While working in the massage therapy industry for 6 years, I decided to explore other styles of massage that could benefit my clients. I found Ashiatsu! This is a beautiful style of bodywork that utilizes the bare feet to perform the massage. “Ashi’ means Foot, and “atsu” means pressure.
Ashiatsu’s earliest sightings in history of this practice are said to have began in India. The practice of “Chavutti Thirumal,” aka foot pressure in the Malayalam language, has been around for over 2,000 years!
This was actually a practice of massage where the client lies on a mat on the ground, and the therapist would use a rope or two if needed that hangs from the ceiling as a way to control how much pressure they would apply with their feet. This practice was often used to help warriors recover from injuries they received in training or in battle. The pressure they applied was very deep and intense.
Over the years, this art of using one’s feet to apply pressure to the massage recipient was adopted by many cultures all over Asia such as Thailand, Japan, China, Korea, and even on some Pacific Islands. Each of these different modalities has unique traits and purposes and each has its own unique benefits and risks.
How I practice massage therapy takes the root of the practice and apply it in a deeply relaxing and luxurious way. I have found that when massage is applied with the feet, more pressure can be applied even to those who don’t necessarily like deep pressure.
Try it out and see the benefits it can bring to your life.
