How I got into Massage Therapy in Redmond, OR

My path to massage was not linear.  From the time I felt passionate and inspired to become a massage therapist to the time I became a Licensed Massage Therapist was a long uphill climb.  With each step I took, there was something further ahead that inspired and impassioned me. Thankfully I am still climbing, still learning, still ever-increasingly passionate about massage therapy and a healthy active lifestyle.

I have always enjoyed being active, growing up with gymnastics, dance team, softball, volleyball, basketball, weightlifting, and riding horses.  Starting gymnastics at age four, stretching, moving, and challenging my body was the norm. Teenage years brought a change in activities but not the drive that pushed me to excel physically.  I was always interested in the physical body, specifically the muscles, since there is such a connection to my movement as an athlete.

During my teenage years I experienced my first massage and it was life-altering.  I floated out of the massage room thinking, “Does everyone know about massage?” I vowed then that massage therapy would be in my life forever.  Little did I know that would include more than just receiving and floating out of massages.

It was while taking a Massage Basics class in my early twenties that confirmed this was a profession I would be pursuing.  If I would have had the resources available, I probably would have enrolled in the program on that first night of the first class, but again, this story is not linear.  

The last phase in life before beginning my formal massage training included care-taking of loved ones, and participating in their end of life journey.  My theory is that was the last piece of the puzzle. The experience with my family and loved ones gave me the compassion and empathy necessary to truly connect with my clients at a deeper level now.

Massage therapy, giving and receiving, has had an immense affect on my life.  I am happier now than the day I graduated from East West College of the Healing Arts, and honestly I felt that was the highlight in my life.  I now know the continual climb to learn, grow and explore the many ways I can help my clients live their best life.