This question means so SOO many things! Luckily, we've written blog posts on every interpretation of the question - so read these posts:

Yes. Since we are massage therapy educators, we are here to teach massage therapists. The Center for Barefoot Massage is working to help support and grow the massage industry, and is only training within the field of massage therapy, to those who have the license to touch.

So, to attend our courses, you must currently be a Licensed Massage Therapist legally eligible to provide paid, professional therapeutic massage therapy services to the public in accordance with the laws in their state.

MASSAGE STUDENTS are no longer eligible to attend UNTIL you have your state license. This is a new rule as of 2023.

BODYWORKERS who are not licensed but are allowed to practice Rolfing, Shiatsu, Thai, etc, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE to attend our courses without first obtaining a massage therapy license.

If the practitioner resides and practices in a state that is not currently regulated, then we will need you to provide a copy of your massage school transcript, showing completion of a minimum of 200 hours in-class training, and we may also require proof of professional liability insurance.

That’s actually a common misunderstanding – there is technically no weight limit in our Beginner/Intermediate level Ashiatsu training (Fundamentals, Intermediate: Supine/Sidebody and ROM.. there ARE strength and skill requirements and weight restrictions for the Fasciashi Advanced class, however.) For safety reasons for your fellow students, your future clients, and our equipment in the classroom, we are cautious and try to bring an awareness of the physicality involved with this work before you arrive for your Ashiatsu workshop with the Center for Barefoot Massage.  We will need to know your height and weight once you register, so that we can coordinate the set up of the equipment and clients that you’ll be working with. Also for safety reasons, if you weigh over 200 pounds, you are required to bring your own portable massage table – we can go over that later if necessary.

A higher than average fitness level will diminish any challenges you may experience during the workshop. We ask that you are confident that your upper arm strength can pull your body weight off the client at any moment if needed – in case you lose your balance, or in case your client needs an immediate removal of pressure. You’ll need a healthy mental and physical endurance level to maintain focus and strength in class during our daily 2.5 hour long practice rounds. We ask that you are flexible enough to stand up & down from a 24 inch stool quickly and easily from the floor in one smooth movement. You should also be able to sit on a stool with your knees close together in a cannon ball position. We sure do make Barefoot Massage look easy, but once you are standing on the table or sitting on the barstool, it’s much harder than it looks!

ASHIATSU IS MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ON CLIENTS WHO ARE 50-100 POUNDS HEAVIER THAN THE MASSAGE THERAPIST.

One thing that needs to weigh heavily on your mind: do you have the client base that even needs Ashiatsu? This deeper than deep tissue massage technique is meant to be performed on clients who are 50-100 pounds heavier than you. If you are massaging people who weigh less than you, then you’ll be working too hard against gravity – sometimes even working on someone who is comparable in size/weight to you can be more difficult to massage with your feet if they cannot tolerate deep pressure. I highly recommend that you save your FasciAshi massages for the larger framed, dense tissued clients who are difficult to work on with your hands. If you don’t have the right client base for this technique, you may want to re-evaluate why you want to learn Ashiatsu, as it’s not meant for every client, it’s not meant for every massage therapist, and if this work is utilized incorrectly, or for evil not for good so to speak, then you can cause repetitive strain issues within yourself, and easily injury your client. Being that our studio, Heeling Sole, provides only barefoot massage ALL THE TIME, all day every day, we have experienced first hand (or… first foot?!) what it feels like in our bodies to do 20 Ashiatsu sessions within a week on small bodies, and what it feels like to do the same amount of sessions on larger bodies. Ashiatsu is a big tool you’ll be using to massage with, so it has to be used on the right job.

DO YOU HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL SUPPORT THIS WORK?

You need to have a massage table that will hold your body weight, plus your heaviest client, plus a few hundred extra pounds breathing room within the working weight capacity of that table. We recommend the Earthlite Ellora or the Earthlite Spirit – or something comparable. No aluminum legged portable massage tables. Our classroom is stocked with 32″ & 35″ Earthlite Spirits, and our treatment rooms have the two versions of Earthlite Ellora’s – so you can try the tables out during your Ashiatsu training in Texas.

You will not need to bring a massage table to class. We've gotcha covered there!

We will teach you in class e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g that you will need to know on how to build your overhead bar support. Please DO NOT build your bars prior to class. There are some specific measurements and safety guidelines that go along with using the bars that we will discuss together. For liability reasons we cannot provide this information before class. Many massage therapists have had to completely re-build their bars after taking our courses because they jumped the gun and installed them before hand. Save yourself time, money and stress… just wait! Jeni and Hillary will show you how when we meet.

Equipment standards are a large part of the safety involved with our technique. Training centers are equipped with Earthlite’s “Spirit” massage tables and “Flex-rest” face cradle platforms, which have a 800 pound working weight capacity and offer the utmost padding for comfort. Strong enough to hold you, your client, and the movement created during the protocol, comfy enough to fall asleep.

The overhead bar apparatus in class are built to commercial grade code, and support well over 1000 pounds in weight – even though we don’t dangle from the bars like monkeys, it’s very nice to know that our rigging is strong and can hold us up if the entire class decides to do a pull up on their bars!

