How I found BodyTalk.

Ok, lets lighten things up a bit from my last post. It’s STORY TIME!

Four years ago now, a close friend and I started taking COMPLETELY UNPLANNED girls trips (Ennegram 7’s unite)! We decided on a random Tuesday afternoon that the next morning at 4am we were going to Colorado and we’d figure out where to land on the way there. We secured the rooftop tent, packed a few bags, and off we went! Generally speaking we decided to head south, drive around each day and “intuitively” find our next camp spot for the night. We were driving through the San Luis Valley one afternoon after camping BLM land and saw a sign that said “Crestone 14mi turn left”. So, we turned left. Little did we know, the town of Crestone CO is a dark sky community with some of the best views and hiking in the country, the only alpine desert in the WORLD, a destination for those who want to build eco-friendly homes, it contains protected land trusts, mindful living eco villages, and a real sense of community. We never left, the rest of the trip. On the way home, we decided we would come back in September of that same year.

Fast forward three months, I had my yearly Astrology reading with my amazing Astrologer Diane Garvin (Learn more about her HERE). Now, this is not pop culture astrology. This is not something I dove into very quickly and I was very cautious about who I let interpret and read my chart. I do believe that God uses the stars to help guide us in life. I won’t expound any further now, thats a whole other blog….I digress. We were discussing my career, and Diane kept saying to me “Massage fits, but there is something else. You seem to have a gift of insight when you put your hands on people, according to your chart. You should look into Bodytalk”. She mentioned Bodytalk about three more times in passing over the next few minutes. Now because I had NEVER heard of Bodytalk and had been in the wellness world for a decade at this point, I thought she was mis-speaking and referring to a different modality called BodyCode. (Co-incidentally, I had been receiving Bodycode sessions from a dear friend of mine for the entire year prior!) While I valued how Bodycode/emotion code had served me, it didn’t resonate with me to become a practitioner, so I dismissed her advice.

Ok, fast forward again, three months…. it was about a week and a half before our trip to Crestone in September of 2021. Every single day I could not stop hearing Diane’s voice in my head saying “Bodytalk, you should check into BodyTalk.” being the stubborn woman that I am, I tried to ignore this at the time (I know better now!), but it was SO loud and SO persistent that I finally just googled it to see if it was even a thing. Take a wild guess and what happened then….THIS blog was the first thing that popped up on my search results. Now it’s important to understand that I had only been a massage therapist for about a year and a half at this point, and I was already becoming increasingly frustrated because I KNEW there were other imbalances going on with my clients that were contributing to their pain and discomfort, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Bodytalk was able to bridge that gap for me. It’s exactly what I had been looking for, for my clients, and for myself.

Ok its gets better!

So I visited the IBA Website (International BodyTalk Association) to view courses, and get more info. The first course you’re required to take a become a practitioner is the BodyTalk Fundamentals 1 & 2 course. There was a Fundamentals 1 & 2 course being offered IN CRESTONE, CO, on the SAME EXACT WEEKEND I WAS ALREADY PLANNING TO BE THERE. My jaw dropped. I didn’t think twice and immediately enrolled.

I guess you can say the stars aligned.

Diving Right In

TW: Suicide

Suicide Awareness Month

For my first blog post, I am DIVING RIGHT IN to the nitty gritty of why I do what I do. Or at least, a very large part of what made me who I am today. 15 years ago I learned about the value of human life, the depth of loss, true friendships, connection, and the impact of our words and actions.

15 years ago, 21 of my friends slept on my bedroom floor the night I lost him. Collective grief, support, and connection like I have never experienced. That has left an imprint on my heart just as big as the loss of a great man, my Dad. I will never forget that day, and all of you that sat with me that night. I know he would be proud of all of us.

I have spent my entire adult life exploring the mind body connection, spirituality, and simply the essence of human beings to create some context around this loss. Someone so wholesome, kind, and GOOD taking their own life.

I spent years going to church services 4x per week laying flat on my face at the altar, I went to college and studied theology, then I spent the last 10 years diving into energy medicine, ancient philosophy, anatomy, physiology, and the mind-body complex.

My greatest take away from exploring all of these things is LOVE. Experiencing it in my own heart, and allowing myself to feel allll the good, painful, wonderful things that come with being a human, and cultivating the ability to share it. It’s messy! While you CAN look to outside sources to guide you, the real solution to your problems is in your own heart. That’s where God/Spirit'/Whatever you want to call it, lives.

I don’t have the answers, and I don't know that I was ever looking for answers, maybe just some clarity or context, but something I have definitely learned is that a persons choice to end their time on planet earth is a sacred one known only to them, and to God.

I have also learned that his choice, has gifted thousands of people through MY hands.

It is my deepest privilege to serve and love other people suffering from chronic pain and illness with my massage, and BodyTalk Practice.

He is my why.

The mind-body connection plays a greater role in our mental health than we have been led on to believe. Your mental health is not separate from whats going on in your body. There are answers, there IS hope, and there IS another way. Even in the midst of your suffering.

This is why I value The BodyTalk System, it bridges this gap that conventional methods seem to leave out.

It's not a panacea, but it makes a damn big impact and has gotten me through some very difficult times.

We are all unique individuals with different histories, backgrounds, traumas, emotions and environmental stressors. These things do affect our physical health and the symptoms we experience. If they didn't, we would be robots.

BodyTalk takes that into consideration and looks at the WHOLE person.

Since losing him, I have lost 6 other loved ones to suicide. One of my best friends, an inherited little brother, an ex boyfriend, and three close friends of the family.

We HAVE to speak up about this, and be willing to hold space for the people we love. Being heard in a space of safety is healing for every one of us.

Ultimately, you can’t stop someone from making this choice. But you CAN love them right where theyre at, in the present moment. It will echo in eternity. The rest is out of your hands.

Here's to you, Pop's. Thanks for helping me help other people, I'd prefer if you were here with me, but even in your absence, you have taught me SO MUCH.