RNR - A New Chapter Beginning in my Massage Therapy Journey

When I tell people that I'm a massage therapist that has Rheumatoid Arthritis, they are usually shocked and a little doubtful. It's a known fact that massage therapists tend to not be in practice for their entire lives because frankly, giving massage wears your body out. So going into the business, already having problems with my hands, not many people expect that it will last long for me. However, as I learned while attending massage school, arthritis really has no affect on my joints, in fact for the 6 months I attended school, I was almost completely pain free!

Even though it isn't an issue right now, I am always looking for ways that I can save my body and elongate my career. I was looking for a continuing education class to take this fall, and I came across a flyer for one that taught a modality called RNR - Reconnecting Neuromuscular Responses. One of the first things that caught my eye was that it said it was "Very easy on the therapist, especially their hands!" It had me sold right there, but when I continued reading, I became very impressed with all the benefits of RNR. To list a few, RNR is very beneficial for shoulder and neck pain, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, bunions, TMJ, headaches and migraines, sprained ankles, and much more! I knew that this had to be the class for me!

About the technique: RNR is a neuromuscular massage technique that supports the relationship between the nerves and the muscles through the golgi tendon organs. Golgi tendon organs are nerve endings located in soft tissue fibers throughout the body. When a person experiences pain, the pain signal may cause splinting, which is a contraction of one group of muscles around another to immobilize them. Splinting is a wonderful mechanism; however when this signal is turned off, the healing process may be hindered. RNR helps the body remember to turn off the signal, so healing may be facilitated at a faster rate.

I was very impressed with all the new information I gained from taking this course. I now offer a 45 minute full body RNR session. For the session, the client remains clothed, and there is no oil or lotion used. The goal is not to provide a relaxing environment but rather an environment where the client is able to heal. Anyone can benefit from RNR; it is especially beneficial for athletes or any person who is physically active!

RNR is intended to heal aches and pains that you've carried around for years. I recently discovered this technique through a class, and it has changed the way I massage for the better! I am not yet certified in this modality but am hoping to continue learning and practicing until I am able to be. RNR is not a new technique, but there are very few practitioners in the country. To learn more about it and read testimonials from people who have been receiving it for years, visit RNRmassagetherapy.com.

The Impact Massage Therapy School Had on Me

Throughout my entire senior year of high school, I was positive that I knew exactly what God wanted me to do with my life. I had made up my mind before it even started, and I was quite stuck to it. I mean, why wouldn't God want me to go to a private Christian college? All I wanted was to learn and grow closer to Him, so this just HAD to be what He wanted for me. It didn't matter that it was so early in the year, I turned down every other option or opportunity that came my way.

I will never forget the day when I got the phone call that changed everything. It was from the college, and when I hung up I realized that God was closing the door. It wasn't meant to be, and I knew that all those plans I had made would have to change. I was rather embarrassed, and at my graduation party I still told everyone I was going to this Christian college, even though I didn't really have any idea what to do.

The week after my graduation, I remembered one school that I had heard a bit about that I decided was worth looking into. Carlson College of Massage Therapy. Massage was not something I wanted to do, but I thought it'd be a cool skill to have so I could work and pay my way through another school, majoring in whatever I REALLY wanted to learn. My mom and I visited, and I decided I did like it. It was affordable, relatively close to home, and a short program that I could just go through then move on. I sent in my application the next day.

Talk about taking a leap of faith! I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know why God had put this particular school in my path. I wasn't totally excited about it. I was not at all interested in the medical field, I wasn't particularily fond of touching people, I was dreading having to take anatomy and physiology, and I had just found out that I had Rheumatoid Arthritis. My fingers, wrists, elbows, ankles and toes ached... great idea, choosing a career that requires using your hands 90% of the time, right?!

I don't even know what brought me to school on the first day. I was even scared about driving all the way out to Anamosa on my own. I had minimal public school experience and was very nervous about meeting all new people, and having to be at school from 8:30-4 every day! Somehow, I made it there. And praise God that I did!

Every single day since then, I have seen a new reason of why God wants me to be here. I have always wanted to help people in life, and this career has given me a new way to reach out and touch people's lives. It started in the classroom, making friends with the coolest classmates I could have ever hoped for, and getting to be with them for a good portion of the week. Now, it's reaching out to the community. Volunteering at races and hospitals was a great experience, and in just 11 days I get to start clinic and work with all sorts of people!

