You need to have an ashiatsu massage table that will hold your body weight, plus your heaviest client, plus a few hundred extra pounds breathing room within the working weight capacity of that table.
DO YOU HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL SUPPORT THIS WORK?
We ~tend to~ recommend the Earthlite Ellora or the Earthlite Spirit – or something comparable. No aluminum legged portable massage tables.
Our classrooms are stocked with 32″ & 35″ Earthlite Spirits, and many of our instructors have one of the two versions of Earthlite Ellora’s in their treatment rooms – so you can try the tables out during your myofascial ashiatsu training.
There are also other tables that work great to stand on… if your table checks these boxes, then it’s more than likely good for Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage:
- 32″ wide OR WIDER
- Double decking (2 or more layers of plywood under all the padding)
- Wide-set frame around the perimeter of the table, and support beams that cross the width or length for better weight distribution
- Sturdy, Strong single hinge @ center of table if portable (No extra moving parts, like a tilt)
- 2 knobs on each wooded leg if a portable table (Aluminum/metal portable tables are not safe)
- Scissor lift if electric/hydraulic table (not center stand: these will tilt.)
- 500+ pound working weight capacity (different than static weight capacity)
What won’t work?
- Convertible Lift tables that are a hybrid of an electric lift frame with a flat-folded Portable table on top ARE NOT SAFE and standing on them is not recommended by those manufacturers.
- Electric/Hydraulic tables with a pedestal lift: look for a scissor lift that is balanced in the center to prevent tipping and motor performance issues.
- Tables with a tilt: the more moving parts the weaker the table is to stand on
- Aluminum/Metal legged portable tables: these may not sustain our diagonal vectors of pressure.
- Lightweight portable tables with a hammock or mesh (non-wood) decking/platform: your foot will sink through the padding!
- Skinny (less than 30″ wide tables) due to tip hazard and less area to safely stand
TABLE TUNE UP! If your table passed those tests, here’s some tips to give it a quick tune-up before you stand on it:
Portable tables:
- Flip it on it’s side and tighten EVERY screw. (Including hinge screws, leg-pulley screws, decking screws/bolts.) Don’t tighten so much as to strip them, just make sure there’s no wiggle left.
- Notice if any plastic washers are broken, or the plastic pulleys. Most of the time these are covered by your table’s lifetime warranty and can be replaced free or cheaply just by contacting the manufacturer. Replace any broken plastic parts ASAP.
- Notice if the elastic bands are still suspending the cables, and still have elasticity. Contact manufacturer if not.
- Always make sure that the adjustable table legs are securely attached: if not completely screwed on at each setting, once you stand on the table that bolt can bend, and it will lessen the stability but also make it really tricky to get the adjustable part of the leg on and off later.
Stationary/Electric/Hydraulic Tables:
- Make sure it’s been leveled out. Most models have adjustable feet, so that you can make sure there is no wobble or tilt. Many models of the Earthlite Ellora are sensitive to this, and after some use, if not properly leveled, will develop a “ping” sound when raising/lowering the height, especially when a client or you are also on the table. The tables can easily get moved with clients getting on and off of them, and with you pushing on them in all directions, so recenter them under yo
- ur bars regularly, and check the levelness of the entire table often.
- Make sure no cords are in the way of the moving parts – so they aren’t pinched, kinked, or run over.
- Check with your table manufacturer about any maintenance that can be done to prolong the life of the motor.
- Clean and safely position any height adjustment pedals so that nothing interferes with it’s function.
MOAR Table tips, tricks, hacks and ideas:
- Read this blog post for an expansion on the same info explained above!
- Is your vinyl looking like total crud? Here’s our take on the Earthlite Vinyl Table Cover
- Need your table to go on the floor for Fijian Barefoot Massage?!?! Read this to learn a magic table trick!
As of 2022, the Center for Barefoot Massage has chosen to no longer serve as a direct vendor with Earthlite, and we will not be taking orders moving forward.
You can order directly through Earthlite, Massage Warehouse, and even Amazon. Check with your massage association(s) to see if you qualify for a discount through them, and follow their process for ordering at their reduced rate.