Ashiatsu is a massage therapy that uses pressure from the foot to reach deep tissues. In fact, in Japanese, ‘ashi’ means pressure. It’s the latest massage therapy being offered at About Faces Day Spa and Salon.
The tools for a typical body message are the hands. An Ashiatsu massage employs gravity and the feet.
“It’s a totally different technique than what you are used to if you’ve had regular massages often,” Spa Manager Crystal Miles says. “Instead of using the hands, you are actually using the feet, so the massage therapist stands on the table and uses two parallel bars to hold on to massage with the feet.”
According to Crystal, the Ashiatsu can actually get deeper into the tissues, but with less discomfort some deep tissue massages may create.
“It is going to go a little deeper because you have more mobility in the movement. It’s also going to be less pointed, so the massage itself will be more enjoyable,” Crystal says. ” A lot of times deep tissue with the hands, you are using the elbows or the fingers, so that can be a little pointed, that can feel a little bit more tough on you whereas this where they’re using the feet it’s a wide, deep, slow motion.”
Crystal says clients are more relaxed and are able to enjoy the experience a little bit more. The added pressure creates a more than therapeutic massage that is sometimes needed for pain relief.
Crystal also tells us about the Valentine’s packages they offer including facials and couples massages.
