Category Archives: Meet each Myofascial Ashiatsu Instructor

Get to know ever Center for Barefoot Massage Myofascial Ashiatsu Instructor!

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Spotlight! Myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Training on the Central California Coast with instructor Missy Anderson-Fritch

Experienced Barefoot Massage Therapist? Check. Business owner, mom, been in the biz almost a quarter of a century? CHECK! We’re excited to introduce this new member of our team to you: Meet Missy from San Luis Obispo, our Central California Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Instructor!

missy-anderson-fritch-barefoot-massage-instructor

Her 1st class is December 1-3, 2022: sign up by November 1st and join Missy and Jeni for a fabulous weekend in the FasciAshi Fundamentals class!

Sign up here

Your name

Missy Anderson-Fritch

Pets? 

Dog named Mister (a sassy 6-year-old husky/pit mix), 2 black cats- Romeo & Juliette, 11-year-old siblings born on the fall Equinox… how very witchy.

Tell us about your family too.

Single mom of two teenage boys Marshall 17 & Carter 16. Marshall does JuJitsu. Carter is gonna be a rock star.

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Meet Jeni Spring: the Center for Barefoot Massage’s president and co-founder

Jeni Spring is her name, and barefoot massage is her game! If you’ve giggled at pun-ny funny ashiatsu sayings, if you’ve heard of Heeling Sole in San Antonio, if any #2sDayTOESday tips have helped your workday, if you’ve needed inspiration for ashiatsu at events, or if you use an Ashi-Strap in your practice (or have at least seen them in pictures) – then you’ve seen some of the footprints she’s leaving on the massage world. Lets get to know the #BossLady behind the Center for Barefoot Massage!

Meet Jeni Spring

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Spotlight! Barefoot Massage Training in CA with instructor Ashley Shears

Have you dreamed of moving to the west coast to enjoy a life where you can walk outside barefoot 24/7? Our barefoot Instructor-in-Training Ashley Shears has done just that! While we may be a little envious of that beach life, we’re excited to introduce her to you!

Your name

Ashley Shears

Pets? 

Although I’m currently pet-less, I had many pets growing up! I had 2 cocker spaniels (Sam & Sadie), 1 black lab (Scotty), 2 cats (Oscar & Misty), 4 finches (Minnie, Mickey, Daisy, & Donald) [My family loved Disney!], and a hamster my brother named Muffin. 

Tell us about your family too.

I grew up in a small railroad town in northeast Indiana. Though my family was small (just my brother and me), we had lots of cousins which made it seem like our family was huge! Most of my family still lives in my small town with the exception of my brother, who lives in Colorado, and myself. 

What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

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Barefoot Massage Class Instructor Spotlight: Erin Poovey

Fun fact: Colorado Springs was recently named the best city to live in for the 2nd year in a row (US News & World Report). Visit Helen Hunt Falls, the Manitou Incline in Manitou Springs, paddleboard in the Springs, or get a massage from one of Erin’s gifted therapists. And now, meet Erin!

Your name?

Erin Poovey

Pets? 

I’m a crazy plant lady but no pets currently.

My husband and I keep talking about getting chickens. I think that would be so fun. 

Tell us about your family!

Married to Justin for 6 years and I’m mama to Norah Luna. She’s 2. I’m a completely obsessed mama so be fair warned that if you follow my personal social media its just Norah. They keep my life full of light and fun.

What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

In elementary school, I wanted to be a teacher. I totally forgot about that until thinking about this question. Guess that came true <3

Where do you teach?

I teach in Colorado Springs Colorado at my business Camino Massage Therapy.

What’s cool about your city (or fun things to do)?

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Barefoot Massage Training Instructor Spotlight: Dawn Dotson

Nestled amongst trees and goats in Delmar, near Albany, NY, is our barefoot massage training instructor Dawn. Yoga (including Goat Yoga!) and mobility training are her jam, along with barefoot massage for athletes. And she likes to TYPE IN ALL CAPS. 😆

Your name

Dawn Rochelle Dotson

Pets?

Doggie: Lola,
Goats: Benni & Joon

Tell us about your family!

I have a large family mostly in the greater Seattle area of Washington state.

My immediate family is:

✓ Son: KC /25yr/ CrossFit coach, cf affiliate owner, Olympic lifter. He takes after mom. Loves to watch people move & their mechanics.

✓ Hubs/Corey/old dude/ environmentalist / musician /  working on the compound & playing disc golf now days

What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

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Learn Barefoot Massage with Instructor: Julie Marciniak

When you meet our Durham barefoot training instructor Julie in person, you may be fooled by her petite size. Her sweet-sounding Southern way of talking is simply sugar coating on her wickedly deep and specific feet, which she uses to Rolf. 

Your name?
Julie H Marciniak

Tell us about your pets!

Jack is our last dachshund baby. We lost Max right before Christmas this year. He was a dachshund too.

Introduce us to your family.

My eldest is our son Blake, SPC (Specialist) in the Army. Our daughter Michaela is a sophomore in college. My husband is Michael, a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard (his photo is in the header.).

