Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy
Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy is a deep tissue massage technique utilizing the feet.
Nov 8, 2006
I welcome my guest, Carol A. Niemi, a Registered Massage Therapist from Houston, TX specializing in Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy
Can you briefly explain the type of massage you practice and why someone might choose to try this particular massage technique?
Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy is deep, compression effleurage done with the massage therapist’s feet using the power of the legs and the weight of the body to impact the deeper muscle layers as well as more accessible surface tissues. It is performed on a standard massage table on bare skin with cream or oil using overhead bars for the therapist’s balance and to hold weight off the client’s body when appropriate. It is a deep tissue technique with a Swedish feel, incorporating long, gliding strokes and relaxing sequences. This westernized adaptation of several Eastern techniques is for those who prefer deep massage as well as those with thick or well-developed muscles who have trouble feeling the impact of massage done with the hands. It is particularly effective on the muscles of the lower back, gluts, the length of the spine, hamstrings and shoulders, so it is often chosen by athletes and others affected in these areas
In your opinion, what makes a good massage therapist or massage practitioner?
Certainly an individual who is sensitive to the needs and wishes of each client, with sufficient training to practice their chosen modalities and a good dose of professionalism. For many modalities, a good therapist needs to be quite strong physically, and willing to use that power. The best therapists will manage to stretch you a bit beyond your comfort zone into the realm of healing, because the edge is where healing occurs. This may be so gradual as to be almost indiscernible except when viewed over time, or they may convince you to choose to take a leap. Also, good therapists are intuitive and must have an abundance of talent—a knack for touch. I can’t prove this, but I believe the best therapists truly enjoy receiving massage themselves, and this helps them know how to give. Personally I prefer a therapist with all these attributes AND a spiritual orientation.
What is your philosophy on health and healing?
I believe that ultimately all ill health (dis-ease) originates in the mind, but most of us are not ready to deal with our health challenges solely in the realm of the mind. And there is no reason to rush to do so because the so-called game of life is a process that continually unfolds from where you are today. So as we each come to truly know that the mind is responsible and correct its errors, it is not only okay, but very good self-care, to address the issues of our physical bodies by physical means, including everything from diet and exercise, to massage and essential oils, to supplements and herbs, to psychotherapy and spiritual practice, to drugs and surgery, choosing everything that is appropriate for us in the present. I definitely don’t think we get “extra credit” for white-knuckling through significant discomfort, pain and stress or rejecting conventional medicine. A state of peace is much easier to find and maintain in comfort. I believe that the wisest healing methods in the long run fully utilize the body’s amazing self-healing mechanism, setting it up to succeed. But often, more drastic, symptom-directed approaches are needed in the short term. Specifically regarding massage therapy, I believe a certain amount of pressure is needed to reap the benefits attributed to massage. Several clinical trials in Swedish massage support this conclusion with objectively measurable parameters, such as blood pressure, levels of stress hormones and weight gain (in premature infants.) It need not be a deep massage, but the tissue must be impacted by a marked pressure--more than just a light stroking touch. What I really appreciate about massage therapy is that it has such a wide range of healing gifts to offer, from the strictly physical to the deeply spiritual. A rich massage meets you where you are and allows you to take what you are ready for. This, to me, is a good massage.
Can you share with us one really significant transformation you witnessed as a result of the work you do?
The kinds of transformations I see are increased comfort and/or pain relief. If you have ever experienced chronic pain or even chronic tension, you know how significant this is. I still have a thank you note I received early in my career:
“You did a great job on my back. For almost a week I was pain-free.
(That has not happened in years for me!!)”
More subtle transformations are no less significant. People who choose to take care of themselves through regular massage therapy often begin making more healthful decisions in other areas of their lives. They may lose weight, or develop better boundaries to keep their lives more manageable or begin working with a counselor on emotional issues. It is a strong statement of self-worth to provide yourself the time and space to relax and your body with informed, therapeutic touch.
Why did you choose the profession of Massage Therapy as a career?
I wanted to change the focus of my energies toward healing. I was an ardent recipient of massage therapy, and knew from my own experience what a powerful, positive influence it can have in one’s life. I actually had the impulse to become a massage therapist during my first professional massage session, but it took several years before I took it seriously as a possibility for my life. Now that I am a massage therapist in private practice, I can attest to the many gifts massage gives to the practitioner as well—knowing that your work is helpful and healing, allowing a one-on-one relationship, even a kind of intimacy, with many and varied people, the flexibility and freedom of being one’s own boss, a peaceful, positive working environment, even the physical activity required—these are all gifts to me.
© 2006 by Carol A. Niemi
Thank you, Carol.
Contact Carol or find out more on Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy
© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson, 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
