Michaela Johnson
Michaela left this earth a few years ago and is greatly missed.
Licensed Massage Therapist, MT-01519. Certified Shiatsu Practitioner. CranioSacral Therapy Practitioner. Michaela has been in practice since 2002.
Specializes in: Integrated massage therapy including deep tissue, trigger point work, and myofascial release. Shiatsu. Ten Zo. Zen Stretching. CranioSacral Therapy and Somato-Emotional Release. Individualized treatment plans using one or more of these modalities to address the client’s needs as effectively as possible.
Education: 1000 hour certification in massage therapy and shiatsu from the Desert Institute of the Healing Arts, Tucson, AZ in 2002. Forty-two hours Integrative Shiatsu Techniques and 7 hours Advanced Shiatsu Techniques in 2003. From the Upledger Institute: CranioSacral Therapy I (28 hours, 2004); CranioSacral Therapy II (28 hours, 2005); Somato-Emotional Release I (28 hours, 2006). Deep Massage: The Lauterstein Method, Level 1 (20 hours, 2008). Other continuing education classes focusing on deep tissue and advanced myofascial techniques, and meridian and somato-emotional work. BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing from the University of Iowa in 1974.
Motivation to Become a Bodyworker: I’d been wanting to make a career change for several years (I was a legal assistant) but couldn’t decide on a new direction. Then one day on Mt. Lemmon, my hiking buddy told me about a new evening program offered by the Desert Institute combining massage and shiatsu. Suddenly I knew: this was it. That sense of rightness carried me through school and into practice. And along the way I realized that what I’ve always wanted is work that is compassionate and fosters healing and wholeness. Touch therapy is a perfect fit for me.
Personal Bodywork/Energy Therapy Statement: I believe that we are all self-healing beings, always seeking balance. My intention when I place hands on a client’s body is to encourage the restoration of movement, because movement equals health. In massage, I invite tissue to release stress points and tension, to unwind, elongate, and relax. With shiatsu, the intent is similar, while the focus is on the meridians, or channels, of energy that flow through the body. I encourage empty places to fill, and congested areas to unblock and flow again. CranioSacral therapy has taught me to listen ever more deeply to the body, to become aware of the patterns of tension, and the leverage points to address. As tension releases, the effect is an overall feeling of centeredness and balance. And the more at ease we are in our bodies, the more at ease we are in all areas of our lives.
