Aroma Cd'A Massage, Massage Therapy and Aromatherapy

About Jana Gould

My father traveled a lot throughout my childhood. He would come home from a long drive, lie on the floor and say, “Come here and walk on my back.” So my sisters and I would take turns. This went on for years until, since I’m the youngest; I was the only one light enough to still walk on Dad’s back. I would also work on his shoulders with my little hands, insisting that they were not getting tired, even though they were. That was when I decided that I wanted to become a Massage Therapist when I grew up. I was always practicing shoulder rubs on friends and family.
In 1993, I was introduced to the wonderful world of Aromatherapy. I was visiting a friend and on her bathroom counter, I noticed some small amber bottles that said “Essential oils” on them. There was “Stress Relief”, “Energy” and “Calming”. I was very skeptical, it seemed hokey; I asked her about them and tried to remain open-minded. That was just a small seed that was planted in my mind…
Two years later I received a catalog in the mail from a company called Lavender Lane. I was so excited to begin crafting with natural substances. I was already making candles as a hobby and the thought of using pure Essential oils as fragrance was captivating. When I received my first order in the mail of Anise, Clove, Grapefruit, Clary Sage, Fennel, and Lavender Essential oils, I dove right in… only to realize the amazing depth and complexity these oils actually had. Thus my journey into Aromatherapy studies began.
I started collecting books on Aromatherapy. “Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art “ by Kathi Keville & Mindy Green and “500 Formulas For Aromatherapy: Mixing Essential Oils for Every Use” by David Schiller & Carol Schiller were only the beginning. That Christmas, my sister who lived in California gave me what she was told was the ‘bible of Aromatherapy’, “The Aromatherapy Book: Applications and Inhalations” by Jeanne Rose. The more I read, the more I realized the potential these Essential oils had. I started to really respect them as medicines and wanted to learn more.
One night I was suffering from the worst menstrual cramps imaginable. Curled up on the bathroom floor, I cried out to Eliot (my husband now). I asked him to check my books and see if there were any Essential oils I had that could possible help. He drew me a bath and put 3 drops each of Lavender, Clary Sage, and Fennel in the water. Ten minutes into the bath, my cramps had vanished, and didn’t return.
January 10^th, 1996, I enrolled in the Australasian College of Health Sciences for my Certification in Aromatherapy. Later that year, I moved back home and started my career in the Natural Healing industry. I was a Natural Living Associate at Huckleberry’s in Spokane, WA. There, I was responsible for the Aromatherapy counter as well as helping people educate themselves on Vitamins, Minerals, Herbal Supplements, Homeopathy, Flower Essences, Aromatherapy, and general natural health and beauty aids. I founded a company called Synergys, hand-made Aromatherapy candles, which could be purchased at Huckleberry’s.
My first experience with Professional Massage Therapy was in 1998 while recovering from three fractures in my pelvic bone and sacrum. I was receiving Physical Therapy, regaining strength and ability to walk again and part of my recovery treatment plan was Medical Massage Therapy. Within two months, I was walking again.
I began training for Massage Therapy in 2001 at the American Institute of Clinical Massage in Post Falls, Idaho. The education I received there was second to none in the area. My graduating class in the Licensure program completed 1250 hours of intensive studies including certification in Medical Massage by the American Medical Massage Association. The college provided us with a comprehensive understanding of Anatomy and Physiology, Pathology, Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy, Oriental Medicine, Tui na (Chinese Massage), Acupoints, and Medical Massage Therapy, as well as introductions into many of the myriad of techniques and modalities of manual therapies available today.