For the past 17 years I have lived in Sedona, Arizona. This is both a blessing and a curse. I get to enjoy the stunning, natural, ever changing beauty every day I am here (most definitely a blessing), and I have to share this corner of paradise with almost 4 million tourists every year (both blessing and curse). 4 million. For someone who has for the most part lived in very small towns, that’s a lot of people!
The impact of the seasonally increased population is not easily missed in a town that covers a mere 19 square miles and has only three entry and exit routes (two, in a heavy snow storm). But for the most part, I couldn’t have chosen a more suitable location for my bodywork and energy medicine practice.
Working with folks completely new to energy work means that many of my sessions involve going over the basics, explaining Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) in simple, layman’s terms and sharing the Daily Energy Routine (a basic sequence of exercises to get the body’s subtle energies flowing in a healthy manner). But far from becoming stale and rote, the uniqueness of each person’s energies brings something new and different to every session. My passion is newly stoked as a complete novice catches my enthusiasm for this work, and they leave with a new aliveness as dormant energies awaken.
Many who have visited Sedona speak of a special something that pulls them back here again and again. This makes the tourist part of my practice somewhat unusual in that I have out of town clients who become regulars, even though their visits to me may be stretched over several months, or in some cases, years. One client returns from England each year to run the Sedona Marathon, getting a tune up session with me before the event, and a decompression session after the run. Others become dedicated to their healing and return two or three times a year for intensives. We work together every other day for a week or two, maybe focusing on an issue such as weight management, or a chronic illness.
One of the questions I learned to ask myself during my time in India was “what makes your heart sing?” When applied to my healing practice, the answer is “sharing what I love with new people, who otherwise may not be exposed to this work.” Sedona is something of a magnet for those seeking new experiences in the healing arts, and many come from places where EEM has yet to be introduced. Here, I have the distinct honor and privilege of being able to give them their first taste.
Jyoti
Jyoti,
I can relate to being use to a small town and being bombarded with large groups of tourists every year since I lived in a small town outside of Santa Fe New Mexico. It was nice to retreat to my 5 acres, a mile down a dirt road when tourist season hit. I hadn't thought about having "seasonal clients", but seems interesting and challenging. Do you also see local clients regularly?
Angela Melton
Posted by: Angela Melton | Sunday, June 12, 2011 at 05:07 PM
Yes, Angela, I do have local clients for both massage and energy medicine. Sometimes my tourist clients have turned into local clients when they decided they liked Sedona so much that they moved here!
Posted by: Jyoti Rawlinson | Sunday, June 12, 2011 at 07:03 PM