Background
In the summer of 2014 with a freshly minted Bachelor of Arts in Literature, I found myself moving to Gainesville, FL. I had not yet applied for graduate school, but I had every intention of continuing on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Before diving back into Academia, I wanted to learn a skill that could support me through the many years of graduate study. A year prior to moving, I had become fascinated with the field of massage therapy and alternative healing after receiving my first massage to treat a back spasm. That spasm was the greatest physical anguish I have experienced to this day and while muscle relaxers couldn’t begin to touch my pain, the massage I received was a miracle. Thinking it was nothing more than a smart way to support myself through graduate school (and ensure I could trade bodywork with other therapists for the rest of my life), I enrolled at Florida School of Massage. It was there that I learned a life is not limited to one passion.
Massage school was transformational to say the least. Going in, I was wary. I had heard the statistics that most massage therapists burn out after about five years, but still I reassured myself that five years would be enough time to get through a Master’s. Yet, as I took stock of my instructors, I came to realize that they were all two or three decades into this career and they were all still completely in love with it. They had a depth of compassion unlike anything I had ever experienced. Just being in their presence felt healing. In my 600 hours of study I learned anatomy, physiology, ethics, business economics, a plethora of massage modalities, and even gained a new awareness to my own body; but perhaps the greatest thing I learned was how to truly care about other people.
Any good massage therapist knows that what we do affects more than just our client’s body. There is at the very least an undeniable body and mind connection. And for those who acknowledge a spiritual component to existence, a connection to spirit is felt as well. My training involved creating a safe space for clients to process emotions and memories that could arise from physical contact. One of my most formative experiences in massage school was the first time I had a client cry on my table. He was an older gentleman who I’m sure would not be offended by me disclosing this small moment we shared together. At the time I had been experimenting with different lubricants: oils, lotions, creams, gels, and butters. In that particular session I was using a stick of cocoa butter. We were nearing the end of the massage and my client was face up on the table when I noticed the tears flowing down his face. I made no comment, but quietly he said, “Your hands—they smell like my grandmother’s.”
Since finishing massage school, my table has seen more tears. My clients’ and my own in empathy for their emotional worlds. I’d like to think my practice offers “talk” therapy and “silent” therapy where needed. I’ve worked in the spa industry and alternative, holistic care centers. I specialize in connective-tissue and neuromuscular therapy because I find them (when regularly employed) to affect real physical change for my clients. Sometimes a bit of temporary pain is necessary to alleviate chronic suffering, but I do my best to soothe afflicted muscles with Swedish strokes after deep work. My brother, a once-upon-a-time massage skeptic, dodged receiving bodywork from me for five years. As I finished the first massage of his life he declared, “The only thing that compares is morphine.”
My passion for helping others heal has led me down more paths of alternative, holistic healing. In 2019 I found Peachtree Yoga Center, a yoga studio 20 minutes outside of Atlanta in Sandy Springs, GA. The studio is currently run by Ilona, a Russian expat who can disassemble and reassemble an assault rifle blindfolded before you can say ‘Do svidaniya.’ Having taken the reins of operation from the founder, seasoned yogi and meditation teacher Graham Fowler, she has continued the tradition of leading those who are spiritually primed through the sacred limbs of yoga. In February of 2022, I completed my advanced yoga teacher training with Peachtree earning the designation of RYT-500 (registered yoga teacher) with Yoga Alliance, the largest nonprofit association representing the yoga community. In addition to studying the asana (physical practice) I dove into sacred texts such as Hatha Yoga Pradipika, The Upanishads, and The Bhagavad Gita. Yoga is comprised of far more than moving through a series of poses. It is a philosophical and spiritual undertaking. It is a path of living that enables those who practice it to be fully present.
The spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of my yoga practice led me to Reiki, a Japanese tradition of energy work. I am a Master Reiki practitioner offering in office and distance Reiki energy healings as well as workshops for aspiring Reiki practitioners. My journey of growth has led me to subtler and subtler forms of healing engagement, the most recent of which has been transcendental meditation. I am working to deepen my meditation practice first as a means of grounding and centering myself and second in the hopes of sharing with my clients a path to inner peace.
Thank you for being on this journey with me.
Much love,
Moriah
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My massage was nothing short of incredible. She did some intense work on a place I had been carrying so much tension, but balanced it out with relaxation work that left me feeling massage drunk. To top it all off, the work she did had an added benefit of helping out my intestines. I had been bloated for weeks before the massage and after I feel like I’ve gone through a detox. My stomach problems have been better ever since I left her table.
/ Caitlin C. /
Experience
Within the same week of graduating massage school and passing my MBLEX exam for licensure, I was hired at a premier spa in Gainesville, FL. Having worked in the spa industry for nearly three years, my honest take is there are many elements of the spa industry that I admire and many that I don’t. Part of what the spa industry promotes is a luxury experience and following major marketing trends many spas conflate luxury with exclusion. Competitiveness can be felt across the industry with many owners all claiming to have “THE BEST” spa in town, county, state, etc. I found that this leads to a toxic atmosphere within companies where therapists and other service specialists are ridiculed for underselling product or failing to upsell clients on additionally priced enhancements to their services. Professionals are left vying to be “THE BEST” in order to keep their bosses satisfied and ultimately the clients pay the price both monetarily and energetically. I know—all I’ve talked about so far is a lot of cons, but give me a moment and I’ll get back to the pros.
In order to round out my experience a bit more, I began working in a holistic healing center, where clients could benefit from acupuncture, hypnotherapy, yoga, & meditation, in addition to massage therapy. This center was energetically and spiritually revitalizing, but as a business it struggled to stay afloat. Prices were kept very low in addition to sliding scale options to service the most disadvantaged in the community. Because of this, the center often failed to adhere to hygienic standards, not having the additional resources to hire proper janitorial staff. It was also a loud, bustling environment attempting to cater to too many clients in too small a space.
After working in these disparate environments, I decided to strike out on my own. I knew right away that I didn’t want to be “THE BEST” nor would I ever claim to be. I wanted to be my best and I decided my best was a process. Being my best meant offering clients what I found to be the positives from each of these industries and letting the rest go. Spas do an excellent job of making their clients feel (even if for just a few hours) that they are important and deserving of self-care. They offer comfort in clean, peaceful environments that enable for better activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Holistic healing centers care about offering healing services to whole communities, no exclusionary practices here. They incorporate various alternative healing modalities to ensure their clients mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs are met. They offer their communities real education about health and wellness. At Casa de Luz I hope you will experience the accumulation of the best elements from each of these industries. Give my services a try and I, in vulnerability and courage, welcome your genuine feedback. I look forward to helping you help yourself.