The Benefits of Reflexology

Massage /

My friend and colleague, Jim Barnes, of Decatur, AL was recently published in the North Alabama Natural Awakenings magazine with a nice article that discusses the many benefits of Reflexology.

The backstory of how I became a certified reflexologist is a bit ironic considering that my massage practice is currently all about the feet. Before I graduated from massage school a friend of mine and two instructors decided to go to Chattanooga for a 16 hour reflexology intensive course. I reluctantly agreed to go even though it would eat my entire weekend and I had studying and relaxing to do.

I’m glad I went. It was a non-stop weekend of learning about feet and how to spend therapeutic time massaging the feet. There was some bonus hand and ear work thrown in too.

I walked, floated really, away from that weekend on feet that felt brand new from all the rubbing, stretching and manipulating. I still love to receive reflexology. It’s one of the few modalities that allow me to relax to the point of falling asleep on the table. Unfortunately I don’t have the opportunity to do many true reflexology appointments so I tend to integrate it into my regular massage routine as much as possible.

I know that as my practice expands to offer daytime appointments I will have greater opportunities to reach out to segments of the population who may not be able to benefit from Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy or Ashi-Thai or even gentle, Swedish massage. I will enjoy being able to offer reflexology as an alternative. And I’m so glad now that I spent that reluctant time learning more about the feet.

So who benefits from reflexology? Anyone can benefit from reflexology. Individuals who suffer foot pain from overuse or injuries such as plantar fasciitis would be perfect candidates for reflexology. I also find it’s a nice alternative to offer to my Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and Ashi-Thai clients who have recently had surgery and can no longer enjoy deep massage during their recovery period. Elderly individuals who can no longer receive regular massage due to circulatory or pain issues may be able to benefit from reflexology. In addition to the touch therapy, elderly clientele receive the added benefit of a regular foot health checkup.

If you’re interested in reflexology or know someone who would benefit from it. Give me a call, I’d love to meet you and your feet!

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Happy Late Anniversary!

Business & Marketing for Massage /

It’s been a busy few weeks at Harvest Moon and I just realized this morning that it’s been a little over a year since I finished my Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy advanced coursework.

It’s been a great year and I’m looking forward to the coming year. There are lots of great plans in the works starting with expanded appointment hours around the first of 2011.

If you’re a current client, thank you for making this last year so wonderful. If you haven’t been to visit and experience Ashiatsu yet, what are you waiting for?

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Taking The Feet On The Road

Ashiatsu /

I am currently negotiating with a massage therapist from KY trying to buy a set of used portable bars. The purchase, while expensive, will allow me to start attending conferences, trade shows, health fairs, and expos to demonstrate and raise awareness about Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and Ashi-Thai as well as the overall health benefits of massage. I’m also banking on the fact that the added exposure will bring in new clientele.

The next step is to find those fairs and expos. I have a few leads, but I’m still looking for more. So if your company or an organization you know of puts on any kind of fair or expo, large or small, please leave a comment and let me know.

Commenters will also get first dibs at being my body on the table at some of these things too. Free massage. Woo hoo!

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Do You Really Need a New Boxspring When You Buy a Mattress?

Massage PSAs /

Recently I was talking with a friend about how it was time for me to buy a new mattress. I had been agonizing over whether to go with a traditional inner spring or spring for one of the new memory foam beds that are all the rage. Then the conversation turned to boxsprings. She asked me my professional opinion on whether or not one should throw in for a new boxspring when purchasing the new mattress.

And for a moment I was stunned as she explained how she just assumed I would know about these things as a bodyworker. This led me to quite a bit of research online.

As you might expect there are two different schools of thought on the issue. The Better Sleep Council, an industry-funded sleep organization, recommends purchasing the boxspring as the mattress and boxspring are engineered as a set and designed to work together optimally. This makes sense to me from an engineering point of view. That the organization making the recommendation is funded by the manufacturers is troubling though.

On the other side of the coin, industry professionals occasionally offer that as long as your existing boxspring isn’t warped or bowed (you can check it with a level) it’s okay to use. This also makes sense to me as platform beds serve the same purpose as a boxspring, a firm, level surface.

Having spent a tremendous amount of time and money yesterday while buying a new mattress, here is my personal opinion. If it’s been ten years since you purchased a new sleep system, the mattress and boxspring are probably going to be sold as a set unless you’re going with a platform bed in which case you don’t need a boxspring at all. Instead perhaps you should focus on finding the best mattress you can afford which is a different conversation for a different day.

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Natural Awakenings Article

Ashiatsu /

Natural Awakenings Article - September 2010
The September 2010 edition of Natural Awakenings for the Tennessee Valley hit the news stands within the last few days. I found out when I arrived at my office Thursday afternoon. Several copies had been delivered to the waiting area and Miss Cathy was waiting for me with the news.

Happy dances ensued as she told me how nice it was and I tried to find it in the magazine. For the record my article is on page 12, but it took a long time to find because I was so excited.

And now, without further ado, here is the link to the PDF scan (it takes several moments to load, sorry about that) that I made of the actual magazine article. If you’re interested in a copy of the magazine (they’re free) and you’re in the Tennessee Valley area just visit your local health food store or contact Natural Awakenings directly.

Enjoy! And thanks for visiting!

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AOBT and the AMA

Ashiatsu /

If you’re here looking for information on Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and its recognition by the American Medical Association, then you’re in the right place.

Let me start off by clearing something up. The American Medical Association does not recognize massage as a medical modality, therefore, it does not recognize Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy.

If you were to Google Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and AMA or American Medical Association you will find numerous websites claiming that AOBT is indeed recognized by the AMA. You can find magazine articles with the same claim if you look hard. One of which actually appears in the Digital Lounge on the Deep Feet website. How could so many people believe this when it’s simply not true?

Well, there’s a simple explanation and I want to tell you so you don’t make the same mistake I did. It was a typo. Way back when, someone published something which was supposed to read, “recognized by the AMTA,” but instead read, “recognized by the AMA”. You can see how this impressive typo quickly took root.

Recently when asked to write an article on AOBT I pulled out the AMA gun to include and then realized I needed to do a bit of fact checking. I was confused when some publications / websites listed AMA and others didn’t so I fired off an email to a couple of instructors and Ruthie Hardee, the founder of AOBT.

This resulted in a personal phone call from Ruthie where we discussed my questions about AMA. Well, mostly she discussed and I sorta freaked out because OMG I’m talking to Ruthie Hardee, the founder of AOBT! Squeeeeee!!!

Anyway, I wanted to put this out there so perhaps other people designing their brochures or writing articles on AOBT don’t make the same mistake.

I should go, I have about a thousand brochures that need to be touched with correction tape!

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