Learn How

Registration is Open!

Join Leah Gillman to learn this unique and highly effective method of massage, inspired by Barefoot Shiatsu, Barefoot Bodywork and (the original) Ashiatsu.

Learn How to Massage Using Your Feet classes and workshops are guided practice sessions designed to build both skill and understanding. Leah walks you step-by-step through a sequence of techniques, creating a clear, flowing structure for the work while weaving in the concepts and principles unique to this form. Each class is interactive: half of the participants begin standing and practicing the techniques, while the other half relax on a mat, receiving the massage. Midway through the session, students switch roles, giving everyone the opportunity to experience both giving and receiving, and to develop a deeper sense of the method’s flow, potency and subtlety.

Individual Classes are well-rounded and complete in themselves, offering an abbreviated version of the larger sequence of techniques that make up the method. The Workshop Series, on the other hand, is structured so that each meeting focuses on a different segment of the full sequence, giving students a more complete understanding of the method’s full scope.

Individual Classes

When: Saturdays, 1:30 – 4:30

Every 4th Saturday: April 4, May 2 & 30, June 27, July 25, and so on…

Note: Pre-registration is required at least one week in advance, and a minimum of six students is needed for the class to be held. Your place in class is secured upon receipt of payment. Class size is limited to eight students. No refunds are available within one week of the class date.

Location: 3645 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA Suite #205

Code Required for entrance to the building, reach out to Leah if you don’t already have it.

Take the elevator up to the 2nd floor, you can use the stairs to get back down.

Cost: $70

Venmo: @Leah-Gillman-1 , last 4 digits of phone # for confirmation: 3450

Zelle: 510LeahG@gmailcom

Workshop Series

When: Three Thursdays: April 16, May 14, June 11, 2026

10:15 – 5:00, (lunch break 1:15 – 2:00)

Note: Pre-registration is required by April 2, 2026, and a minimum of six students is needed for the class to be held. Registration is secured upon receipt of payment. Tuition may be divided into three payments, due April 2, May 2, and June 2, 2026. A minimum of six students must be registered by April 2, 2026 in order for the workshop series to be held. Enrollment is limited to eight students. All students, including those making partial payments, are responsible for the full amount regardless of attendance. No refunds will be issued after April 2, 2026.

Drop-ins may be an option for experienced students, space permitting.

Location: 3645 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA, Suite #205

Take the elevator up to the 2nd floor, you can use the stairs to get back down.

Cost: $435

Venmo: @Leah-Gillman-1 , last 4 digits of phone # for confirmation: 3450

Zelle: 510LeahG@gmailcom

Barefoot Shiatsu (AKA Ashiatsu or Barefoot Bodywork) is an efficient and highly effective form of therapeutic massage—deeply satisfying to both receive and to give. Its techniques are inherently ergonomic, allowing the practitioner to work with body weight rather than muscular effort. Over time, the practice strengthens the legs, refines balance and coordination, deepens breath awareness, and cultivates rhythm, sensitivity, responsiveness, and a nuanced understanding of the body.

Developing true proficiency requires dedicated practice. Periodic tutorials combined with independent practice provide an ideal pathway to building confidence, skill, and fluency in the work.

Barefoot Shiatsu (also known as (the original) Ashiatsu or Barefoot Bodywork) is a deeply satisfying and highly effective form of therapeutic massage. Practitioners use the weight of their body rather than muscular effort, moving with rhythm and precision to deliver pressure that is both potent and graceful. This ergonomic approach allows practitioners to give a full, deep session in a way that is sustainable and healthier for their own body, reducing strain while maximizing effectiveness. Over time, the practice strengthens the legs, sharpens balance and coordination, deepens breath awareness, and cultivates a heightened sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and responsiveness—helping practitioners and their recipients to understand the body in a truly nuanced way.

Mastery comes with practice. Guided tutorials combined with independent exploration allow students to steadily build confidence, refine their skill, and move with fluency and ease in this elegant, transformative form of bodywork.