Blog Post One, a little about me…
Welcome to Inner Light Massage. Having recently just given a name to my massage practice, I wanted to write my first blog post about where this name came from, who I am as a practitioner, and allow you to get to know me a little more. I’ve been in this field for about 4 and a half years now. Schooling for massage, when I went, was about 16 months, so it feels like I’ve been immersed in the world of massage for a lot longer. Before deciding to become a massage therapist, I was using my degree in Sociology working for a nonprofit helping clients find employment, write resumes, gain skills in Microsoft, etc. I was needing a change, something to advance my career and had always thought I would get my Master’s in Social Work to follow the path to becoming a talk therapist. Upon getting into a master’s program, it didn’t take much time at all for me to feel that it was not the right direction for me to take. But what else would I do? During this time in my life, I was receiving acupuncture and reiki, and on my own search for a deeper and richer life. I wanted to feel more connected to myself and find meaning beyond the everyday routine. Things felt sort of bland, if not stale. I thought maybe a field in the healing arts could be a good fit for me and massage just came to me as a random idea.
I had only ever received a few massages in my life, but it would be a versatile license that I could use both independently and in spa settings. It seemed to be both secure and inspired. So, in I went, and started up the process of getting into massage school, which happened to be about 10 minutes from where I was living at the time. Sounded like synchronicity to me. During my schooling, I also took my first Reiki class. I was ready to dive in to all of the alternative healing practices to prepare myself with helping clients using a number of different modalities. I was either ready to take on the world, or bite off a bit more than I could chew. I didn’t realize the mental and emotional tole it would take to be doing so much while also working full time and managing the stressors that life was throwing at me. It took a lot of strength to manage my time and my energy in order to complete this process.
Since graduating and passing my licensing exam, I have worked solely and consistently as a massage therapist, completed classes for Reiki 2 and Reiki Master certifications (Reiki Master class being an amazing and eye opening 4 month journey), and attended 3 separate Upledger Institute Cranial Sacral classes. I not only find that my skills in this practice have deepened over the years, but it has set off an incredible self-healing and self-discovery journey. I have personally worked with people in several different fields from hypnotherapy to shamanic healing to subconscious reprogramming, and I find that the more I learn about myself, the better equipped I am at holding space for others. The deeper I understand my emotional states, my triggers, my joy, my peace, the easier I can lead clients into their own healing states, and also listen to the subtle cues of each client’s individualized needs. This work does not start and end with physical touch. It is much deeper, there are many more layers, and it is far more intricate and delicate. I have taken this journey of becoming a massage therapist beyond the professional scope of practice and allowed it to change me and possibly my world view. I don’t think I’ll ever be done learning, growing, and evolving both personally or professionally, and why would I when it’s just so much fun?
The name Inner Light Massage came to me as an idea of how I want each client to feel after each session, which is a little more connected to their inner light. The difference in people’s faces and bodies from before and after receiving a treatment shows just how much massage, reiki, cranial sacral work can help in removing a layer of tension that might have otherwise been dimming that inner spark. I also chose this name because the Inner Light to me is that guiding force that is inside each of us, lighting the path ahead, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. I believe that my inner light is what led me to this field, and what continues to guide me on my journey. Looking back, I can see how all the puzzle pieces have fit together (the good, the bad, and the ugly), that have taken me to where I am today. I have more trust than ever that it continues to take me on my path to whatever lies ahead. I also trust that those that are on my table are following their inner guidance and I treat each session as another piece of the puzzle on their journey to figuring out what the next steps are, a bridge between what was and what will come to be. Maybe a bit overkill for a simple 60 minute massage, but each session is special to me and I like to see the deeper healing in it all. So, whether you come to see me once, never, or every week for a lifetime, I hope each and every one of you trusts that inner light and delights in where it takes you.
With much love,
Devon
