About Mariah
Founder of SoleMassage. Barefoot massage educator.
I didn’t come to barefoot massage early in my career.
I came to it after eleven years of hands-on work.
By the time I discovered barefoot massage in 2009, I already knew massage deeply. I understood pressure, pacing, and presence. I also knew what it felt like to carry work in my body day after day, year after year.
Barefoot massage didn’t replace my foundation.
It expanded it.
What changed everything wasn’t just working with my feet.
It was learning how to work differently.
Why SoleMassage exists
SoleMassage was built from experience, not theory.
I trained in barefoot massage, practiced it extensively, and eventually taught within other systems (including DeepFeet and the Center for Barefoot Massage).
Along the way, I noticed something important. Barefoot work had enormous potential, but without the right structure and support, it could still ask too much of the therapist’s body.
What became clear over time was this:
how you support yourself matters just as much as what technique you use.
SoleMassage grew from that understanding.
It’s a teaching framework built around:
long-term sustainability
intelligent use of support systems like straps
cultivating confidence through embodied movement
Not as a reaction against anything else, but as a response to what I felt in my own body and what I saw repeatedly in others.
How I teach
I believe barefoot massage works best when the body feels organized, supported, and at ease.
That belief shapes how I teach:
using 2 straps to distribute load and create ease.
prioritizing body mechanics so movement feels fluid instead of forced
building sessions that feel rhythmic, grounded, and connected
The goal isn’t just depth.
It’s depth that the body can receive.
When your structure is sound, pressure becomes less about effort and more about allowing gravity and timing to do their work.
What draws students to SoleMassage
Most students don’t come to SoleMassage looking for less work.
They come because they’re drawn to:
the fluidity and flow of barefoot massage
the creative, full-body movement it allows
a way to deliver deep, consistent pressure with less strain and more control
What often surprises them is this:
sustainable barefoot massage depends on slowing down, refining body mechanics, and letting structure guide the work.
When technique, timing, and support align, barefoot massage becomes powerful without being exhausting.
Teaching without a final answer
I’m not currently seeing clients in a regular practice.
Over the past year, my focus has been on teaching, refining curriculum, and paying close attention to how the field continues to evolve.
I still work on my partner occasionally, but my primary relationship to the work now is through observation, reflection, and instruction.
One thing I hold firmly is this:
massage is not static.
What we understand about fascia, nervous system regulation, pain science, and healing continues to grow. I’m deeply interested in how calming the nervous system allows the body to accept deeper work, not through force, but through safety and trust.
Slow, intentional fascial work can be profound not just because of tissue change, but because it invites the nervous system to soften.
At the same time, I still value well-applied deep tissue work.
I simply want the body to welcome the work rather than be forced.
SoleMassage is built to evolve with what proves true over time, honoring both emerging understanding and what continues to work in practice.
Annie Leading a specialty class for the staff at THE SPACE
Gracey teaching floor techniques to our therapist at THE SPACE
About the team
SoleMassage is shaped by more than one voice.
It’s supported by a small, skilled team of practitioners and teachers who bring care, depth, and real-world experience into everything we do.
Below are two people who play an essential role in how SoleMassage is taught and embodied.
Annie
Annie has been part of THE SPACE since 2021 and is one of our Level 3 therapists. She supports SoleMassage Level One trainings, assisting with the first two days of class and guiding students through the “feet-on” portions where the work begins to land in their own bodies.
Her teaching style is assertive, kind, and steady. Annie offers precise, technical feedback while helping students stay regulated and confident as they learn. She’s especially skilled at grounding nervous students, reinforcing what’s working, and giving praise that feels specific and earned.
Annie brings structure, clarity, and calm authority to the classroom, helping students feel supported as they step into barefoot massage with confidence.
Gracey
Gracey has been part of THE SPACE since 2022 and is also a Level 3 therapist. She will be stepping into teaching the SoleMassage Floor Class, a natural progression that reflects her experience, adaptability, and deep familiarity with the work.
With a background in Thai massage and early training in floor-based barefoot techniques, Gracey demonstrated a strong ability to take foundational material and apply it independently. Over time, she stepped into leadership roles, managing floor-based work and navigating real-world teaching environments with confidence.
Gracey is calm, intuitive, and fluent in SoleMassage systems and language. In addition to teaching, she supports front-end operations Sunday through Tuesday, making her a familiar and trusted voice for both clients and students.
Her teaching reflects the same qualities she brings to her practice: grounded presence, clear navigation, and an intuitive understanding of how to meet each moment.