Is it an Eastern or Western Technique?
Ashiatsu massage with overhead bars has not been practiced on a widespread basis until recently. The roots and history of ashiatsu, or barefoot massage, go back further than one might think.
Barefoot Massage is Nothing New!
Before we had memory foam padded massage tables and portable massage bars, there were other massage practitioners using their feet to perform massage therapy all over the world.
In the Kerala region of India, home of Ayurveda, a practice called “Chavutti Thirumal” is believed to be one of the earliest ancestors of ashiatsu. “Chavutti” means foot and leg, and “thirumal” means massage. Chavutti thirumal practitioners use generous amounts of oil on the body and a single rope hung from the ceiling for balance.
This region of India is the home of the ancient art of Kalaripayattu, a martial art ancestor to Kung Fu, and Kathakali, a classical style of dance. Students of Kathakali and Kalaripayattu have used foot massage techniques (e.g. Chavutti Thirumal) to make their bodies supple and flexible.
Although it is rare, there are a few massage professionals in the United States that practice this ancient form of barefoot massage.
Chavutti Thirumal spread to surrounding countries and continents of Asia. There, it was combined with the study of meridians and the ancient practice of shiatsu. (“Shiatsu” translates to “finger pressure” (“shi” meaning finger).
When broken down, the word “ashi” means foot and “atsu” means pressure.
