Why Language Matters in Barefoot Massage: A 20-Year Reflection on Westernized Ashiatsu

​The Words We Use Matter: A Reflection on Barefoot Massage, History, and Evolution

Language in massage therapy has never been static. It evolves alongside our understanding of the body, professionalism, ethics, and culture. This post is both an apology, an explanation, and a reflection on how Western barefoot massage practices have developed over time, including my own 20-year journey within them.

​An Apology for Language Used Without Enough Intention

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of my Fundamentals, Level One myofascial barefoot massage class on Facebook and wrote the word Ashiatsu in the caption...TWICE!  I want to begin by offering a sincere apology for occasionally using the word Ashiatsu in my marketing in the past...even today, it slips out sometimes! My website is riddled with this word for searchability, since it's the word many potential clients and students are looking up.  
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Anyways, this was not done lightly or with disregard, but rather as a result of long-standing habit, professional conditioning, and the reality of how many of us were first introduced to barefoot massage. Still, intention matters. The words we choose carry history, meaning, and impact, and it’s important to be transparent about how we got here and why language needs to evolve.

​My First Job as an LMT: Where It All Began

In 2004, just 6 years after Ruthie Hardie was approved to teach the first Westernized Ashiatsu class to licensed massage therapists, I landed my first job as an LMT One of the techniques I was taught there involved barefoot compressions that my boss called Ashiatsu. There was no overhead bar system. No specialized equipment. We used the wall for balance and sometimes even a light fixture.

Looking back, it’s clear how unsafe that setup was for both the therapist and the client. At the time, however, it didn’t raise alarms. Massage therapy as a profession was still finding its footing. Standards were looser. Continuing education was inconsistent.
Safety protocols and biomechanics were not emphasized the way they are today.

That experience wasn’t unusual for the early 2000s. Many therapists learned barefoot techniques through informal, word-of-mouth instruction rather than through structured, research-informed training. 

How Westernized “Ashiatsu” Came to Be

As barefoot massage techniques were adapted in the West, the term Ashiatsu was widely used because it was often translated literally as “foot pressure.” For Western practitioners, the name seemed descriptive, practical, and marketable. Cultural appropriation was not a widely discussed concept at the time, especially within the massage industry.

The intention for many practitioners wasn’t to claim cultural lineage or authenticity. It was simply a label that helped explain what was happening: massage delivered with the feet instead of the hands. In my opinion, many educators didn't even know their true intention or how to clearly explain it, often trying to pass it off as authentic or Eastern, not realizing that, as soon as it's adapted, it's different. To this day, people say the equivalent of "it's not that deep."
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But over time, something important happened.

The Technique Changed, Completely

I remember the materials from my first of many (I took them all) Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy classes. I studied my materials with intense focus because I wanted to be the best I could be at this style of massage.

In retrospect, the information provided in these classes seemed to be lacking in many ways. It's my belief that Ruthie's courses were just the tip of the iceberg, with much deeper work that was, at that time, undiscovered.

The approach attempted to incorporate Eastern techniques without the in-depth knowledge of that culture or methodology.

In striving to be seen as Eastern bodywork, it also missed crucial Western massage intelligence, effectively watering down the technique as a whole. Even still, the physical practice of it was challenging to my body and mind in the best ways; the results were evident for clients, and well-trained therapists were able to build sustainable businesses with a strong niche. All good things!

What’s commonly referred to as Ashiatsu in Western massage today looks very different from its traditional Eastern roots. As the work evolved, organizations like the Center for Barefoot Massage adapted it through a Western lens, incorporating:

• Western anatomy and orthopedic massage ideas
• Fascia-focused models
• Deep tissue and myofascial concepts
• Pain science and nervous system regulation

What emerged was not a preserved cultural practice but an entirely new modality, built through a Western lens for Western bodies within Western clinical frameworks.
In other words, the work evolved far beyond its name.

SIDE NOTE: This also explains why LMTs who don't receive proper training and approval to teach this technique are stealing intellectual property. Honestly, this is a whole other blog post in and of itself. The point that drives it home for me is that this isn't random, unorganized information that anyone can profit from. Our profession has already been there, done that with appropriating Eastern modalities.

Unless you have something new to teach that you've developed yourself, the days of regurgitating a watered-down version of someone else's work *SHOULD* be over. For myself, I know that if I'm not teaching with the company I currently teach under, I won't teach the technique anymore. It's that important to me. 

Why Language Matters More Now Than Ever

Today, we have a greater ability to be precise and intentional. We know more about anatomy, safety, professional ethics, and cultural context. We also know that names matter. They shape client expectations. They shape professional identity. And they either honor or obscure the truth of what we’re actually doing.


Using legacy terms out of habit can unintentionally misrepresent the work and its origins. That doesn’t make past practitioners “wrong,” but it does mean we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to do better now.

The Evolution of My Practice Over 20 Years

Over the last two decades, my own practice has shifted dramatically. What began as informal barefoot compressions has evolved into a refined, intentional, anatomy-based approach to barefoot massage that prioritizes:

• Therapist longevity and safety
  
• Fascia and fluid dynamics
  
• Nervous system regulation
  
• Structural balance and movement education
  
• Clear, ethical language
  

With that evolution comes the need to update not just techniques, but terminology.

Growth Is Ongoing and Sometimes Uncomfortable

Sometimes I come across an LMT who practices barefoot massage, and they'll say that they don't want to get into semantics over what we do. Usually, in response to the Center for Barefoot Massage's famous social media post featuring an LMT massaging with their foot and the caption "this is not Ashiatsu."

I completely understand this. Personally, it takes me the longest to adopt new ideas. I have to have time to think, overthink, process, and feel the change in my life. Sometimes I meet change with strong resistance because there's a part in me that hates performative ways of being, or makes me feel boxed in, or regulated by an outside force. 

I've gotten smarter, and my ability to think differently, when given time and the right resources, grows my brain in new ways that I find exciting. It's why I'm here in the first place!

Unlearning old language takes time. Words live in muscle memory just as much as techniques do. They appear in old notes, marketing templates, client requests, and even search engine prompts. Catching and correcting ourselves for unintentionally using old terms is part of the process.

Growth doesn’t mean perfection. It means accountability.
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Moving Forward With Intention

I'm committed to continuing this evolution in my practice, my teaching, and the words I use to describe both. Thank you to those who have offered thoughtful feedback and patience along the way. Conversations like these help move our profession forward.
When we know better, we do better intentionally, thoughtfully, and with respect for both where we came from and where we’re going.