Taproot Bodywork Resource, LLC

If you’ve been looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift - you’ve found it! 

Come one, come all out to Bend for a lovey-dovey weekend full of snow, sunshine, and massage!  I’ll be teaching at least two couples massage classes in BEND over the course of Valentine’s weekend. 

The dates are as follows:

Friday evening, February 12th, time TBA.

Saturday, February 13th from 10 to 3 pm.

Sunday, February 14th from 10 to 3 pm, if there’s enough demand.

**Would you like to schedule a private session?  Give me a ring, and we’ll set something up for one of the evenings…

Are you in PORTLAND, and wondering if there will be a class there, soon?  Please drop me a line - I’d like to teach at least 2 group classes there in the near future… Depending on the preferences of those who contact me, I will either teach over V-Day weekend (Sunday), or schedule classes for the weekend following, February 20th and 21st.

I’m looking for willing hosts for a class - if you have a warm space in your house that would accomodate no more than 3 couples and would like to experience the healing energy of massage in your home, I’d like to give you a discount on the class!

Questions?  Give me a call at (503) 481-0595.

We’ve been nearly a week in Tumalo now, and we’re still wandering around in awe. We’re in love with our house and the surrounding environment. We’ve had to leave a few times for provisions, of course, and hung out a bit in downtown Bend a bit yesterday, but our new home exerts an irresistible pull.

We love ALL THE SUNLIGHT coming through our trees and into our windows, all day long. We love our woodstove, that’s heating our house so well we keep our thermostat at 60 degrees. We love our altar of a kitchen, the big open spaces in our house, and the snug little bedrooms. We have become devotees of our deck; our woodpile makes us feel like natives, thanks especially to the blisters and splinters of splitting and stacking wood. (No, I do not have massage hands, at the moment.)

We walk every day, through our ‘back 40’ to Tumalo State Park and the Deschutes River, or up the hill to what can maybe only be called the high country – wide fields, big horses, and gigantic views of the Three Sisters and more in the distance. Thus far we’ve seen a coyote, an eagle, a hare, plenty of deer tracks, tons of small birds…

The air smells so good. Jim is a sun addict. We find ourselves walking, talking slower. We don’t feel the need to be connected to the electronic world so much – we leave our phones at home, and the internet isn’t nearly such a hook. We sit down to eat, and look at each other over the table. Our daily to-do list includes that long walk.

We feel saner, stronger, healthier, more balanced. We both can’t believe we waited so long to do this for ourselves, to live in a beautiful place, to create the life we wanted. Our friends back home in Portland sound universally stressed out. (Sorry, friends, but our door is always open…)

What do you dream of? What do you need to do? Act.

You’ll note on the sidebar there that I’m teaching two separate classes, one on February 14th, and another on the 15th.  Both classes will be taught in Portland.  Location is somewhat TBA depending on class size.   

Feel free to drop me a line or call with questions!

 Happy Holidays, folks!

I wanted to let you know about my upcoming Couples Massage Classes - a great Christmas gift for both you and the special person in your life!

I’ve got space available for 2 more couples in this weekend’s class on Sunday, December 21st.  Perhaps you’re preparing to take off on your eggnog-fueled, multi-state family fest, and you’d really like some downtime with your sweetheart before you go.  This is the class for you!  I’m very interested in filling this class, so I’ll take $40 off the regular price for existing clients!

Maybe you’re thinking ahead to that cold weather in January… I have two upcoming classes, on January 4th and January 11th.  Gift certificates are available!

A Couples Massage Class is the one present you put under your tree that is a true luxury for the two of you.  Get a little bit closer in the New Year!

You can find more information about the class on my website:  www.taprootbodywork.com, or of course, feel free to give me a ring.

Be warm, be safe, and have a cool Yule!

Michelle

Yep, I live in a blue state, and yes, I’m a liberal.  And hell yes, I voted for Obama, and I’d wear his name plastered across my chest if I had the t-shirt. 

 But let me tell you how disgusted I am with the way things are, and why I think we so desperately need change. 

 Too many clients have weird health issues, and no insurance, or really bad insurance.

 Too many clients are losing their shirts in the Dow Jones upheaval.

 Too many of us are too poor to buy a house. 

