Research Says…Deep Tissue Massage is Better!

Massage /
A massage therapist performing barefoot massage with an overlay of the words, "Is your massage research based?"

Have you ever noticed that barefoot massage therapists and their clients talk about barefoot massage like it’s something even better than massage? There’s a reason for that! For all the claims we make about it being great for pain and stress, sometimes we forget to talk about why we believe our work is head and shoulders above the rest.

First, we stand on the table while we work so we are literally, physically “head and shoulders” above most other therapists. Second, barefoot massage is, by its very nature, deep tissue massage.

Because we have access to all of our body weight when applying pressure, we are uniquely positioned to offer a targeted and much deeper deep tissue experience than a hands-on massage therapist can deliver.

Good News!

Research supports what we barefoot massage therapists already know. A 2011 study by Romanowski, Romanowska, and Grzeskowiak compared the effects of Therapeutic Massage techniques to Deep Tissue Massage techniques for chronic low back pain. It found that Therapeutic Massage techniques were good, but Deep Tissue Massage techniques offered significantly greater results in pain relief.

In case you want to dig down into the numbers or the very specific techniques that comprise Therapeutic versus Deep Tissue massage, you can read A Comparison of the Effects of Deep Tissue Massage and Therapeutic Massage on Chronic Low Back pain here or the full study can be found here.

And yes, we can do all those things with our feet. Excepting the parts about fingers, we just use a different part of our foot to accomplish the techniques they’re referring to in the study. Our training also teaches us how to very carefully and specifically use our body weight and feet to safely access muscles, tendons, and ligaments to deliver a very deep pressure massage.

And this isn’t the only study that shows massage therapy is good for low back pain. Another study comparing massage therapy versus relaxation techniques concluded that massage therapy is effective in reducing pain, stress hormones and symptoms associated with chronic low back pain. It also found that massage therapy improves range of motion in the same study.

It’s great to see more research being conducted on massage therapy and its benefits. It’s even better that we finally have scientific proof that massage therapy works!

#barefootmassagechallenge #barefootmassage Center for Barefoot Massage

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Research Says…Deep Tissue Massage is Better! Read More »

Too Legit to Quit

Business & Marketing for Massage /

Gosh there is a lot to keep up with as a professionally licensed massage therapist when it comes to keeping yourself current and legitimate.

State massage therapy licensing, insurance, business licensing, taxes (ugh!), professional memberships and organizations, Board Certifications, modality endorsements and certifications all combined keep us accountable to our clients, our community, and our profession.

I spend hours every year making sure that everything is in order.

How about you?

Massage therapy, as a profession, is largely misunderstood. You’ve heard the comments and questions from clients and your salty uncle. And if that’s not bad enough, large swaths of the medical and related professional communities try to dismiss and ignore us. Which is why it’s really, really important that we are diligent in keeping our licenses, insurances, professional memberships, and certifications in order.

Doing the right thing in your business not only applies to how you treat your clientele, it also applies to your professionalism in being a good steward of your local community as well as your professional community. It is our responsibility, each one of us, to hold our profession in the highest regard.

How do we do that?

We do it by being impeccable in our professionalism. We do it by maintaining all of these licenses, memberships, and credentials properly, by supporting our cohorts in their professional journey, and by holding them accountable when necessary. We do it by serving as credible experts in our field.

Need to up your game?

Here’s a few references in case something here has inspired you to up your game!

Alabama Board of Massage Therapy
American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
Alabama AMTA
National Certification Board and Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB)
Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE)
Center for Barefoot Massage

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a professional, licensed massage therapist in the state of Alabama, click here.

#BarefootMassageChallenge #BarefootMassage

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Too Legit to Quit Read More »

What is Barefoot Massage?

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A photo of the sole of a foot as it engages the muscles of the back with a description overlaid that says, "What is Barefoot Massage"

Barefoot massage is a collection of styles of massage performed with the therapist’s feet. In addition to using their hands, barefoot massage therapists use their feet to deliver a deeper massage than what can safely and comfortably (for both) be achieved with the hands. That might look like a therapist on the table using overhead support during the massage or it may be you on a mat on the floor as the therapist is standing and/or seated to deliver the massage. You may be clothed or unclothed depending on the style of barefoot massage you’re about to experience.

