"Ashi' means foot and "atsu" means pressure. This is a wonderful deep tissue massage without the discomfort of a massage using elbows, forearms and fingers. In this modality, I am able to use up to 100% of my weight, but I still won't apply more pressure than you are comfortable with. The broadness of the foot allows me to warm up and hydrate the tissues more effectively, which will reduce the soreness that can come after a deep tissue massage.