Like I mentioned before, I was not at all interested in the medical field. So how did I get here you ask? Well somehow, I was under the impression that massage was a luxurious, relaxing thing and had nothing to do with health or wellness. BOY WAS I WRONG! But I learned that I actually really do like it~ learning about the human body is so fascinating to me. Anatomy and Physiology were SO much easier than I thought, and just learning about how God created us was incredible. This has opened my mind up to so much more that I could do after school, I am so thankful He tricked me into coming here ;)

Not only has Carlson helped me come closer to God and become better at relating with people, it has also helped me physically in miraculous ways. Two and a half years ago I was in a car accident, where I was hit from behind and pushed into the car ahead of me. Ever since then I had this neck pain that wouldn't go away. It caused many headaches and much pain every day. Through receiving massages at Carlson almost daily (benefit of being a student!) I am happy to say that the pain is almost completely gone, and everyday I can live and feel great physically. I can testify that what we're doing at school is really working, and I can give relief to people having the same pains I had.

And about the arthritis? I haven't had pain in months! You could say it's because school is encouraging me to eat healthier and take better care of myself. Or maybe because I stretch my joints every day before massaging. Maybe it's from receiving massage. Well whatever it is, I know God is at work, and He led me to this school for multiple reasons. This being one. I say it's a miracle.

When I give a massage, I always start with a prayer. I pray that God would lead me as I do the work, and I pray for whoever I'm about to work on. It always makes me feel more positive, and I truly feel like I am using my hands in the way God intended for me. I am so excited to start clinics, and then graduate and move on to do whatever He has planned for me. It's all so exciting :)

Does God want me to be a Massage Therapist?

July 2011

 I made the "official" decision to go to the Massage Therapy school. Sent in my "yes", scheduled my registration... the next day, I got my blood result test back that I had taken several weeks ago. I learned that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It's not that bad... very low on their scale, actually. Some days I completely forget about it. Other days it is simply present but I barely notice. But about once a week, it is an excruciating pain that constantly feels like a guinea pig's teeth are clamped down on my joints and won't let go. I'm supposed to go back to the doctor in 6 months to determine if this is getting better or worse.

Honestly though, I am not going to let this getting my way. This isn't God saying no. At least not yet. God can work miracles. He can work through me despite my weaknesses. I've changed a lot of things since I found out, I'm eating healthier and exercising more. If God is leading me to be a massage therapist who has arthritis, I am all there. And I'm really excited to accept this challenge. 

How Did I Get to Massage Therapy School?

When I was in middle school, I absolutely hated school. I thought it was pointless. I was homeschooled and I did all my work and I was good at it, but I found no pleasure in learning or giving up so much time to this. All I wanted to do with my life was get married, have a dozen kids and homeschool them myself. That was success enough for me. I certainly didn't need college to achieve this. I viewed college as a very expensive way to find a husband. I had no personal educational goals, I just did what my parents asked and would vent in my journal night after night about how pointless life is. Have you ever read Ecclesiastes? My journals sounded a lot like that.

As for serving God and living out my faith, at this point in my life I was very positive God did not want me to be a missionary. I was extremely shy and insecure and had no desire to ever leave my hometown. I went to church  every Sunday, helped in the pre-school children's program, and volunteered twice a week downtown, serving meals and co-leading a Bible study for kids in low-income families. This was all enough for me. It was comfortable and easy, and when my time of serving was done each day, I could come to my comfortable home and be safe and have everything I needed. I had a pretty regular quiet time, and I was pretty sure all this was good enough to get me through life.

Did I mention I was shy? I was pretty comfortable being mature and talking to adults, but as for people my own age, I had 3 friends. 3 people that I could talk to about silly everyday things. 3 girls that I could have fun around and hang out with. I didn't talk to anyone else. I wasn't really open or honest with my 3 friends. When I was at home, I was always locked in my bedroom, alone. Maybe shy isn't the right word to describe my personality. But that's what I always blamed my people problems on.

When I volunteered with kids though, I truly felt like I could be myself and enjoyed every minute I spent with them. I was happiest when I was volunteering and working to make others happy. I loved to just love on the kids, at church and downtown, and I loved sharing my faith with them. All I thought of this was that I should have tons of kids someday. I didn't think there could be any other options.

And then, I started high school. I was scared and felt unprepared to move on and start new things, but I knew that it was time for change to take place. I couldn't keep living with no goals or purpose. I got involved with my church youth group and started making friends. I still hated school yet did it to make my parents happy. I was still happiest when I was volunteering with children. Then in January of 2008, my freshman year, God began a work in my life that I never could have predicted happening.