Too many of us were swindled by mortgage brokers. 

Too many folks are getting paid peanuts for the valuable work they perform.

Too many clients are watching the layoffs at their companies with trepidation.

Too many of us are watching the potential of the great United States be squandered by yahoos with only their own interests in mind.

 I’m tired of corporations, pollution, corruption, cynicism, aggravation, poverty, aggression, partisanism.  I’m tired of not having any hope.  I’m tired of worrying.  I’m tired of watching my clients struggle with their burdens.  We want change.

I voted for Obama because I believe a vote for McCain is a vote for the status quo, and I and my clients just can’t take that anymore.

Get the hell out and vote!

The following is from an email I received from the Baraka Institute, a life coaching school here in Portland.  I’m hoping the election will brighten our collective spirits, but my practice has brought me in contact with a lot of people who are really struggling right now.  I hope this helps a few of you…

When all else fails!
How to stay positive when life feels negative
 ~Caitlin Williams, CPC
 

 “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”  –Albert Einstein

Life continually presents us with a complex mix of personal and universal experiences that are not only joyful and deeply satisfying, but on occasion enormously challenging. How might we fortify and renew our optimism and sense of serenity when the “enormously challenging” aspect seems to outweigh the “joyful and deeply satisfying?” How might we redirect our intention to focus on what is working in our lives as opposed to what isn’t working (quite as well)?

Here is what a few of Baraka Institute’s coaches had to share: 
 
“Let yourself have extra long bubble baths. Do physically exertive tasks that give you a visual representation of accomplishment. Give and receive massages. Go out with friends you haven’t seen in awhile. Do fun things you haven’t done since you were in high school. Breathe. Go for longer walks. Take longer times to read books, cook that perfect meal, organize your house, work in your garden, and again, breathe.” ~ David D. Jones, Adult ADHD Life Coach
 
“When life feels overwhelming or negative, the first step is to pause and breathe and realize that this too shall pass. Pause for a moment and imagine that you are a solid, sacred mountain that can withstand even the fiercest storm and that no matter how hard the storm rages around you, you are solid and safe. Look at how you frame reality; how do you describe what you’re experiencing? What lens are you using? Are you only hearing and seeing what is negative around you? Begin by shifting your focus away from what you know to be terrible, and move your focus to the bright spots around you. Turn off the news. Reconnect with nature or spirituality or some other source of deeper connection that helps ground and renew you.”
~ Kim Tally- Life Coach
 
“When feeling overwhelmed or stressed, just Stop.  Breathe, take a pause and ask yourself what’s going on? Listen to get a sense of what your heart is trying to convey. Your innate wisdom is there just waiting to lovingly support you in whatever ways you need. The answer you are seeking is right inside… A hot shower while imagining your stress just melting down the drain or a long walk while noticing the beauty of nature and its renewing impetus–whatever it may be, you know best what’s right for you. Honor that. See yourself through.”
~Corinne Michaels, Life Development/Transitions Coach
 
“Are you leading life or is life leading you? Sometimes asking the right question or seeking to find that question can be the spark that ignites creativity and passion despite a current challenging situation. Practice laughter daily, till it hurts. Consciously choose to surround yourself with vibrant, life-affirming people, rather than those readily attached to negativity and limited thinking.” ~ Feroshia R. Knight, Organizational Leadership Coach
 
Additional activities might involve joining a group with like-minded members that offer what you seek: hiking, cooking, dancing, spirituality, pets… being with others who share your vision, passion and perspective offers comfort, camaraderie, and the sense that we don’t have to struggle alone. Life will toss most of us at some point the occasional curveball; it’s in how we catch it and what we do with it that holds the key to maintaining alignment with what evokes feelings of positivity and deep satisfaction within each of us. As Kim Tally adds, “The yin and yang of life means there is always beauty and joy as well as ugliness and heartache. We don’t need to deny ugliness or heartache; on the contrary, to be healthy they need to be accepted as part of life. But the key is not to dwell there and let it shut out what is beautiful and joyous and meaningful.”

The Back Massage for Couples Workshop will be taught on the following dates:

Sunday, November 23rd, 1 to 5:30 pm

Sunday, December 7th, 1 to 5:30 pm

Sunday, December 21st, 1 to 5:30 pm

All classes will be taught in close-in Southeast Portland. 

