It’s hailed as the deepest, most luxurious massage on the planet, and Nanaimo’s Brenda Green is one of only a few people in Canada doing it.
It’s called Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, and it’s a mix of traditional Swedish massage and barefoot massage. Green was in Parksville Sunday, offering her services to the long-distance bike riders in the annual Bike For Your Life event at the community centre. She has been doing it for two years, after making a career change from adult literacy work. Se said the change has done her a lot of good.
Trained initially in traditional massage, Green jumped at the chance to learn about Ashiatsu in Arizona. What that meant for her clients, was a deeper massage, using her feet. Yet, instead of putting her full weight on someone’s back, she uses a set of custom wooden bars to suspend herself over the customer.
“Many times, I’m well into the massage when people ask me when I’m going to be using my feet,” she said.
The feet, she explains, are very sensitive and using this, they can find pressure points and knots in the muscles and work them out. It’s a deep, therapeutic massage, Green said, but not overwhelming, nor painful, as the foot has a broader surface than the hands and fingers.
“Wow is the word I hear most often from my customers,” she said.
For her, the move to Ashiatsu massage has meant less hand and upper body pain, a lament common in traditional massage therapists.
Green said she is one of around 10 people in Canada using Ashiatsu massage and already her clientele is growing. She has been out to a variety of area events — such as Bike For Your Life in Parksville — showcasing her skills. She added it always draws a good level of interest.
Great for all types of bodies, especially for people with tight, restricted muscle movement, Ashiatsu is also great for runners and other athletes (even weekend warriors and office workers).
To learn more about Ashiatsu Oriental Bar therapy, visit the Ashiatsu Massage Studio website at www.ashiatsu.ca or call 1-250-734-3102.