Interview by Ray Siderius and Lexi Reale

Why Massage? Dana Highfill, Part I : Oregon School Of Massage Blog

The following results from an interview on August 1st of OSM graduate Dana Highfill, by OSM staff Alexis Reale and Ray Siderius.

Dana Highfill’s journey to massage began after several unfulfilling jobs and one trip to South America that changed her life. Dana studied Industrial Design in college and following graduation worked as an Exhibit Designer. This job consisted of working in a cubicle and answering phones, which undoubtedly provided minimal satisfaction for her. Dana was eager to experience more from life, so she organized a trip to Ecuador for 3 weeks. She describes her time there as feeling very connected to the earth and her body.

Upon her arrival to the Northwest a new house mate moved in with Dana who had studied massage in NC, and often gave her brief massages. One night Dana decided to return the favor, and she was surprised at the level of consciousness she had while giving massage..this both surprised her and further stirred the idea of studying massage.

During the next 2 years Dana started taking science classes at PCC to study acupuncture at OCOM, getting acupuncture treatments, practicing QiGong and yoga, and giving the occasional quick head neck and shoulder massage at her work.

Dana’s impression of acupuncture led her to believe it would be a more appealing profession than massage. Dana had some preconceived judgments surrounding massage.. (LMTs were predominantly younger women, who worked in spas, and she thought there were inequality issues within the profession)

Yet something didn’t feel right about pursuing grad school for acupuncture partly because she realized she didn’t want to fill her head with a different set of rules (eastern vs western), and she understood that her body knows things not through the head, but through her body. After this realization and the confidence she had gained from giving massage to others her interest in massage school peaked.

In 2008 Dana began to seriously look at massage schools, although she was resistant at the idea. Dana had experience practicing massage on others and thought that schooling was unnecessary; she thought she could already give a great massage without school, not to mention the additional student loans she would accrue. Yet, in the end, putting her judgments aside, took the chance on massage school.

In the next installment we will tell you about Dana’s experiences in massage school. Dana is now practicing in Portland and can be reached through her web site: www.danahighfill.com

Chair Massage at

The Bite of Oregon
 

Summer is in swing and tomorrow I will be doing chair massage at the Bite of Oregon! 

"Oregon is a state that truly has something for everyone – great food, amazing craft beer, the Willamette Valley that produces some extraordinary wines, an outdoor enthusiasts dream come true, and one of the "greenest" states in the country.
We invite you to share in all that Oregon has to offer. Spend several days tasting, sampling, enjoying our local music and watching talented chefs and aspiring chefs show off their cooking abilities with various and highly entertaining cooking competitions. Enjoy!"

What could be better, great food and extraordinary massage together!


From noon to 5pm on Friday, August 12th you'll find me at the Relax and Recharge Station of the Amica booth on the Waterfront Park in Portland.

 

10 Minute Chair Massage

Minimum $12.00 plus tip $15.00 awesome tip $18.00 very generous! $20.00

 

Cash minimum: $10

Opportunities abound. 

Networking, marketing and growing my practice. 

It's been a while since I've posted an article. Business has been steadily growing. My clientele is regular, in that they return to receive massage regularly, not in terms of their bowel movements. Although, massage does improve digestion. :) 

An update for those of you who are not aware. I am working 2 half days and one full day at my practice on Burnside and supplementing with work at a chiropractic office weekday afternoons. 

I am writing because I have come to realize that I will be more happy and satisfied with my work if I transition into having my own practice full-time. My attention and focus are split when I am working in two places.  Not to mention the fact that I much prefer working for myself.

Part of the challenge for me lies in finding a balance while I transition out of the chiropractic office. Financially I have requirements that need to be met before I can move fully into my own practice. At the same time, there are time and energy restrictions on how much I can put into the business while also working for someone else. 

This is not new. I have been here before; juggling my commitments, priorities and dreams.  However, this time around I am curious about how it will unfold rather than stressed at why it's not happening right now. 

These past 2 years, as my bearings and confidence have grown stronger, I have grown personally and professionally, learned more than I realize and have come closer to being an independent entrepreneur.

I will be taking Sharon Roemmel's "Beyond Random Acts of Marketing 2011" class and am looking forward to developing a marketing strategy to further the growth of my practice. More updates on that to come.

Here's to becoming a full-time business owner and massage therapist!
Thank you for your support and encouragement.