Moving Through Grief & The Power of Massage
Abbie Norman, a massage therapist of 16 years joined Kari for episode 228. Her massage therapy career was shaped from the pain of childhood injuries and how she experienced a more full recovery with massage therapy than she did from physical therapy. The first 14 years of her career was orthopedic based with a lot of trigger point work. However, a life changing even transitioned her focus to more holistic practice for treating pain.
Abbie said, “As I was working through COVID, pregnant, I had my son Rowan at 29 weeks through an emergency c section. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to retain oxygen on his own and after 5 weeks in a NICU, he passed away. After losing him, I didn’t think I could go back to working with people as a massage therapist.”
After a 5 week long road trip, Abbie returned home still uncertain as to what her next step would be. “When I got home, I took the first job that was going to pay me enough, and I was just planning to keep my head down and go to work. I cried every day for the first month. But once I got in the massage room, I knew, this was what I needed to be doing.”
People with pain kept finding me.
Hurt people hurt people,
But hurt people can also help people.
If I’m going to survive this unsurvivable thing, then I want to do something good with it. I was trying to figure out how to bring my story with me into this new life. I was trying to figure out how to make an impact with the new me like I did with the old me. Especially after COVID i noticed how much people were so deprived from touch, and I could see what people really needed to treat the person as a whole (new me) vs. just treat the pain (old me).
Kari: That brings us to you starting Rowan Wellness.
Abbie; yea I was able to take the meaning of his name and create a space with not just me.
Kari: what are some myths about getting a massage?
Abbie:
That it’s a luxury or a special treat
That it has to be painful
That it’s only to feel good vs. having therapeutic benefits
Kari: How does it help the body heal?
Abbie: There are several parts that are key: breathing properly to support lymphatic drainage, bringing blood flow to the area, calming the nervous system
Make sure you find a therapist that will work with you 1:1 over time, to help you heal, not just to give you a pretty aesthetic.
Kari: What essential oils do you use during massage?
Abbie: Frankincense is very anti-inflammatory and spiritually healing, Cypress is great for circulation and vascular health, Lavender is calming.
Kari: What other natural tools do you use during massage?
Abbie: I really enjoy using red light therapy and cupping right now in addition to massage.
If you are having a hard time finding a good massage therapist in your area, Abbie would be happy to help you find someone!
Follow here @rowanwellnesscenter @bonitaspringsmassagetherapist on Instagram
We are so glad you landed here today and hope you’ll check out this blog in podcast form for more encouragement and helpful ideas.
Want more than just the cliff notes? Listen to episode 228 below, and if you find it helpful, please kindly leave a review and share it with a friend!
Join our FACEBOOK COMMUNITY for more support and encouragement to refill daily with faith, self care, health, wellness and essential oil education!
Better (for you) Than Botox masterclass: www.thewellteam.com/betterthanbotox
Essential oils- thewellteam.com/essentialoils
Get my favorite top 10 doTERRA products here: https://doterra.me/n2pgTr
Email hello@thewellteam.com
Schedule a free wellness consult or get with Kari here: www.calendly.com/karidaviscoaching