Al Poliarco
Founder of Barefoot Hands | Creator of Travel Bars | Educator in Barefoot Bodywork
Al Poliarco is a Filipino barefoot bodywork practitioner and international educator based in the United States. He is the founder of Barefoot Hands and the creator of the Travel Bars, a portable overhead support system designed to support safe, efficient, and adaptable barefoot massage in professional environments worldwide.
His work bridges cultures — drawing inspiration from traditional Asian roots of barefoot massage while integrating Western clinical standards and modern biomechanics. Over the years, he has taught throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, working with licensed therapists who seek greater structural efficiency, depth without strain, and professional longevity.
Al is a member of the New Massage Association (NewMA), a well-respected international massage organization. NewMA was the first global championship platform to formally welcome and recognize barefoot bodywork at the highest competitive level, awarding GOLD — Best Massage, International Division — in 2024 in Rome, Italy. This milestone helped elevate barefoot bodywork within the broader professional massage community.
While honored by international recognition, Al’s focus remains on technical clarity, safety standards, and thoughtful development of therapists rather than performance alone.
Chavuttidhara™ is his newest class offering — a brand-new floor-based barefoot training inspired by the traditional South Indian practice of Chavutti Thirumal. The program explores grounded, single-footed techniques, balance, and controlled weight transfer, allowing therapists to deliver deep yet sensitive pressure with stability and precision. It is designed for practitioners who wish to expand their barefoot repertoire with a method that honors tradition while meeting modern therapeutic expectations.
Al teaches in a structured and methodical manner, with intentionally limited class sizes to ensure individual attention and refinement of technique.
His mission is to elevate barefoot bodywork with integrity — honoring its cultural roots while advancing its professional future.
