During an ashiatsu massage, a practitioner skillfully uses their feet in lieu of their hands to apply pressure. With the exception of the abdomen, face and scalp, an ashiatsu massage is completed using the massage practitioner’s feet.
Before the massage, the therapist will warm, cleanse, and sanitize their feet.
Ashiatsu is performed on a standard massage table. Clients undress to their comfort level and are covered/draped with a sheet throughout the massage. Overhead bars on the ceiling allow the practitioner to regulate pressure during the massage and also maintain balance while standing on the table.
Ashiatsu uses long gliding strokes associated with Western or Swedish massage, as well as aspects of the ancient Eastern techniques and philosophies of Shiatsu and Ayurveda. Thai techniques, stretches, and compression may also be used.