The Unfolding Journey | Post 1

When I was a little girl, my mom was in a women’s meditation group that met weekly. My mom and her sister would bring me and my cousins, and we would quietly play upstairs while the women were meditating. I can’t help thinking that we were playing in the meditation vortex of good vibration above this circle of women.

Years later one of these incredible women found Reiki, and became a Reiki Master. These meditators all learned Reiki. As a teenager, I had no idea what Reiki was. But when i got home from school there were always women ready to place their hands on me if I had any kind of complaint. If I had a headache, or cramps, or if I was sad, there were always women placing their hands on my head, low back, and my heart. I never thought it was strange—it was just my mom’s friends loving on me.

Decades later I started wondering about Reiki, and I reached out to my cousin, who is like my sister. It turned out that she, and my Aunt had both learned Reiki with the same woman that trained my mom. My mom had died of colon cancer about 5 years earlier, and at his point my it felt pretty poignant that I could have the same opportunity to learn and study with the Master that had taught Reiki to the women in my family.

On April 1st 2006—no joke, yes April Fool’s Day after laying on the table receiving the gift of Reiki, and having spent a weekend both giving and receiving, and likely an opening attunement. I had one of those crystal clear moments, and I stated to this lovely woman, and the Universe. “I want to do this work.” We laughed, I cried. I was working a traditional office job and I had no idea how to make a transition to doing hands-on work—or even what that meant.

I did my research, and the only way to collect money (legally), and be licensed to touch someone, was to become a chaplain, or a licensed massage therapist. I had never received a massage. I was completely ill-prepared for the undertaking I was about to step toward, but I didn’t think that chaplaincy was the path I wanted to pursue.

I was living in Oregon at the time, and I began searching for schools. I found a school that offered Acupressure—Shiatsu, an Eastern style of working with clients where they would remained fully clothed. It was like Acupuncture without the needles—or so I thought. I applied, was accepted, and had to negotiate days off at work so that I could attend classes.

When you take a step toward a direction, an entire universe opens up. I learned Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesology, Massage Techniques, Ethics, Business principles, and law. I was completely tuned in and turned up. I loved the science. I had no idea that I would love the science of the body.

When I was in high school, my parents had zero intention of helping with college, they did not even encourage me to take college prep classes. Sad really, but I’d be that they thought my path would be marriage and babies—you know the most common way in the world for a young woman. Hind sight is 20/20. I realize now that my parents were struggling in their marriage. They divorced when I was 16, those formative high school years was when their relationship was falling apart. No one ever said to me, you like science, keep going.

The good news—the Universe has my back. I rediscovered my love of science, and found my way. Although I chose to start with Shiatsu, the Eastern manual therapy modality, the Universe nudged me in the other direction. As it was massage school we had a comprehensive curriculum, 555 hours of all the good stuff to graduate.

I came home one day to find that my husband had been laid off. We were devastated. It was the summer of 2008, and the economic downturn had just begun. The high tech company he worked for had completely dismantled an entire division of his company, from receptionist to VP, they were all let go. We lived in a High Tech suburb and the shock was everywhere. None of the other tech companies were hiring… After struggling a bit we decided we would move back to Washington, I had a small house there, and we laughed that we could make the mortgage there, even if we were both just baristas.

I was only partially through my student clinic for Shiatsu. I still had several classes to complete the Eastern Medicine portion of my training, but the courses were only offered each quarter. It would take me another 6-8 months to complete that course of study. When I looked at my transcripts, I had enough credits to graduate—so I gave notice to my Shiatsu Instructor, hugged her and went on to schedule my graduation and my exam. In June of 2008 I became a Licensed Massage Therapist. In November we moved back to Washington.

In 2009, I landed a job at a very busy practice with a group of women that were willing to show me the ropes. It was a 4 room practice, and I floated room to room on other peoples days off, but without a space to call my own. So I set up a small studio at my home, and started building a private practice. I did all the things, a new business owner does… I joined the chamber, I even made flyers and put them in the boater bags at the marina. I offered a ride service to the marina visitors, for anyone that wanted a massage, I would pick them up and drive them to and from my studio.

In December of 2010, I set out on my own, rented a beautiful space with multiple treatment rooms, with views of the water, and I found 8 other massage therapists to join me, and I opened Harborview Massage & Wellness Center. the first of many iterations—but that is a story for another day.