I am trained in several different styles of barefoot massage and regularly offer three unique barefoot services. Why only three if I’m trained in more than that? Because learning many different methods and skills tend to inform all of my work and I chose to simplify the offerings into three distinct categories.

Photo of a barefoot massage therapist performing neck massage with an overlaid description of "Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage is Deep Tissue"

What is Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage?

I offer what I call Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage. This method has the client lying unclothed and draped on the table while I use my feet to compress, glide, and distract the client’s tissues to achieve a therapeutic, myofascial, deep tissue massage. I will also use an overhead support structure for balance and support as well as a suspended strap to lean into for lateral body work. This style of massage offers a comfortably deep experience that addresses muscle, fascia, and joint function. Other barefoot massage practitioners may define ashiatsu as something different depending on when and where they were trained.

A photo of a barefoot massage therapist performing the Happy Baby stretch on a client with an overlay description of "Ashiatsu + Thai Barefoot Massage is Stretch Therapy"

What is Barefoot Stretch Therapy?

I also offer Barefoot Stretch Therapy which involves the client on the table, typically clothed unless it’s integrated with other massage sessions. During Barefoot Stretch Therapy I will again use my feet to guide the client’s body through a series of Thai Yoga stretches, range of motion movements, and muscle compressions. Barefoot Stretch Therapy is a very effective method for keeping joints moving throughout their healthy range of motion, encouraging synovial fluid to flood and nourish the joints, and easing pain associated with arthritis.

A photo of the lower leg receiving Fijian Barefoot Massage with an overlaid description of "Fijian Barefoot Massage is Sports Massage"

What is Fijian Barefoot Massage?

Fijian Barefoot Massage is the third barefoot service I regularly offer. It is what you’ll see me doing if you find me at an outdoor event or a health and wellness fair. This massage finds a fully-clothed client on a mat on the floor where I’ll use my feet to perform a compressive, neuromuscular, sports-style massage. This technique is a faster paced massage that I perform seated or standing using a chair or suspended strap for any needed support. It’s an aggressive technique that is deep, but you won’t find a therapist using their full body weight or both feet during this massage. This style of barefoot massage is a great option for massage anywhere and benefits athletic recovery as well as weekend warriors who have overdone it.

So as you can see, barefoot massage is, simply, massage. We just happen to do that massage with our feet!

I hope this article helps you understand a little more about these different styles of massage. I also hope it helps you decide what type of massage might work best for you!

#BarefootMassageChallenge | For more information on learning Barefoot Massage, visit Center for Barefoot Massage and Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

What is Barefoot Massage? Read More »

Learning in the Time of COVID-19: Part 2

Massage /
Certificate of Completion for The Roll Model Method Correspondence Course

So in this next edition of Learning in the Time of COVID-19, I want to tell you about a correspondence course that I took early on in our shutdown phase. It’s called the Roll Model Method and it’s something I’ve been interested in for a while, but just never had the time to really dig into.

Time definitely hasn’t been a problem with this Stay at Home and now Safer at Home business so when I discovered they had a correspondence course I jumped at it!

The correspondence course came with a textbook and a complete set of the balls that you need to make your way through the coursework. Which is a plus since it comes right to your door and you don’t have to be traipsing all over the place looking for equipment.

What is it, exactly?

rubber ball rolling for elbow pain

Good question! It’s a self-care modality using squishy, grabby, rubbery balls to give yourself a myofascial “massage”. I’m using those quotation marks (#quotationmarksmatter) around massage because it’s NOTHING like what happens on a massage table with a professional, trained massage therapist. But it does give you some of the benefits of a massage – like pain and stress relief. Is it going to “fix” an issue? Maybe, maybe not, but it gives you some agency over your healing in a time when you can’t get to your massage therapist.

Why do I want to give myself a “massage”?

Because right now, if you can find a massage therapist who is working, they’re swamped and you can’t get in to see them. And because you probably have some sort of pain that could be helped with a little bit of attention. And if you can’t identify any pain, you probably have some stress, anxiety, or grief happening.

Wait, these balls can help with stress?

Yep, I was skeptical at first too, but as I made my way through the coursework I started to notice that the time I spent with with the squishy orbs became meditative and was activating my parasympathetic system (rest and digest). And if you’ve been around me at all you already know there’s a lot of science behind meditation and parasympathetic activation. Oh! AND, I learned a body hack to activate the parasympathetic system while taking this class. It makes so much sense and I already knew it, but had never put the science with the actions until I was talking to a colleague who was also taking the class. If you want to learn more about that, take a look at my Idle Sole Wellness Series where I talk about a lot of body hacks (including this one) for taming stress and anxiety.

