A Short Story About Me
|
I just want to say that I really love what I do! This body therapy work is so darn relaxing and fun! What a contrast from the way I used to approach life.
Early in my independent living years, I tried for a health focused career in nutrition but let that go in favor of my real passion which was fighting for the Earth. I assumed I'd have a long career in environmentally focused work. Then I stayed with my dad through some of the last months of his life and something else started getting my attention. What I realized in my grieving after his death was that I was not living an authentic life but just trying to agree with unclear expectations. I had to find out how to come back to myself. Who is this Me trying to live this life? I adopted a regular yoga practice where I began connecting to my body and crying. I cried most days, after not crying for most of my life. I also began learning to meditate and study the nature of mind with a group of friends at Sitagu, a Burmese Buddhist temple just outside of town. How fortuitous to have that incredible resource available! That lead to all sorts of unconventional and unforeseen explorations. One of the best "therapies" was the 5+ years of volunteering in a women's prison, facilitating a class called Talk To Me with an organization called Truth Be Told. Women respectfully, bravely sharing and hearing each others stories. Women becoming free by finding our voices of truth, coming out of the pernicious shame/trauma cycles that our culture does WAY too well. Amazing grace, that program was for me!! I found out from some people in my life that a lot of what I was choosing to do in my new explorations looked like poor judgment and even selfishness. But from inside my own skin, I was simply starting to listen to a different voice than the external/internal judges that used to guide my choices. You know, that "still small voice" inside us all? Listen to that. So, coming to terms with this gradual disappearance of the old personality and the disjointed expectations she used to try to shoulder has been super surprising. Freeing and fun. I can finally understand a bit of what other people may be going through, and I rarely have that panicky demand rearing up, screaming "Fix that!" anymore. When it does show up, it's not very convincing because I know where that disjointed reaction will lead me. It's so much better being in the flow of my real life finally, and being a friend to people who want to live their real lives, too. Even the "Fix that!" voice is learning to listen and laugh. The worlds needs our honest participation. The Earth is cared for by us humans becoming real in ourselves, because we are not separate after all. The Earth is our bodies and the way we listen and move permeates everything. This is why I love Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy since it's really about listening to life energy and being with it, which allows the honest needs to be met. That's what healing really is. So that's a little about me. Also, I live simply in my little South Central Austin hobbit home under the Live Oaks with my adorable husband, Nathan, and our adorable rowdy dogs, Grace and Hope. The dogs are named after this gust of honest life. Major certifications and degrees Biodynamic Craniosacral Training - Body Intelligence, Austin 2018 Hakomi Mindfulness/Body-Centered Psychotherapy - Hakomi SW, Austin 2012 Massage Therapy Training - Texas Healing Arts Institute, Austin 2007 Thai Massage Training - ITM, Chiang Mai, Thailand 2006 Yoga Teacher Training - Living Yoga Program, Austin 2004 MPS Environmental & Community Land Planning - SUNY ESF, Syracuse 2003 BS Geography - SWTSU, San Marcos 1999 BS Nutrition - SWTSU, San Marcos 1994 |