If there is one thing people know about me, and my husband BJ, it is that we are committed to following our path in life. For 38 years I have embraced all of the ups and downs, twists and turns only to find that with each life change I am taken to a new level of learning, prosperity and health.  Recently we found that our life is taking yet another major turn, which is bringing us back to New England.  My husband has taken a job in Newport, RI and we will be moving to the Ocean State within 60 or so days.  I am originally from Cape Cod and my husband from Wesport, MA so after almost a decade we will be near our family and friends once again.   We are very excited and feel that with all major life changes this too, is meant to be.  It’s been a wild ride for the last 3-4 weeks as things have moved at a fast pace falling into place all around us.

The past 4 years in private practice has been a life enhancing experience for my clients and myself.  I have worked extremely hard and am confident that I made a positive impact on the lives of others while also being the recipient of an incredibly loyal clientele.  I thank everyone who passed my name along to another and not only trusted me with their body but with the bodies of their husbands, wives, friends and children.  You have given me gifts that will never be forgotten and which have shaped me into a better health care provider and person on the whole.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me become that practitioner I am today.

I have been working steadily over the past few weeks on a plan for the practice that will leave all of my clients in talented hands led by extensive knowledge and experience.  As of September 15, 2010 I am honored to introduce Maia Ignatz as the new owner of my practice and the Massage Boulder brand.  As Maia and I both agree there are no coincidences in life, we were brought together briefly in the spring of 2009 only to be reunited a year later.  The purpose of our lives intersecting became very clear, quite quickly.

Maia is passionate about working with people and educating them about what they can do to improve and maintain their health and well being.  She is Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, she is an honors graduate of the Boulder College of Massage Therapy’s 1000-hr massage therapy certificate program, holds a BA in Kinesiology from the University of Colorado and is an experienced athlete having raced X-Terra off road triathlons which allows her to relate on a experiential level to athletes of all abilities.  Her work experience includes sport and spine physical therapy as well as neuromuscular dentistry.

She believes that she has an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others through pain treatment, injury prevention, performance enhancement, relaxation and overall health improvement and maintenance. Maia’s expertise, experience and education make her a qualified and natural choice for this business. Having received her work personally, I can attest to her nurturing and skilled touch.

Maia will be honoring all current outstanding packages and gift certificates.  She will be reaching out personally to everyone as September 15^th approaches and feels quite honored to be working with all of you.   As of today my plan is to practice and schedule appointments up to the 15^th and possibly into the end of September.  I will not be taking anymore weekend appointments or issuing new packages/gift certificates.  Exact dates are still up in the air for my move but I will keep the communication open in regards to more openings and availability.

I will never be able to express what you have given me and thank you will never seem to be enough but what I can tell you is that you have changed my life forever.

Be Well-
jess

The Massage for Peace program by the Boulder College of Massage Therapy literally touches hundreds of people each year.

The non-profit massage school helps student share their healing hands with those living with illness, in poverty, and through war and conflict. Each year they offer 10,000 hours of massage free of charge to those who need it most.

As one alumna for the College, Becky Little explains Massage for Peace is “the simple act of reaching out and touching someone. Extending the love, care, and respect that comes from nurturing touch to another human being is a gift that enriches life. The gentle touch of a hand or a reassuring hug reduces fear, anxiety, and loneliness often felt in times of unrest and despair.”

With the average cost of a massage being about $1 per minute, over the last 33 years the school estimates its donation to those in need to be nearly $200,000.

At home, massage therapists from the school each spend about 250 hours per year with patients in prenatal, postpartum, cancer, cardiac, and orthopedic care at Boulder Community Hospital.

Last September, 10 massage therapists travelled to Dharamsala, India to teach massage therapy to Tibetan refugees at Lha Charitable Trust. Many of the refugees they worked with arrived with little aside from the clothes on their backs and the terror of the experiences they escaped. In a letter afterward, the trust’s general manager Ngawang Rabgyal said the skills learned by the refugees will go a long way toward helping them rebuild their confidence, and praised BCMT for its dedication to non violence. This was the seventh trip by students of the school to Dharamsala.

We at Tees for Change are proud  that we designed and produced the Massage for Peace t-shirts worn by the massage therapists on their journey and we hope you’ll join us in following their adventures in peace.

If you want to know more about the Massage for Peace trip to India, you can read all about it on the BCMT blog. To donate to Massage for Peace please follow this link.

I’ve had ALOT of acupuncture over the last 7 years – treating everything from a deadly virus to soft tissue dysfunction.  I’ve always had great success and highly recommend it to others as an option for health care.  For me, it’s my ‘go to’.  My acupuncturist, Jennifer Six is offering affordable, community style pain clinics on Fridays in Boulder.  Her office is just down the street from mine,  see information below.

Acupuncture Pain Treatment Clinic* – Community Style (a few tables going at a time)
Every Friday from 12-3
$30/treatment
Walk ins welcome!

Location: Wellness of Boulder
3300 Arapahoe Ave, Suite 215, Boulder

*For pain and injuries only. For internal disorder and ailments please contact Jennifer Six, L.A.c. for a free consultation.

I thought that headline would get your attention.  No, no, I’m not cooking up a human - pause to let the excitement diminish - I am pursuing my certification to become a Prenatal, Labor and Postpartum (PLPP) massage therapist.  Today was the first step to earning this advanced certificate.  I am taking Massage for Healthy Pregnancies at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy (BCMT) this weekend.  In massage school, your days always end in massage – today was 1 hour prenatal massage trades – lovely work.

As a part of my 1000-hr core massage training at BCMT, I learned the basics of prenatal massage – all the important stuff.  But to be honest, when I started my practice, I was scared to death of it.  It wasn’t until a client of mine, who was pregnant with her 2nd child said, ‘listen I’m not going to anyone else, you’re treating me through my pregnancy’.  Done.  Getting me out of my comfort zone is a good place for me to be, that is where I tend to excel.

I decided to embrace prenatal massage, pregnant moms, babies beings ‘to be’ and all the other incredible processes of life that come with it.  I started to put the energy out into the world that I was ready to support women who were registered for the biggest athletic event of life.  Birthing a baby.

For the last 2 years I have found myself with at least 3-5 prenatal clients at any given time which is a great balance for my business.  I always want to be as knowledgeable and skillful as I can be about the types of massage I practice.  Earning my certification as a PLPP massage therapist makes sense for me, especially with my orthopedic and sports background; it’s a perfect fit.

The program is 125 hours and consists of four modules and a testing weekend.  The courses cover the prenatal, labor and postpartum stages of pregnancy including high risk pregnancies.  I hope to finish it by November of this year and yes, I will need a case study mommy.

Soon to be mother of two and client of mine since the beginning, Monika Drake recently launched her photography website – Monika Drake Photography.

Monika has been been passionate about photography her entire life.  No matter the occasion, it seems that she had a camera with her at every moment. After the birth of her first child she decided that it was time to follow her passion.  She is a natural light photographer who specializes in children, babies, families, high school seniors, couples and maternity.

Monika is a joy and I encourage you to check out her website.  I think you’ll agree that her work speaks for itself.