Want to learn more?

Well, you can go get your own correspondence course or you can call me and we can customize a plan for you that targets your specific issues. And, best of all (for right now), we can do it virtually so no worries about transmitting those COVID cooties to one another!

But…I’m having trouble concentrating right now

Totally normal. No, really, there’s a lot of evidence that when we’re in states of high stress it’s really hard to concentrate. That’s why I’m introducing you to this form of self-care and giving you the option of working with me versus having to read the whole textbook. Anything that helps us drop out of that sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) nervous system state into the more relaxed, rest and digest state is a good thing to learn!

Peace, y’all! I hope everyone is well and safe and learning in the time of COVID-19 in whatever form those lessons may be.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Learning in the Time of COVID-19: Part 2 Read More »

Happy Anniversary!

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Happy Anniversary, Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center!

This last year has been a, “Blink and you missed it,” kind of year. I can hardly believe it’s been an entire year since Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center opened its doors to students!

Sadly, we are still closed due to COVID-19. In fact, we should be teaching Fijian Barefoot Massage this weekend, but nothing is normal right now.

Check out the schedule below for other opportunities for training this year! We are hoping it will be safe enough to run our classes as soon as July.

2020 Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center Schedule

See something you like? Go ahead and register for it!

Happy Anniversary! Read More »

Learning in the Time of COVID-19: Part 1

Massage /

So it’s not that I wanted to spend even more money on learning in the time of COVID-19. What with still not being back to work, but I figured it would be less stressful to get my NCBTMB Board Certification requirements done. Last night I spent a couple of hours getting my Ethics hours done, filling out the NCBTMB application, and of course paying the fees.

I got my paper saying that I passed the test, the email saying my application was accepted and under review, and now I wait for my new certificate to come in the mail.

What are you learning during the time of COVID-19? If the answer is, “I can’t concentrate on anything right now,” there’s a reason for that and it’s perfectly ok. I had a hard time getting through this ethics course because it’s so hard to concentrate right now.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Learning in the Time of COVID-19: Part 1 Read More »

Day 28: How Much Longer?

Self-Care /

Well, today is 28 days since I had to (temporarily) close Harvest Moon Massage Therapy. It has certainly been an eye-opening ride. I started off the first week by bolting out of bed, showering, getting dressed, putting on makeup (gasp!), and filming a bunch of videos for Idle Sole Wellness. That lasted 5 or 6 days before my energy and enthusiasm began to flag. What I discovered is that I was running from all the feelings of grief, panic, uncertainty, etc. Then about day 21 something inside me broke open and I finally relaxed.

Once I began to deal with the feelings, I spent some time figuring out what to do. I’m not one to not be busy or productive. I find it difficult to just sit and watch tv. So, I thought I would give you a survey of what I’ve been doing with my time.

What I’ve Been Doing

  • Learning to edit and splice video footage together to create a not-so-professional video wellness series. Again, why not, I have the time and it can only help in case of future projects. Want to see it? Click here to sign-up!
  • Trying to figure out what to do with all the stuff that’s in our “to donate” pile, but can’t go anywhere yet.
  • Crocheting and trying to figure out how I have so much yarn and unfinished projects!
  • Sewing masks, it’s a fabric de-stash project that’s helping me feel like I’m still relevant. The word “non-essential” is just rude!
  • Zoom happy hour with a great friend from Birmingham. She’s single, I worry about her.
  • Spending time outside in the sun in between the rainstorms and dodging the rumbling bumblebees
  • Getting my garden ready for planting day!
  • Cooking a lot and rejoicing when I can do curbside!
  • Baking cookies and bread and then eating it. I have visions of my table groaning every time I take a bite!
  • Replacing a dryer vent (that was hard)
  • Applying for unemployment and the EIDL loans/grants. Both new adulthood experiences
  • Keeping up with the changes in sanitation recommendations for when we do get to open back up
  • Taking a correspondence course. Because, why not? I have the time and I’m just holding my breath hoping I get back to work soon and can use it!
  • Cleaning and cleaning and cleaning some more
  • Checking in with family to make sure they’re all safe
  • Designated grocery shopper and pharmacy runner
  • Watching gobs of movies and Netflix and TV and Amazon Prime
  • Learning to create and run a t-shirt fundraiser to help with business expenses while we’re shutdown (it’s over now, but I have a few extra shirts if you’re interested)
  • Zoom happy hour with my barefoot massage peeps. Tiki Style!
  • Drinking too many adult beverages and sodas. Our favorite Mexican place did margaritas by the gallon last Friday. I’m happy to report we still have some of it left!
  • Canceling my next Ashiatsu class and trying to figure out if that needs to extend into May’s Fijian class
  • Walking laps around the neighborhood when it’s not raining
  • Staying up too late and getting up at a time my grandmother would have considered scandalous!

