Certification is important.
Have you completed it yet? My staff just sent in all of their info a couple of months ago and they all PASSED! (Uh, they better! hah!) It really wasn’t that bad. AND, if you need help, (or just some confidence!) come to one of our AshiShares and we’ll help you with videos or whatever you need. Certification shows that you’re going above and beyond, not just to us..but to your clients as well. You get that piece of paper that says you’re certified and you put it on your social media and I promise people will go NUTS. I posted a photo of my NCTMB certification as a CE provider and all kinds of random folks were congratulating me and telling me what an accomplishment it was. I don’t think they really understood what that piece of paper said. HAHA At the very least, that’s why you should get certified.
Feedback is crucial.
So you’ve been practicing for awhile now and unless you’re watching yourself on the regular, your body mechanics probably need some tweaking. Submitting your video simply gets another eye on your work. It’s not a judgement, it’s feedback. I’d rather you submit a video and get some great feedback than show up later with your knees aching.
Track classes.
My hot ashi class is a track class. That’s right, did you hear?? I co-authored a class with Mary-Claire in Ohio. We spent MONTHS going back and forth to Ohio & Missouri and hours online figuring out exactly what to include and what to put in the Advanced Hot Ashi course (Yep, there’s an advanced class coming!). And you can’t take the class until you get certified.
Why Hot Ashi?
Some people think the hot pillows belong in the spa but let me tell you, these little pillows pack quite the therapeutic punch. Did you know there’s a lot of research involving thermal therapy? The warmth of the pillows enact the ruffini nerve endings which respond to pressure. This allows your clients to feel sensation as we are about to give them even more pressure. In the FUNdamentals class, we talk about proprioception and how our clients may need a moment or two to actually incorporate the pressure they are experiencing. The sensory experience of the pillow and the heat bring their brain (& subsequently their proprioception) to the area you are working with. You’re directly effecting the nervous system with these hot pillows.
Not to mention, heat is a sensory experience. Have you heard of all of the people investing in weighted blankets for their anxiety? Think of these weighted pillows as something similar. The heat is a soothing experience, plus the weight, it’s a sensory delight.
But what about those therapeutics? Well, let’s talk…how is your massage is therapeutic? Wouldn’t you like some heat in the area that you are working with your feet to be warmed up before hand. The thermal therapy allows your client to relax into the stretch or the compression that you’re applying. You may see that your massage goes up in therapeutic value because your client is allows to move deeper into the motion that you’re providing. Heat can be used in a lot of sessions. And Hot Ashi is NOT simply placing the pillows on your client and then stepping on the pillows. Nope, we’ve calculated some very specific ways to use the pillows and your feet.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with Karen Kowal directly. She was the creator of the Mother Earth Pillow and Pillossage. She has been so excited to see us create this. She is a leader in our massage therapy community as she has always fought for what is of integrity and the highest education.
I can’t wait to see you in class. You’ll want to get certified & registered as soon as possible. For our class schedule, click here.