What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

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Barefoot Massage Class Instructor Spotlight: Sara Newberry

Sara in St. Louis is the owner of Sole Shine Barefoot Massage, located in an eclectic neighborhood in St. Louis. Fun fact: she has a very large painted plaster foot outside her office (see it in the photo of her studio)!

Your name

Sara Newberry 

Tell us about your pets.

2 Cats- Sully & Weekend (Their names came from the shelter. Weekend is unusual and I thought surely my kids would change her name but it stuck. She came in with a litter on the weekend (hence her name) but her brothers and sisters were all named Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Weekend We ended up with Weekend) 1 Dog- Mickey. He’s super old and barks a lot

Tell us about your family!

I have 2 kids, 1 stepdaughter. I’m a single mom of two with an amazing partner named Stephen. My mom passed away almost 3 years ago and I’ve been a guide for others going through the grief process since then. 

What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

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Barefoot Massage Training Instructor Spotlight: Hillary Arrieta

Today’s Barefoot Massage Instructor spotlight is coming at you from Richardson, TX, a suburb of Dallas. Say hello to Hillary!

Your name

Hillary Arrieta

Tell us about your puppies.

I have two dogs, Winnie (Maltese mix age 11) Luna (Great Pyrenees mix age 3). Both are girls. (And she shamelessly puts capes on them sometimes).

Tell us about your family too!

NAH…hahah! Just kidding. My husband and I have been married for 10 years and we love to do things with our dogs and travel when we can. He has a nerdy job with a company where he makes 3D printed collectibles and props for movies.  

What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

I wanted to work for myself because I have a strong need for autonomy. It’s also in my blood. My grandpa owned his own service station for 50 years in the small town where my mom grew up and I always looked up to him.

Where do you teach?

I teach in a suburb of Dallas, Texas called Richardson at my workshop space at Gaia Bodywork.

What’s cool about your city?

Richardson is a great place to EAT. Especially if you like a large variety for all different kinds of food. 

Which classes do you teach?

I teach FUNdamentals, Fijian, and the Relax track classes (currently Hot Ashi).

How has doing barefoot massage changed your career?

It’s made me enjoy massage therapy so much more. I don’t get bored and I feel like it’s creative and challenging every day. I use my mind and my body which I think helps to keep me engaged.

What do you love about teaching barefoot massage?

I love seeing my students get excited. For some of them, It’s been a long time since they’ve felt passionate about their career. I feel like I get to be a part of bringing that spark back to their massage practice.

Other than doing barefoot massage until you die, what would you do when it comes time to retire?

Move to Costa Rica, be a beach bum, and chill out with a billion dogs on the beach. 

Hobbies?

Herbalism and kitchen witchery, reading, walking, gardening, and skin care. 

Can you drive a stick shift, scooter, motorcycle, boat? (If so, what? Or any other random thing you can drive.

Nope. hahah!

Any tips to keep yourself healthy as a massage therapist?

I think sleep is super important because I need that regeneration time and also taking breaks to keep a healthy mindset. 

What’s a random thing that most people don’t know about you?

I use to take syncronized swimming classes growing up. I don’t think you can get any more random than that! HAHA!

What are your favorite foods?

Pizza.

Where have you been published?

✓ ThriveGlobal.com

✓ Spotlight on Fijian Massage

Where can people schedule an appointment with you? 

🌎At Gaia in Richardson! (Note: Mary-Claire here. I had a client who visited Hillary when he was in town for a wedding. He LOVED his barefoot massage!)

🌎 Find Hillary at the Center for Barefoot Massage 

🌎 Texas Ashiatsu: Instagram

🌎 GaiaBodywork: Instagram

Hillary’s official bio:

Hillary Arrieta is a holistic wellness expert, licensed massage therapist, industry educator, and small business owner. She specializes in barefoot massage and Ayurvedic therapies to help her health-conscious clients reach their wellness goals.

Located in Dallas, Texas, Hillary’s customized sessions are infused with Western herbalism, aromatics, mediation, and restorative bodywork to ease her clients towards radiance and joyful living.

Hillary has taught massage therapists since 2008 from the basic certification program to her own workshops at Gaia Bodywork. Hillary has the honor of teaching as an approved instructor for the Center for Barefoot Massage. She strives to create an organized and comfortable learning environment.

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Learn Barefoot Massage with Spotlight Instructor: Sharon Bryant

Today’s Barefoot Massage Training Instructor spotlight is Sharon, our multi-faceted hoola hooping, pirating, ukelele playing instructor, who is a whiz at creating pickled concoctions.

Your name:

Sharon Bryant (no, I’m not related to Bear Bryant, that we know of…)

Pets?

Maddie and Gypsy, my precious rescued fur babies (dogs). Gypsy is our little girl, a black lab mix that is around 8 years old. She came to us so frightened we had to adopt another dog to break through her fear of EVERYTHING.

After an entire year working with her, she still couldn’t take a treat from my hand. Maddie is our big girl. We adopted her from the pound where she’d been incarcerated for half of her short little life (she was about 6 months old). She was on the list for euthanization and we sprung her literally two days before it was her time. She is now around 6.5 years old. She’s a boxer, German shepherd, rottweiler mix and is an awesome dog. They are both ROTTEN.