If you’re also in quarantine, I’m sure your list looks similar-ish. If you’re not in quarantine, know that I’m rooting for you to stay healthy and strong.   

How Much Longer?

As to how much longer it’s going to be before I’ll be back in the office and accepting clients…I’m not sure. Right now, the Alabama Department of Health and the Governor’s order says no sooner than April 30th. I don’t think the state even knows what re-engaging “non-essential” businesses is going to look like.

I know it’s not the answer any of us want to hear. I’m ready to get back to work. The part of me that doubted I could be my own boss for long (inner voice: “because I’m too lazy”) is starting to rear its ugly head again. I’m ready, ready, ready to move and groove and get everyone back on the table. There’s so much stress and pain and pressure and uncertainty and EVERYONE needs a massage right now and probably a hug. I hope you have someone to hug.

Oh, and have you seen these quarantine bingo cards? No… scroll down to find one! I hope it brings a little bit of fun into your day! Once you ‘Bingo!’, treat yourself!

Self-Care Bingo Card!

If you’ve made it this far into this unfocused and randomness, I hope you’re having a wonderful day!
Peace,
Sharon

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Day 28: How Much Longer? Read More »

Idle Sole Wellness is Open!

Massage /
Idle Sole Wellness Icon

The Idle Sole Wellness Series is finally live and you can sign up now!

How it Works:

  1. If you are able and willing, click here to sign up!
  2. Please consider a small donation. All proceeds go to helping pay the rent and other recurring expenses that don’t stop even during a pandemic.

Read more about Idle Sole Wellness and see the first video here!

Thank you for supporting all local small businesses!

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Idle Sole Wellness is Open! Read More »

Project Idle Sole Wellness is Underway!

Massage /

If you’ve been following along over on my Facebook page, you’ll have seen the video that I did talking about this new project I’m developing to help everyone experiencing stress, anxiety, and pain right now. I decided to call it Idle Sole Wellness because, well, my soles aren’t working right now and I need something to keep myself busy!

I wanted to go ahead and get this information out into the universe even though not everything is in place yet. This is just a sample of the kinds of bite-sized, actionable wellness tips that I’ll be pushing out regularly for you to use to manage and hopefully improve your life!

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Project Idle Sole Wellness is Underway! Read More »

COVID-19 Screening Procedures at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy & Reflexology

Massage PSAs /
book, bezel, read, educate yourself

Don’t Let FEAR Allow You to Treat Others POORLY!

Since a lot of things are going to be changing rapidly, I just wanted you to know what to expect when you come in for your massage in the next while. I also wanted to put together a resource that you can use to find information on this latest iteration of the coronavirus. Keep yourself and your family safe and if you need help, ask for it. If you see someone in need, help them or arrange to get them help. We are going to get through this together!

What to expect at your next appointment!

Starting Monday, March 16th, 2020, we will be implementing a few new screening procedures upon your arrival at the office. Be prepared to answer the following questions and perform the following activities.

  • Have you or anyone in your family been diagnosed with COVID-19?
  • Do you have or has anyone in your family or workplace had a fever in the last 72 hours?
  • Do you have or have you had a sore throat in the last 72 hours?
  • Do you suffer from seasonal allergies?
  • Have you traveled in the last two weeks? Where to and by what mode?
  • Have you been in a large crowd within the last two weeks?
  • Please wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before our session begins.

COVID-19 Resources

I’m also pumping out more information through my Facebook page. Please follow along over there for not just COVID-19 specific information, but all kinds of uplifting, fun things to do while we’re all getting through this. And if you need someone to talk to, call me! Don’t be scared and lonely. There are lots of people out here in the world who are more than willing to be a listening ear and friend.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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