Why
did Don become a Massage Therapist?
In the spring of 1997 I was going through what some
people call the “dark night of the soul”.
I remember sharing what I was going through with a lady at a Unity
Church. As I talked, she put
her hands on my shoulders and left them there for what seemed like hours. The power of her touch was very calming.
Later I found out that she had given me a Reiki treatment.
I began reading everything I could get my hands on about Reiki and
the power of touch. I visited
several Massage schools in Atlanta and learned as much as I could about
massage and the profession. I
also had received massages and became a firm believer in the therapeutic
benefits of massage. I learned that studies showed that receiving regular
massages reduced stress, depression, and pain, and helped improve our
immune systems. Massage
seemed to be the key to balancing our lives.
I remember attending a Deepak Chopra seminar and at
one point he asked us what we REALLY wanted to do with our life?
He wanted us to tell our partner so I told my partner that I wanted
to be a massage therapist and have a successful practice that nurtured
hurting people. I knew that current situations in my life prevented me
from pursuing my dream but I also knew that the seed had been planted.
Touch is so powerful and a lack of touch can be very
damaging. Most diseases are a
result of stress in our lives that has built up over time. I truly believe that most people are stressed out the
way they are because they disconnect from others emotionally and
physically. Many times when I
give a massage, the person receiving the massage will totally let go and
relax. Some begin to talk and some are silent. It doesn’t matter because a massage is a very private time.
It is time that is safe and nurturing.
It is a time to reflect and contemplate on one’s life. Our bodies are a reflection of our lives and every
cell remembers every past event.
During
a massage, energy is being passed from the giver to the receiver.
Oriental cultures call this energy “Chi”, “Ki “, or life energy. Many people believe that this is simply love being
passed from one person to another.
Today, I know much more about the therapeutic
benefits of massage and have learned valuable techniques.
I have developed my own style of massage including energy work.
But, in the end, the gentle touch is all that matters.
We all want to leave this earth having made a difference in
someone’s life. We want to be remembered.
It is my hope that through my service I can help people realize
that they do make a difference.
The mystic poet Rumi said —BETWEEN
YOUR IDEAS OF RIGHT AND WRONG, THERE IS A FIELD, MEET ME THERE—
To me this means that each of us perceives the world
in our own way and there is good and bad in everyone.
That field is a place where we can go and find our
silence and heal.
That field in massage therapy is the healing power of
touch.
NAMASTE
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