3469 East Grand River Avenue, Howell, Michigan 48843, United States
Deep Tissue Myofascial Bodywork.
About Massage Livingston
Draping, Privacy & Booking Rules
Draping is used 100% of the time. Massage Livingston operates in accordance with state laws and ethical boundaries. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.
About Massage Livingston
Meet Rachel
Owner + Barefoot Massage Therapist at Massage Livingston | Howell, MI
Hi, I’m Rachel. I’ve been a licensed massage therapist for nearly a decade. I’m a wife, a mom (to a kid and a dog), a popcorn-and-Mac-&-cheese lover, and a self-proclaimed “hot mess” gardener. I kayak in the summer, antique in the winter, and deeply believe that massage should feel smart—not soft or punishing.
How I Got Started
In 2002, I married my husband, John. A year later, he joined the Marines. After deployments, field exercises, sleeping on cots, and wearing terrible footwear, his body took a beating. He was always asking for help—his neck, his back, his hands that tingled from cubital tunnel and tennis elbow. The discomfort got worse after he left the military.
So in 2013, I enrolled in the massage therapy program at LCC. I figured if I was going to work on him regularly, I should know what I was doing. Helping other people wasn’t my original goal—but it turns out, I’m a bit of a natural.
I worked in a chiropractic office and a few small private practices before opening Massage Livingston in 2015.
The Barefoot Massage Shift
By 2017, my own body was in trouble. Four years into my career, I was dealing with persistent upper body pain—especially in my right arm. Massage, as it turns out, is hard on massage therapists.
That same year, I started researching continuing ed courses. I was burned out, in pain, and ready to learn something new. Barefoot massage kept showing up in my searches. So I took it (and the throbbing in my arm) as a sign.
I signed up for my first barefoot massage class with The Center for Barefoot Massage and immediately knew I’d found what I needed.
- In 2017, I became the first massage therapist in Livingston County to offer Myofascial Barefoot Massage.
- By 2018, I removed hands-on massage from my menu entirely.
- Since then, I’ve taken over 100 hours of barefoot massage CE, including training in Ashiatsu, Sarga, and Fijian techniques.
Each session I offer is custom-built from those methods to match what your body needs most.
What is Barefoot Massage?
If you’ve ever wanted to be steamrolled—in the best way possible—this is it.
Barefoot massage is slow, fascially-focused, deep tissue work done with my feet, not my hands. Using overhead bars for balance, I apply pressure using bodyweight and gravity. The broad surface of the foot allows me to reach deep tissues more comfortably and effectively than thumbs or elbows ever could.
Research shows that the nervous system and fascial mechanoreceptors respond best to deep pressure that’s delivered slowly and over a large surface area. — Sarga Bodywork
It’s not a spa massage. It’s not aggressive sports massage. It’s grounded, effective, and designed for real people who want to move and feel better.
Myofascial Barefoot Massage
Once You Try Barefoot Massage
We have a saying in the Barefoot Massage community:
Once you go barefoot, you'll never go back to regular massage again.
Deeper Than Deep Tissue Massage
Barefoot Massage gives a depth to massage that is unmatched by other modalities. Gravity is my friend and I use to provide a weight and pressure that isn't found in traditional deep tissue massage. Consistent pressure, compressive strokes that address the body as a whole.
Is Barefoot Massage Right For You?
This deeper than deep tissue massage is perfect for athletes of all levels. Those suffering from chronic pain, have limited range of motion, or just want to experience a deeply relaxing massage,