I signed up to go on the winter retreat with my youth group. The topic was on missions and serving. It began on a Friday night, and from the start I could feel something happening. I knew God was working on something but I had no idea what. I didn't totally fall in love with the idea of going off as a missionary somewhere, but I made the decision to go on the high school mission trip to Mexico.

Mexico changed my life. I left on the trip, a shy and insecure girl with none of my new friends going with me. I had no idea what to expect. I journaled throughout the entire trip, recording everything I was feeling, and it's still amazing to look back. Through everything that happened, I could see God working all around me, showing me His love in so many new ways. I had never felt so joyful in my entire life, and I knew that I had no other desire than to serve God like this for the rest of my life. This is what He had been showing me all along ~ I am happiest when I'm helping people and sharing His love. And when I am stepping out of my comfort zone, all the pressure and distractions of my stressful life here vanish and all that matters is the work that God's doing. I love being in that place where I have no idea what's going to happen next, all I can do is trust that God will provide me with everything I need to make it through each hour. I knew that I was living for something bigger than my own happiness, I was living for His glory.

Coming home was difficult, but I wouldn't forget all the things I had learned over that week. I was given more opportunities to serve people who were affected by a flood later that year. The next spring I got to go back to Mexico with a different team. The summer after that I went to Czech Republic to teach English and share God's love with teens there. A year after that I went back to Mexico. Each trip was different in many ways, such that they all taught me something different about God and myself and life, but they were the same as I felt Him speaking to me throughout each trip, and showing me how much I love this sort of thing.

The last issue was college. I still didn't see a point. But I made up my mind that I would be open to it and look for what might be a good fit. My biggest struggle at this point was, do I go to a Christian college, where I could learn about my faith and become a stronger Christian, but not have many ministry opportunities, OR do I go to a public university, with tons of opportunities to share my faith but also many things that could challenge it. I wrestled with this for so long. I did lots of research, until a teacher that I highly respect recommended one school to me. It was a Bible school, close to home, small and affordable. The more I looked into it, the more I liked it. I prayed so much about it, but couldn't feel God saying yes or no. So I decided to follow this path and see if it was God's will.

I visited the college, twice. The more I got to know it, the more I liked it. I was pretty sure by August of my senior year that this is where I wanted my journey to continue. I started telling everyone that this is where I was planning to go. Everything about it made it a perfect fit to me. I thought it would be the perfect transition, and I knew I could get an excellent education that would tell me everything I needed to be a missionary. Sure, I applied to a couple different colleges to be safe. But my mind was made up.

The only 2 doubts were 1. This is way too easy, am I supposed to do a harder, more challenging thing that takes me out of my comfort zone? and 2. The cost. While it was one of the most affordable private colleges, I would need a lot of help to get through. And seeing as all I wanted to do with my life was serve people, not necessarily making an income, it really wasn't practical. So I prayed a ton, and finally came to an agreement with my parents. There was a scholarship that would help immensely. The admissions people told me that they were very impressed with all that I had done and that I was DEFINITELY very applicable for it. So I decided that if I got the scholarship, that would be God's way of saying yes.

I did everything I could, I had all my paperwork in months early. (Seeing as I had this awful case of senioritis, that's really saying a lot) I called the school the week of the deadline, just to make sure. They said, "You're all set! Great job with getting that done. You'll be hearing from us very soon!" Their exact words.

A month later I still hadn't heard anything. I called them back because well... it was May and this was really the final decision. I asked why I hadn't heard anything, and they simply replied, "Sorry, we never got your reference form. You couldn't be considered for this scholarship."

In that moment, despite all that just happened, I felt perfectly at peace with it all. I had prayed so much and done everything I could possibly do. In the end it was all up to God, and His answer was no. I didn't tell many people at first, I was honestly rather embarrassed. In fact, I told everyone at my grad party in June that I was going to this college, even though I knew that wasn't true.

All year though, I had always had a different school in the back of my mind, that I considered to be my "plan B". I gave this school a call, and a couple weeks and 2 visits later, I'm now all set to be attending a massage therapy school just a half hour from home. I couldn't be more excited right now. I'll be getting to do something that i love most, which is helping people. And I know there are so many ways that I could use massage therapy on the mission field. I know this is only the beginning of my journey and I'm so excited to see where God will take me!!