One Year of Massage Therapy: 1,200 Hours and What They Taught Me

A year ago I became a licensed massage therapist. This week I sat down and added up what came after.

The numbers

More than 1,200 hours of session time. Over 800 of those were massage and bodywork, my hands on a body and my attention on what the tissue was telling me. The rest covered sound healing, shamanic work, readings, and events.

About 180 hours went to private and public events. Sound baths at Peace River Botanical Gardens in Punta Gorda, private gatherings, and corporate events. Over the last two seasons, the sound baths at the Gardens have averaged around 15 people a session.

Neuromuscular therapy certification

I earned my NMT certification this year. Neuromuscular therapy looks at how trigger points, nerve compression, posture, and movement habits load the body. It gave me a more precise way to assess. I look at posture and movement patterns first, then decide where my hands go.

Out in the world

I went to my first Spirit Fest alone. [ADD ONE DETAIL FROM SPIRIT FEST]

I was also a guest presenter on somatics. [ADD EVENT OR HOST NAME] Explaining somatics to a room is a different skill than practicing it one on one, and I am glad I got the reps.

What sits underneath the year

This year rests on work I do not always count: about ten years in wellness, more than six years as a sound healer, a sound and vibrational healing certification, a shamanic certification, and trauma-informed care training that shapes how I work with every client. Hotels and venues now recommend Khahik Somatics for corporate events, and sound baths are booked at Peace River Botanical Gardens through March.

Two group mentorship programs, Embodied Echoes and Wild Witchcraft, are coming next. Both come from the same belief as everything else I do: the body already carries the wisdom.

What the research says

I want this work to hold up when someone looks at the evidence, so here is what I can and cannot say.

A 2017 observational study of 62 adults found lower tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood after a 60-minute singing bowl meditation, along with higher spiritual well-being (Goldsby et al., 2017). There was no control group and every measure was self-reported, so this points to something worth studying further. It does not prove cause.

A 2014 meta-analysis of nine randomized trials with 404 people with fibromyalgia found that massage lasting five weeks or longer improved pain, anxiety, and depression, but not sleep (Li et al., 2014). The authors noted small numbers, varied massage styles, and little long-term follow-up.

Neither study tested the specific methods I use, so I hold both findings loosely. Massage and sound work support care. They do not replace medical care.

Work with me

New clients begin with a two-hour first session: a 60-minute consultation and a 60-minute treatment. I come to you in Port Charlotte, North Port, Punta Gorda, Wellen Park, and the surrounding area. You can book on the calendar at khahiksomatics.com.

Thank you to every client who let me into their home this year.

References

Goldsby TL, Goldsby ME, McWalters M, Mills PJ. Effects of singing bowl sound meditation on mood, tension, and well-being: an observational study. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017;22(3):401-406. doi:10.1177/2156587216668109

Li YH, Wang FY, Feng CQ, Yang XF, Sun YH. Massage therapy for fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e89304. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089304