“My two careers dovetail better than you might think! The common thread is advocacy and empowerment of the self.”

I recently retired from my program manager role in Advanced Academics instruction at the elementary level. This included direct instruction (all subjects) for identified students, but also facilitating the capacity of general ed staff in implementing evidence-based strategies from the world of Gifted & Talented. It was a big and lovely mash-mash of designing professional development, coaching, curriculum design, project management, and identification of students.

I continue my private practice as a bodyworker specializing in several modalities. Private practice in massage therapy remains a joy, but along the way I found myself designing professional development and courses for other wellness providers and their clients. Can’t stop teachers from teachin’!

I love the process of guiding others to the revelation that they know more, can do more, can accomplish more, already are more. My underlying goal for my students was to help them become active participants in their learning. Not passive recipients of something ‘dumped’ into their brains. (Kids are not sponges; that analogy is outdated and inaccurate.) Applying that same philosophy in a therapeutic massage setting means facilitating learning of body awareness. My underlying goal is to help clients learn what it means to actively participate in their bodies so that healing can happen.

Therapeutic massage creates space for connections and awareness to surface regarding habits that contribute to neck/low back, etc pain.

Meanwhile, it also creates the physical relief/change for muscle and fascial tissue to let go, to relax.

BestBodyMind is born out of that core drive that I have to share with people how they have this great capacity to be an active participant in their bodies, to connect to themselves - body and mind - and to be happy and pain free.