We’ll teach you in class how to build safe and sturdy bars for your own use, and we’ll discuss the many makes and models of massage tables appropriate for using during a session. 

You will receive a registration confirmation email immediately after signing up for class from info@barefootmassagecenter.com, and another one from your instructor 3-4 weeks prior to your class. In those messages you'll be provided with a specific list of things you'll need to bring - as it could vary slightly by class and location. Make sure to read everything.

If you are currently pregnant, trying to get pregnant, have recently had breast/gluteal/calf implants and/or some select surgeries within the last 9 months, we regret that you cannot attend the seminar. 

Anything contraindicated for deep tissue, or myofascial release, will be contraindicated for ashiatsu.

Speak with me to clarify your specific situation and see if Ashiatsu training through the Center for Barefoot Massage is or isn’t appropriate for you at this time. The deep compression provided by this modality could be dangerous for those still recovering from invasive procedures or ailments, and is not safe for prenatal therapists or their growing babies to receive this style of work.

It is not our intention to discourage or discriminate anyone from taking this class, we must focus on a quality workshop experienced by all and maintain the safety standards of the modality.  However, we do try to portray the amount of fitness that will eliminate some obstacles and make class more enjoyable for all therapists.

No. Here's why:

Updated 11/27/2024

The cancellation policy takes effect once you sign up for a class. By signing up, your 50% retainer or payment in full serves as your commitment to training, your agreement to the Training and Use Agreement, and your acceptance of the Cancellation Policy.

Because class participation involves receiving strokes from another student and the instructor, you must be healthy and able to receive deep tissue and myofascial bodywork. If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, have had breast, gluteal, or calf implants, or have undergone certain surgeries within the past nine months, are currently undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, or have any condition contraindicated for deep tissue massage, you cannot attend the seminar at this time. You are welcome to attend after you recover and when receiving deep, prone-positioned massage is appropriate for your health.

Refunds

• There are no refunds for the 50% retainer/deposit fee.

• All sales are final for attended classes.

Continuing Education Credits

• You must attend the entire course to receive NCBTMB Continuing Education credits (CE’s). Partial credits are not available.

• Any missed hours must be made up with the instructor at their hourly rate before you receive access to post-class support materials such as videos.

• All attendees of any Center for Barefoot Massage class will be emailed a PDF diploma showing the number of Continuing Education hours/credits they earned, with the date, location and instructor of the class they attended documented.  This diploma serves as proof of training as well as a CE Transcript, it may be used for your own display, and is useful for submitting to state massage and association boards for renewals.

• CE’s provided are referred to as a “diploma”, and are in accordance with all accreditation boards that the Center for Barefoot Massage is affiliated with. Your CE’s are not proof of any form of “certification.” You will not become “certified” and cannot use any “certification” terminology in reference to your training at the Center for Barefoot Massage.

Retainer To Reserve Your Space

• A non-refundable retainer of at least 50% is required to hold your space in class.

• If you cancel, all monies paid will be retained by The Center for Barefoot Massage to offset the loss of business to the instructor and the company.

• Retainers cannot be transferred to other individuals.

• You must meet all prerequisites for the class at least 15 days before it starts; otherwise, you will be removed from the roster with no refund or roll-over option.

If We Cancel

The Center for Barefoot Massage will always give ample notice to any party impacted by any class cancellation and will follow the company cancellation policies.

• The Center for Barefoot Massage may cancel a class up to 14 days before the start date if there is insufficient interest (standard minimum: 50% capacity for instructors home-base studio, 75% capacity for offsite/travel classes)

• If we cancel, you may choose either a full refund or a transfer of your retainer to another class within 18 months of original purchase date.

Deadlines For Students Rescheduling Their Training Dates

• 30+ days before class: You may reschedule without fees. Your retainer will be applied to another class within 18 months. Funds not used within 18 months will expire.

• 16–29 days before class: A $75 roll-over fee applies unless you provide proof of an emergency (e.g., COVID-19, illness, injury, pregnancy, family death, or extreme weather). This special emergency consideration will be allowed one time at the discretion of their instructor, and proof must be provided in writing (including any doctors notes to show diagnoses or surgery) prior to the start of class. Reschedule within 18 months or forfeit unused funds.

• 2–15 days before class: Late cancellations may forfeit 50% of your retainer. Emergencies may allow rescheduling with a $75 roll-over fee, pending approval.

• 2 days or fewer/no show: All payments are forfeited with no roll-over option.

Fees

• The roll-over fee is $75.

• Refunds for tuition payments beyond the retainer will incur a 10% processing fee.

Tuition Prices

• For travel classes (not at the instructor’s home base), tuition will include an additional $100. This will be reflected in your registration.

Travel Reservations

Do not purchase non-refundable travel tickets/reservations until the class is confirmed at least 14 days in advance. The Center for Barefoot Massage is not responsible for travel-related cancellation costs.

By signing up for a class with us, you also agree to the Center for Barefoot Massage’s Training & Use Policy, which you can read here.