The story starts 3 years ago when I had a rude awakening. After falling in love and having the best sex of my life, my heart burst open and a whole new level of healing started. For those who have had an awakening, you know that it can all start with a MESS, a painful mess. Back then I was like an early Ani Difranco song, walking around with a wound between my legs.
After the best sex happened the mess happened.
I told Kim, “The temple is closed for restoration.”
Everything got put on hold.
Years before, my friend told me about this ‘internal vaginal massage’ she did at Burning Man. I called her crying, saying, “I need help. Every inch of my body has been through healing work of some sort except for this gaping wound between my legs. This off-limits body zone needs help too. I can’t do this alone.”
She told me to get the book Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent. I did.
I started down a path I did not expect. A year and 3 books groups later, I traveled to Portland, Oregon to be trained by Tami Lynn Kent in Holistic Pelvic Care™ (HPC™ ).
I awoke this morning knowing it was time to send this email today (it’s been in draft mode for 2 months!!!) and along with a heart-pouring, vulnerable video for you.
The training was life changing. I felt both my internal literal and subtle-body landscape shift, and a new life began. In many ways, and with no drama, and all fer realz – MY LIFE began.
Upon returning from the training, I looked up the PA massage laws. They are vague regarding internal vaginal massage. I started the process of contacting the massage board to find out if it was “within my scope of practice”, working with a lawyer, looking for an insurance company to cover this practice. It was difficult. Vague and anxiety producing.
Slowly I lost steam. I realize now, years later, it was due to the shame surrounding this most efficient and much needed bodywork, dare I say soul, body, and earth healing work. It was potentially illegal for me to practice, and very challenging to get insurance as a massage therapist offering this work. It stirred all my wounds around, well, being a healer and being hunted as a radical (like the witch huntings of earlier days). It stirred my concerns about being safe. Safe for myself and safe for others. It created a slow and unnoticed decline in my self-expression.
All of this came to light in a divine crashing of my plans upon moving to Taos, NM. I was looking for local work while processing my “failed” launch. In a surrendering of my stubbornness I decided to get my NM massage license. In the process of researching how to do it I came across the NM massage laws and searched the rules and regulations regarding pelvic floor work. How did I miss this before? It seemed implied but clear, so I contacted the board to confirm my understanding.
Is my understanding correct? Is this within my scope of massage practice in NM?
“The Board Chairman stated that, “Pelvic Release” or “Pelvic Floor Treatment” does fall under the scope of massage therapy…” with proper training (YAY! THAT’S ME!)
It’s legal for me to practice, with a NM massage license, this very effective, deeply healing, and oh-my-goddess needed work!
I woke up the next day singing. And the next day.
I realized as the days went by…
This…
is….
HUGE!
I apologized to Kim:
“90% of what I thought was our relationship creating a feeling of hiding and lack of expression in me was actually not our relationship. Oops – my bad Boo. It was actually that I felt my wisdom was deemed illegal. That my big healed, empowered self, fully expressed could get me in trouble (again).” We all project sometimes, and shame the slippery silent toxic can illicit some creative poisonous thinking.
So… now I am just waiting to get my NM Massage Therapy License in the mail. And once I have that I can happily and legally practice Pelvic Floor Treatment work!!!
I learned all of this in the end of January/beginning of February, and since then I have been listening, digesting, moon lodging, and working, and completing the bureaucratic process of getting licensed in yet another state. This will be the 4th state I’ll be licensed in. For a rebel I sure like to follow rules sometimes…
Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting about the landscape and meaning that dwells in the pelvic bowl, by quadrant, sprinkled with some healing, informative, and interactive webinars! You know how I love to talk! I’m really into webinars right now! I like people.
I invite you in with me as we take a journey around the pelvic bowl via email, blogs, and webinars. I’ve learned a lot that I am ready to share.
Discovering ourselves. Our wisdom. Our wounds and the power they are holding up to us to take.
Oh, and feel free to email me with any questions or comments, I know the email says, “dreamteam” but it’s just me these days, so don’t hesitate to write.
CUE THE AWKWARD SEGWAY…
You know what I love more than anything???
CAMP!
(Stay with me….)
And healing.
My favorite way to do healing work is retreat style. In sisterhood.
Community is essential in my professional opinion.
It’s fun and it expedites the process.
Over the past two years my HPC™ training has integrated into my being, expanded, merged with my other healing work (like tantric vulva healing, continued development of what I’ve titled The Body Wisdom Approach, and shamanic practice), and has emerged as what I am calling Shamanic Pelvic Floor Work.
So now for the big reveal on HOW I am offering and inviting you and others into this work!!!!
Shamanic Pelvic Floor Intensives:
Healing camp for women and female-bodied people!
Begin your path to being an embodied Shaman.
One could definitely call this advanced practice. Many say they want to do this work because it’s the “final frontier,” the one place that hasn’t been listened to and healed. And isn’t that funny? The base, our root, is the last place we tread when we want to change, even though everything sits atop it? I presume it’s because when it comes to reconnection, most of us need to work our way down from our head.
From body based physical ailments (pain during sex, menstrual issues, hips and knee problems) to emotional struggle, imbalance, spiritual evolution, creative and joyful living, and manifesting like a pregnant woman, this potent packed journey has limitless healing potential.
More to come on that as we go…
STAY with me as I drop mad knowledge about this incredible center of peace, healing, and foundational place.
Lots and lots of Love,
Sophia
I offer this first, ROOT teaching:
