I started thinking about massage therapy as a career in 2002. I was a recent transplant to Oregon and taking a year off of school to gain residency in Oregon. As an undergraduate at Oregon State University, I started exploring the fields of Philosophy and Women’s Studies. As a practical person at heart, I started wondering how the culture and the world around us affects us as embodied beings. Realizing that I’d entered into two fields that don’t have much application outside of academia, I decided to see what it would be like to take some of the theory of what I was learning into practice by learning massage.
My background in Feminist Philosophy has given me a unique understanding of how we, as individuals, are affected by the outside influences of our culture, our place in the world, and how we are viewed by others.
My education has given me a nuanced understanding of how we walk through this world and the potential challenges that we might face as humans. The way we present in this world makes a difference for how we are perceived in by others, and oftentimes how we are treated by others. And that perception leaves an imprint on each of us. Regardless of how our bodies actually feel, moving through this world is a heck of a load to carry if you fall anywhere outside the status quo.
I completed my initial massage education in 2005 from Lane Community College. Shortly thereafter I moved with my partner, Eric Grey, to Portland and we started what has become Watershed Wellness. My role in Watershed Wellness is head of the massage department, head of finances, head of facilities and operations, and the one who makes sure that there are enough sheets to get us through the day.
I began my yoga practice 19 years ago when I moved from Nebraska to Oregon as a transfer student. I was delighted to find that I could take a class through Oregon State University and was lucky to have such a great experience with yoga from the beginning. This instilled in me the importance of first interactions with this practice. Fostering an environment of acceptance, understanding and non-judgment is very important to me, both in the yoga studio and as a massage therapist.
I completed the 200 hour yoga teacher training at The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center in 2015. I’ve been very lucky to have wonderful mentors who are willing to work with me as I begin this journey of teaching, most notably my teachers at The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center: Lisa Mae, Monicka, and Kate.
I continue to be amazed by the human body and how our daily movement and habits can affect how we move through our lives.
Massage therapy and yoga provide excellent outlets for understanding ourselves more deeply, while providing space in which we can strive to make sense of ourselves and our place in relation to each other and the world.
I’ve gotten really good at helping folks alleviate their daily aches and pains while tending to the body’s response to the stress of life. I love to talk about bodies, and will probably throw in a little anatomy education whether it be in the massage room or the yoga class. It is my hope that you can feel the best you possibly can in your body so that you can do the things that you are meant to do in this world.
Education and Training
- Bachelor of Arts: Liberal Studies focusing in Philosophy and Women’s Studies, Oregon State University 2004
- Certificate of Massage Therapy, Lane Community College 2005
- 200 hour yoga teacher training, The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center 2015
- Ongoing movement and yoga education from The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center
- Ongoing continuing education for massage and bodywork
Professional Activities
- Co-Owner, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Watershed Wellness
- Small Business Development Center – ongoing business education and mentorship