Imagine a skilled therapist using warmed bamboo and rattan to dissolve knots and kinks throughout your body. These hand crafted tools are custom designed so that even the smallest therapist can give an easier deep tissue massage. This ecologically sound and sustainable product is currently made by a woodworker. When Ms. Cecilia first began bamboo massage, she actually made the pieces herself by hand.

As an innovative creator of bamboo massage, Nathalie was sought out by various private resorts and spas and taught them her Bamboo-Fusion modality. This exotic treatment is in demand at high end spas such as the Ritz Carlton in Jupiter, Florida and Preston Wynnn in Saratoga, California.  Ms. Cecilia has trained numerous therapists from top spas at the famous Hakone Gardens in California.  (This beautiful Japanese garden is abundant with bamboo foliage and is also the location where many scenes were filmed when making the movie Memoirs of a Geisha).

     Bamboo is delightful in use as massage tools as well. The sticks hold heat and feel comforting to both the client and the massage therapist. Nathalie Cecilia, founder of Bamboo-Fusion, was the first in the United States to use both bamboo and rattan as extensions of her fingers and hands during her luxurious deep tissue massages.

The following is part of an article I wrote for the Ohio AMTA Hands Across Ohio newsletter for the spring 2008 issue, entitled "Massage with Bamboo--Fusing Nature with Deep Relaxation." I will add excerpts from this article regularly. 

 

Used in China for over 5000 years, bamboo has many wonderful properties. With its origin in ancient times, it has been used for building, making paper, books and food. Sweet in taste, bamboo shoots are eaten in many popular dishes. In fact, bamboo is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine?it's roots to quench thirst and promote lactation, while the leaves assist with healing in a type of asthma caused by excessive phlegm, among other things.

 

 With luxuriant foliage, bamboo plants are a beautiful addition for massage rooms, offices, houses and parks. Naturally beautiful and resilient, bamboo is commonly used in many household items such as mats and wall hangings, baskets, chairs and fans.  It grows well on infertile land, regenerates itself after being cut and can tolerate extreme temperatures.

We still have space available in March 13-15 Barefoot Basics class as well in March 16 Anterior/Side-Lying class. Why not come celebrate St. Paddy's day by treating yourself to a new modality. Heck, there's a sports bar downstairs from the studio. You may even be able to find a pint of green brew there if you stay an extra day!

Hello ashi therapists (and those ashi wannabee's)! I have advanced classes coming up in March, just 2 short months away. The dates have been moved up slightly. Anterior/Side-Lying is now on Wednesday, March 26. Deepfeet 2 will run on Thursday and Friday, March 27-28. The Fusion Blend class is scheduled for Saturday, March 29.

Interest has been heavy for the class, so you may want to register soon! The last advanced classes were very full! Hope to see you soon!

I just want to take a second to let everyone know that I love to teach Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. It's great fun to watch therapists metamorphize from nervous nellies the first time on the bars to Ashi-ing with attitude with their guest clients on day 3. Thanks to all who let this happen.

As the leaves are finally changing colors here in the Midwest, the temperatures beginning to drop, people are starting to think of upcoming holidays. Halloween is just next week already, Thanksgiving next month, Christmas and Hanukkah arriving in December.

As the upcoming holidays bring much joy in many ways, many people begin to feel a tad stressed. Or really whacked out of joint, even. The smart consumer who realizes that massage is a great stress reliever will begin booking massage appointments, perhaps quite a few of them. It's great for their body and soul, not to mention the happy massage therapist's pocketbook. It's this time of year the massage therapists really begin to feel the strain of performing lots of deep tissue massages. We tend to not want to turn away our hurting clientele, even when we feel pain ourselves. LMTs ice their hands and wrists, offer it up and hope for the best.

Now is a great time for those therapists who only do hands on massage to learn the revitalizing skills of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. Using your feet to caress your clients deep knots and tight muscles is a much easier way than massaging with your hands and arms. I am offering my last Ashiatsu training class of the year, Barefoot Basics and Anterior/Side-Lying, in December for those therapists who need to revive themselves before the end of the year. Check out www.ashiatsuworkshops.com/classes_schedule for more info and dates.

Now's the time to treat yourself to the best holiday gift-recieve your CEUs, get a couple of days of deep tissue massage, learn how to give the "deepest most luxurious massage on the planet!"

OLD NEWS

Slowly but surely, we're adding our online store to my Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy website. I am happy to have become a distributor for Earthlite tables and products. Currently available is the Earthlite Spirit, which is adaptable to the new Ashiatsu portable bars. The Caress face cradle is very popular as it helps to alleviate sinus pressure when the client is prone.

Eyebolts can also now be purchased online. Let me know if there are any additional products you'd like to see here. Coming soon will also be Mother Earth large flax pillows, which are great for warming your feet prior to working on your client.

We are pleased to offer online payment through PayPal effective today! You can now register for Ashiatsu classes any time of day or night (baby awake? too much caffeine?) through our secure check out! If you pay in full for Barefoot Basics, you will be the happy recipient of a free cool official Ashi shirt!