just like you do for the Center for Barefoot Massage’s certification.

And we retake classes. As the co-founder, I drove to St. Louis from Cincinnati to take Intermediate with Jeni and Sara even though I’d already been teaching it.

Why? Because we learn tips and tricks and hear new questions in every class.

We receive barefoot massages (it’s a great way to learn what you like and what you don’t about someone else’s barefoot massage technique), we take massage courses, ask questions and continue our quest for knowledge.

Some massage therapists think if they’ve taken a class once, there’s no need to take it again. Or maybe they believe they should get a “pass” for having done barefoot massage for a few years (or even a lot) and don’t want to start at the beginner level.

Newsflash!

You always learn something new. If you don’t know the intention behind the strokes you’ve memorized, don’t know which muscles you’re working on, then it’s time to study.

This may be by simply diving into your manual again or it might mean taking a 1-day Revitalize refresher. For those who take a long time to put up their bars or don’t do much barefoot massage, we recommend retaking a course.

Want to just get better?

Retake a course. It doesn’t matter if you learn from the same barefoot massage instructor or you go to another barefoot massage training location. Every class is an opportunity for you to be the best you can be.

Here at the Center for Barefoot Massage, our team of Sole Sisters continues to learn and train so we can be the best in our personal practices.

We also want to share our love and knowledge of barefoot massage with other massage therapists.

Our team of instructors is phenomenal. We’ve laughed, worked, brainstorm, and have given feedback on what will make our courses more successful for you.

Top row, L to R: Sara, Hillary, Sharon, Julie, Dawn, Erin, Bottom row: Mary-Claire & Jeni 

Because in turn, we can help you become more successful in your barefoot massage biz. And you can help the public.

How many lives can be positively influenced by your taking more classes?

We’re guessing a lot.

Our class schedule is HERE. We’d love to see you in another class again!

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Antibiotics, viruses and barefoot massage – part 1

Nobody wants to work on sick clients. In fact, we’re not legally allowed to in Ohio. Especially this time of year, when we are in close proximity with multiple clients in often small, heated rooms, it’s important to understand who you can work on in regards to common illnesses. Today, I’m going to talk about the difference between viruses and when antibiotics are used.

Part 1 focuses on 4 common viruses, how long they’re contagious, and the symptoms. At the end of the post, I’ve got a list of what to do if a sick person has come into the office. Part 2, coming next Friday, concentrates on antibiotics, their use, and contraindications.

Will antibiotics help?

Antibiotics will not improve viral infections–we just need to “ride them out”.  Antibiotics are prescribed for the treatment of a bacterial infection, but they are NOT effective against viral infections.

Viral infections, and how long to keep people off your massage table.

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Introducing the world’s first Hot Ashi barefoot massage training

On Wednesday, I wrote about the deliciousness of using heat during a massage. Because of the multitude of benefits that the combination of heat and massage can provide, instructor Sara Newberry and I  (Mary-Claire Fredette) teamed together to create the world’s first…

Hot Ashi!

It’s a combination of heated Mother Earth Pillows and, you guessed it, barefoot massage! It’s first in our specialty class lineup.

A little history on how this came about…

I’ve been doing barefoot massage since 2002. The trouble is that my hands and feet were always cold after washing them. A heating pad has been my feet’s friend since about Day 1. When I learned “thermal connective tissue release” Pillossage with Mother Earth founder Karen Kowal back in 2011, I knew I had found the answer to my cold hands.

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Using heat in conjunction with barefoot massage

Almost ALL of us love to be warm when we get a massage. There’s something so comforting about even just lying down on a heated massage table. It’s like stepping into a warm bubble bath, knowing you relaxation is going to commence immediately.

Using heat in your massage

Have you ever dabbled with using heat for a massage? Maybe you’ve played around using a heating pad to keep your clients feet warm, or set a small oscillating heater to blow warm air on your clients.

Perhaps you’ve draped warm Mother Earth pillows over an aching joint or shoulders, because you know how good that feels.

(As I write this, I’m alternating a Mother Earth flax pillow between my lap and my shoulders. Ahh…)

Let’s talk about the benefits of heat.

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Our barefoot massage team wants to tell you something!

No matter what you’re celebrating today – “Merry Christmas!”, “Happy Holidays!”, “Happy Kwanzaa!”, or even “¡Feliz Navidad!”, we hope you’re having an awesome time with family and friends.?

Each one of our team members took a few minutes out of our busy schedules to send you a message. We hope you like it.  ❤️

What are you doing this week? Pop your answers into the comments! We’d love to hear from you.

