Lea  Wildflower, Massage Therapist

At a very young age, I dreamed of helping people relax and feel calm. When I was growing up, I spent many hours wandering in the forests near my home. I saw adults around me who were missing the beauty in life because they were stressed, and I imagined that when I grew up, I would lead people to tranquil places and help them find peace within. I was also very athletic, and learned early on about the value of taking care of the body. When it came time for college, I majored in psychology, hoping to focus on stress management.

Grateful for the foundation of my education, after college I knew there must be a way for me to integrate my deep compassion for peoples' suffering with my knowledge of health, relaxation, and physical wellness. I discovered a small massage school in New Jersey, went to an introductory evening, and my career was born! 22 years later, I look back with gratitude for finding a way to channel my passion for helping people get out of pain and stress.

Over the years, I have been fascinated by the human body and energy. Having done over 20,000 hours of professional massage, every time I think I've seen it all, a client will show up with a new problem or condition to challenge my skills. Being a lifelong student, I take continuing education courses every year to expand my knowledge. Some of my studies include: Deep Tissue, Sports Massage, Hands on Healing, Medical Massage, Polarity Therapy, Orthobionomy, Hot Stone Massage, Thai Massage, Chair Massage and more. I have a special love of Hot Stone Massage because the elemental power of the heated rocks truly leads people to a place of deep tranquility, like I dreamed of years ago in the forest.

About 6 years ago, I wanted to move beyond the limitations of one dimensional table massage, and my bodywork took a quantum leap. I studied Thai Massage, also known as Thai Yoga Massage, and was opened up to the practice of 3 dimensional bodywork.

Two years ago I met my next teacher, a physical therapist who enlightened me to the application of postural analysis in my work. In layman's terms, this means that I learned how to analyze a person's posture and holding patterns, and apply stretching and pressure in a way that relieves structural imbalances.  I now apply the principles of Body Optimalization, which is what this work is called, to all the work I do including Therapeutic Table Massage, Thai Massage, and Hot Stone Massage.

At the present, I practice massage at 5 Points Fitness in Corte Madera, travel to people's homes, do onsite chair massage, and massage at various festivals and events. I teach Hot Stone Massage at The Massage Therapy Institute in Davis, CA, and am developing a self help course for people with insomnia.

Outside of work, I still exercise avidly, dance, hike, meditate, practice Chi Quong, and study nutrition and herbs. I still love the outdoors, and strive to bring the peace of nature and boundless natural well being to every person I touch.