The Deepfeet Bar Therapy Group is barefootin’ it over to the west coast to dip our toes in some San Diego waters~~~  Seems our newest Instructor, Hanni Peterson has a passion for teaching and we’re excited to welcome her to the Ashi team!

  1. Where are you from originally?  My dad was in the Navy, so we moved around alot. I consider Washington, DC home.
  2. How long have you been a massage therapist? (Or what year?)  Since 2004
  3. What made you want to get into massage?My Bachelors Degree is in Exercise Science and I have always been fascinated with anatomy and physiology so massage therapy seemed like a perfect fit.
  4. What did you do before massage school?College Student
  5. How long have you been doing ashiatsu, and where did you originally learn?  I have been doing Ashiatsu since 2011. I lived in Denver for four years and had the opportunity to be trained in all levels with the founder, Ruthie Hardee.
  6. What drew you to the modality originally?   Like many massage therapists, I hit that five-year burnout from boredom and aching muscles. I saw an ad for Deepfeet in ABMP, researched it on the internet, I thought it looked really cool and it would save my wrists, back and arms, so I signed up right away. 
  7. What percentage of your clients do you do barefoot massage on?   90%
  8. What other modalities do you do in your massage practice?   I also practice Swedish for those long-time clients who are contraindicated for Ashiatsu.  Other modalities I love to practice are Reflexology, Structural Bodywork, and Cranial Sacral Therapy. In addition, I will be trained in Cupping Therapy as of November 2015.
  9. How do they complement each other?Although Ashiatsu is my preferred modality to practice, I find that ending with a relaxing foot massage and cranial work contributes to the luxurious, relaxed feeling that Ashiatsu establishes.
  10. How long have you been teaching barefoot massage?I began teaching in April 2015
  11. What made you want to teach?  I love being a teacher and I love massage therapy, so when the opportunity came along to teach massage, I knew it was a dream come true!
  12. What makes teaching Deepfeet rewarding?  It’s rewarding because I see my students get excited again about practicing massage therapy.  I feel proud and happy that I made a difference in their career.
  13. How do you feel like you can transform other massage therapists’ careers?  I feel that through teaching massage therapists this modality, I can transform their careers like it did to my career. Invigorating, exciting, and infusing passion back into their practice can revive a massage therapists career and in turn will attract more clients for a successful long-term career.
  14. Do you have a favorite moment or testimonial that you’d like to share?  My favorite moment is at the end of workshop, when we take group pictures and share hugs.
  15. Any crazy or funny class moments you’d like to share (without embarrassing a student or GC)?  I love to use body crayons to illustrate muscles and stroke directions and one day during hip hiker instruction, my inner 2nd grade teacher came out and I just got carried away with drawing.
  16. Do you blog anywhere other than here? What’s your site?  www.californiaashiatsu.com
  17. Married? Family? Pets?I have two Golden Retrievers who love to model new Ashi apparel.
  18. Hanni Peterson Ashiatsu Instructor
    Hanni Peterson Ashiatsu Instructor

    Can you drive a stick shift or farm equipment or ride a motorcycle?  I can drive all three! All my cars have been stick shift, not so great in Southern California traffic but wouldn’t have it any other way! My family is in North Dakota, so I have driven all types of farm equipment.  Growing up, I used to drive a little Japanese Motocompo around the neighborhood. 

  19. What do you do for fun? Living in SoCal, I love to paddleboard, swim, and play with my dogs at the beach.
  20. Any other interesting tidbits?I wear many teacher hats….I am a licensed elementary school teacher, a yoga teacher, a paddleboard yoga teacher, and paddleboard instructor.  I also have above average skills in 80’s music Karaoke, I speak Norwegian, and I’m a Scorpio. 🙂

Read about our other Ashiatsu Instructors: Charlene, Jeni, Julie & Nancy