Early registration is encouraged.  Registering requires a non-refundable $100 deposit, payable by check or via PayPal. 

Feel free to call or email with questions!

After a few shenanigans regarding the location of this class, all problems have been worked out, and the class is a go.   I currently have space available for 2 more couples. 

A $100 deposit is required to hold your space, payable through PayPal.  

Feel free to call or write with questions.

Below is the article I recently wrote for the Zenana Day Spa and Wellness Center website… Read on for what my students really learn in my Back Massage for Couples class.

_______________________________________________________________

How often do we devote even 30 minutes a day to pay rapt attention to our partners?  What radical changes in our primary relationship would come about if we prioritized fully enjoying our partners and ourselves on a daily basis? 

I initially conceived of my Back Massage for Couples class as an opportunity for couples to learn massage skills that would allow them to become partners in each other’s wellness.  I created a class that emphasized anatomy, technique, and body mechanics, giving students a solid foundation in beginning massage.  Ideally, they’d learn to listen to their own bodies, and observe another’s.  Body awareness and regular relaxation would surely lead to better health.   

My first class was an epiphany.  I realized that though some couples come to the class seeking massage knowledge, once they begin to work on each other, they discover something else entirely.  Unexpectedly, the giver is fascinated by the luscious curve of a hip, the punctuated arc of the spine on a body he thought he knew…  On the table, in the meantime, his partner revels in speaking what she needs, being heard, and receiving in a physical manner what she’s asked for - less pressure here, maybe more work on that tight shoulder, and not least, the devoted attention of her sweetheart. 

While receiving professional massage may help to heal a client’s body and soothe her mind, massage between partners opens a door to a uniquely sensual healing space – one in which all the glorious and intimate details of the body are lovingly observed, sensation is celebrated, and emotions are freed.   

What if, for 30 minutes every day, you and your partner could co-create such a space?  What could result but a great sense of wellbeing brought about by knowing, in all of your cells, that you are cherished and loved? 

I’d like to invite you and your partner to learn to help each other, heal each other, connect with and enjoy each other in the midst of your busy days.  Take your new massage skills home, and see what 30 minutes of devoted attention a day can do for your relationship.  We will create a sensual sanctuary in the Back Massage for Couples Workshop at Zenana Spa and Wellness Center twice in the coming months, on September 28^th, and again on October 26^th. 

Folks,

Recently I was wandering down Hawthorne Boulevard and came across a For Rent sign in front of one of the big old houses I’d always admired.  You may be familiar with those houses, kitty corner from the Safeway on 27th, and full of psychologists, massage therapists and others.  I’ve had a few serene massages there myself, and I  walked blissfully home afterwards.  Perhaps you won’t be surprised to hear that I’ve decided to move my practice into one of those cozy, and close-in, offices.  I’ll let you know of my official move date - certainly by the 1st of August, I’ll have moved.  For those of you who like to plan ahead, my new address will be 2607 SE Hawthorne.  There’s off-street and covered parking out front, a lovely waiting area, and an unusual office space awaiting you.  Rates will remain the same.

The new office will be too small to hold my Couples Classes in house, and so I’ve scouted out a few Southeast locations that better fit the luxurious vibe I want to create for each group of couples.  The first of these classes will be held in September, at Zenana Spa, on SE Clinton St.  Check my website www.taprootbodywork.com for the upcoming date. 

In the meantime, I’d like to hold one final Back Massage for Couples Class in my current space.  I need one more couple for a potential class this weekend, on Sunday, July 13th from 1 to 5.  If your summer schedule is filling up quickly and you’re wondering where to fit a little self-care in, this might be the class for you and your partner. 

Other potential dates this month are Saturday, July 26th from 2 to 6; Sunday, July 27th from 1 to 5.  I need two couples to hold the class.  Please give me a call at 503 481 0595 if you’re interested. 

*Please note, due to my move, there will be no August Couples Class.*

Massage will of course continue uninterrupted in my Northeast Portland space this month.  It’s hot, I’ve got air conditioning and good hands.  Give yourself a little break and schedule a massage!