On the eve of Virginia’s first phase of reopening, in which massage therapy businesses are included, I wanted to update you on my considerations for when to begin practicing bodywork again. This is my attempt to paint a picture of the realities - both visible and invisible - which are shaping my decision-making on this question.
Read MoreThe Miracle Of Being Alive
Friday was the first full day of spring and normally that’s a fresh start I like to celebrate. But I missed it this year - because of the news at the moment, the vernal equinox - a day of equal darkness and light - got overlooked.
Read MoreWhere You Were Ever Trapped
To create space where you were ever trapped. I love that. Such a powerful idea. And that’s not just the goal of yoga practice, that’s the goal of therapeutic massage - to gently challenge places of tension and stuckness, to communicate to the nervous system “Here is a safe place to heal”, to make way for freedom of movement, action, discovery, awareness, stillness. Whatever we need to do or be, moment by moment. As space is created, the body intuitively knows how to release and recover.
Read MoreTry Something Different
Happy autumn equinox, fall’s first day. A season for letting go. ~ natalie.
make :: space.
// FOR CHANGE.
What Keeps Us Stuck
“That's the thing about pain - it demands to be felt.” Often during a session, the inner dialogue of a skilled massage therapist could include the thought, "I feel your pain." Quite literally.
Read MoreWe Are Each Other's Harvest
As a licensed massage therapist, I've grown to have deep respect for the intricacies and wonders of the human form. The body continues to amaze and confound me. And as anyone who's taken the journey toward reverencing it can probably attest, you learn a couple of life lessons when you give yourself over to the study of anatomy:
Read MoreYou'll See A Star
Sometimes people think of expertise as moving into new territory. But often it's the seemingly and so-called "simple" things that are the most powerful. That's one of my takeaways from this weekend's American Massage Conference by One Concept Conferences... Knowledge, while crucial, will only carry you so far.
Read MoreA Powerful Vehicle For Hope
Had an opportunity to hear the incomparable Benny Vaughn (professional massage therapist since 1975 and one of the leaders in the field of elite sports massage and athletic performance) speak at the American Massage Conference by One Concept Conferences in Virginia Beach this morning. From his opening remarks, massage therapists are:
Read MoreTake A Deep Breath
Only two (and a half, I guess) more workdays 'til the weekend! Which means only a couple more days of 9 to 5-ing before a sun-filled (hopefully!) reprieve. In the meantime, take a deep breath and try this.
Read MoreWhen Fear Takes Over
Fear seems to be one of the undercurrents driving a lot of public dialogue lately. Although often unspoken (and more often than not located outside of conscious awareness), fear remains a significant influencer of our thoughts and behaviors.
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