What is Ashiatsu massage?
Ashiatsu massage is a technique that uses the practitioners feet to provide pressure to the client’s body. Ashiatsu is a unique modality that can help you find ease and comfort from pain. I know when I first tried it, I saw a 200 pound massage therapist and thought “Uh oh. He’s gonna crush me.” but when the massage was over I was floating on a cloud and couldn’t believe I hadn’t felt any pain! The therapist I saw had given me a deep tissue massage that didn’t hurt?! How could this be? I had never felt so good after a deep tissue appointment so I decided then and there I had to find out more. Once I did, I realized I had to find someone to train me in it!
Ashiatsu Origins:
Ashiatsu is over 3,000 years old and its history spans many cultures and countries from Japan to the Philippines and India to Hawaii. Seem like people have long known that being walked on feels great! Here in the United States, it is still a relatively new style of massage that not many people have experienced. Most people think of barefoot massage as a deep tissue technique and while it is absolutely amazing for deep work, it can also be used for Swedish style relaxation. Ashiatsu allows a practitioner to use their body weight more effectively and creates higher muscle compression due to the surface area of the feet allowing for a deep yet relaxing experience.
What is Ashiatsu Good for?
Ashiatsu is known to improve posture, relieve pain and stress and help with spinal problems. It stretches the spine more effectively than traditional massage, allowing the spine to elongate. Opening the space between the spinal discs is a tension reliever and stretches the long muscles of the back relieving discomfort from spinal compression and shortened muscles. Anyone who sits for long periods of time sees incredible results from Ashiatsu because the long, consistent compression releases knots and chronic holding patterns which encourages your body’s natural healing response to activate. Whether you drive a desk or run marathons, this modality can be incredible for receiving deep tissue work with greater results in a shorter amount of time and with less pain.
Many clients ask for a massage to “hurt”. They believe that no pain is no gain but research is showing that this is not true and that painful, traditional deep tissue massage can having lasting damage on tissue and nerves. Ashiatsu, however, avoids this issue because pressure is spread through the larger surface area of the foot. When this occurs and there is less pain, it means the client can stay relaxed so the body can receive deeper healing, faster. It is in relaxed states, such as sleep, meditation or massage, that our body does its best healing work.