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Sucking at table etiquette: and how to turn a duckling into a swan

If you’re not aware of how you use both your feet and hands (applying lubricant, moving sheets or limbs, etc.) then it’s quite possible you aren’t giving your clients the best massage ever.

And that’s our goal. Every. Dang. Time. 

You may be amazing in treating your clients with the appropriate pressure and perfect moves, but if everything else isn’t spot on, fuggedaboutit.

From Jiffy Lube to Sheet Shredders, here’s what to look out for:

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Warm pillow for client comfort

In this Tuesday Toesday tip, we’ll show you how to add in a delightfully warm pillow to enhance your barefoot or hands-on massage. It’s perfect for the winter or even if you keep air conditioning running in your massage room year ’round.

Items needed (in addition to your massage table and all that jazz):

❀ an inexpensive heating pad. I actually like them better than the expensive, flexible ones for this trick.
❀ a standard pillowcase to cover the heating pad. Small is good.
❀ a king pillow (not a bolster) with a pillowcase on it. King is better than standard as even your sprawling clients will have support under their legs.
❀ a massage table heating pad, turned on

(The “how-to” video’s at the bottom of this post.)

Cover the heating pad with the standard case. You could use the one that comes with it, but you only get one and it will need to be washed if you stand on it. Fold the corners over like you’re wrapping a present so you know where the heating pad actually is (this prevents you from placing the pillow on what appears to be the heating pad but is actually just the pillowcase).

Place the heating pad on a stable surface-I use a stool with a folded blanket on top to protect the wood. I have also used a heat-resistant cutting board. It’s misplaced in a “safe place” right now, though.

You could use a chair or a table with something to protect it from the heat on it or even on top of a large hot towel cabi. Whatever you use, make sure the surface won’t get ruined with a hot heating pad on it.

Turn on the heating pad. I turn in on HIGH. When using one that has an actual temperature gauge, I set it to the 140°F’s to 150°F (60°C to 65.5°C. Make it too hot, and you’ll start dancing the Hot Foot Jig.

Place the pillow (in the pillowcase) on top of the heating pad. As it lies there, it’ll get super warm wherever the pillow is touching the heating pad.

When your client’s on the table, flip the pillow over so the heated side is UP, and slide it under your client’s legs. It’ll be super warm and feel amazing.

If you’re doing barefoot massage, put the heating pad on the floor and stand on it after you’ve cleaned your feet (I stand on it when I’m lubricating my client’s back). Your feet will be super cozy and warm when you start your barefoot massage. (You can see HERE how I keep my feet warm on even those days when I’m chilled to the bone.)

They can’t believe that you have even more magic feet than your amazing moves have shown thus far.

Do your massage thing.

When it’s time to flip the client over, pull out the pillow.

TURN IT OVER so the side that WAS down is now UP. Place it under your client’s legs.

More oohing and ahhing will commence.

You’re welcome. 😉

Who needs to have an awesome tip like this? Share this quick and easy, inexpensive tip to help them improve their massage!

 

 

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Before you sign up for our barefoot massage training

Jeni and Mary-Claire did a podcast earlier in the year with Allissa of Massage Business Blueprint entitled, “What to Know Before Taking a Massage CE Class” (episode 147). In it, we covered many important things to know before signing up for any massage class.

Today, I’m going to mention some specifically relating to our ashiatsu classes (we can go on and on ad nauseam on the subject in general.)  😉

Before you sign up for our barefoot massage class, understand basic yet important need-to-know items such as:

❀ What are your goals for learning barefoot massage? We don’t want you 2 feet deep into class before you realize that your client base (or target clientele) won’t want deep tissue barefoot massage. If you want to work (or do work already) on athletes or deep tissue clients, then perfect!

❀ Do you have health issues? Can you receive deep tissue compressive massage? You’ll be receiving a lot in our classes- 2 + hours for each of the 1st 2 days.

Topical allergies? Please let us know ahead of time. We don’t want you breaking out due to someone’s detergent or foot cleaner. 

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5 Reasons to Learn FasciAshi Barefoot Massage

5-reasons-to-learn-fasciashi

Why should you start to consider using your FEET to massage with? I can think of a million reasons, but I boiled it down to just enough to count on one foot. 5 reasons to learn FasciAshi Barefoot Massage. Just five. Read on to see if we can further romance you into learning our favorite way to do deep tissue, myofascial release and trigger point work with our FasciAshi style of barefoot massage therapy.