Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Woodruff.
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I worked as a physical therapist assistant for 30 years, always bridging traditional and complementary rehab approaches. In 1987, before becoming a physical therapist assistant, I received a dual degree from Webster University in modern dance and psychology. At that time, I wanted to become a dance therapist as I could see value in utilizing movement as a medium for healing. As there were no programs for dance therapy, I ended up teaching dance at the Krupinski Academy of Dance in Chesterfield and Culver Stockton College. I volunteered time working with individuals who had challenges with mental illness and disabilities, utilizing expressive healing movement. While a dancer, I participated in physical therapy for an injury. I thought, “I could do this for a living.” It was a natural progression for me. After receiving my PTA license, I began bridging my dance degree’s somatic (body, mind) approaches with the analytical approaches of physical therapy. Life was, and still is, always about movement, and I seek to harness that innate ability to move for healing.
I retired from physical therapy before Covid and, interestingly, became an over-the-road truck driver. You never know where the Universe is going to lead you. I drive a semi-truck coast to coast every week with my husband. He has always driven, and what else was a retired PTA to do during Covid? While driving, I continued to see clients for bodywork and healing sessions. I obtained my Massage Therapist license 25 years ago to privately work with clients seeking to fuse traditional and holistic healing approaches. In the Spring of 2022, I came across the opportunity to purchase a private practice from a Physical Therapist transitioning into teaching. In August of 2022, I opened Myofascial STL Plus, a Complementary Health Services clinic. I specialize in Myofascial Release, Craniosacral Therapy, EFT/Tapping, and Manual Lymph Drainage techniques, but my signature approach is Seiki Tapping-Healing through Movement. Through this approach to healing, I connect the client with their innate ability to move. Through this connection, they can begin to heal their physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional bodies.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
The largest obstacle along the way was me. We often ignore our hearts and justify why we should do what everyone else expects. I knew from childhood that I was keenly interested in science and dance. I couldn’t find a way to fuse the two because they seemed opposed. So I studied them independently—first, a dance degree, then a physical therapist assistant degree. Still seeking my path, I sought ways to connect these opposites: dance and healing. My life has been an exploration of the many aspects of both areas. I never fit into dance class at Webster because I was looking to use movement as a healing modality, not for professional performance. I never fit into science because I found myself taking a back seat to cultural conditioning. Since high school, I hid the fact that science was easy and exciting for me. I remember all the advanced biology courses in high school: human physiology, botany, and zoology. Our science teacher would post all the grades on the chalkboard from each test. Everyone was always wondering who in the class scored the highest. Because of the cultural conditioning that “nobody likes smart girls,” I never revealed that my score was the top score on every test. So I have been my biggest obstacle, succumbing to that cultural conditioning.
It wasn’t until I was in my 50s that I began to comfortably embrace who I was-a nerdy, far-out hippy, tree-hugging healer. And the more I began to embrace who I was, the more my dream life began to manifest. I began looking at myself to see where I was standing in my way. I used meditation, tapping, self-reflection, journaling, and bodywork—each avenue revealing a new aspect of myself that was holding me back from my dreams. I worked through issues related to a lack of self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-love. Unfortunately, many hold themselves back because they don’t truly love or believe in themselves. If you don’t believe that, repeat this statement: “I completely love and accept myself,” and see if you cringe or have a body reaction. This is probably why I assist clients in knowing themselves, so they can clear any blockages, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, to be the healthiest version of themselves. I had hardships and tribulations my whole life. But in comparison, I was the largest obstacle in getting to where I am now.
Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
I own Myofascial STL Plus Corp, a holistic healthcare practice. Why would I classify myself as Creative? I am a bridge between traditional and alternative healthcare, with backgrounds in both. I also consider myself a bridge between science and art. I offer bodywork sessions that utilize somatic (body, emotion, mind) approaches to connect clients with their internal ability to heal. I offer Myofascial Release, Craniosacral Therapy, EFT/Tapping, and Manual Lymph Drainage. Although some are more difficult to find than others, these modalities can be found through various directories.
What makes my healing approach unique is the aspect of the movement. So many times, when clients receive bodywork, they feel obligated to remain quiet or still. Bodywork has a relaxing component, but only some were made to sit still and be quiet. Many times I will be working with a client and ask them if they need to get up off the table and stretch their back or maybe they need to move their feet. We have created a society that feels we go to receive bodywork or a massage and that practitioners “work on us” or “fix the problem.” In reality, the client “fixes the problem”; the practitioner leads the client where they need to go to improve the situation. I may be working with a client during an EFT/Tapping session, and I can tell they want to get up and shake their entire body violently or yell at the top of their lung capacity, and I encourage this movement and behavior. This behavior is being directed by their body to release something preventing them from healing and being their best self.
One skill that I possess is an acute awareness of the client’s body patterns. Tension in specific muscles can indicate specific emotional or mental states; I reflect this to the client. It is up to them what they do with this information. For example, one of the easiest sets of tension patterns is that associated with flight or fight. Often, the muscles around the eyes are contracting greater than usual, as well as muscles in the front of the neck. Simply bringing this to the client’s awareness during a session can shift the client into a more conducive healing state. The entire bodywork session is a creative process that brings the client to the point of greatest healing.
I have my signature modality Seiki Tapping-Healing Through Movement. I discuss the development of this approach in the book “Awakening Starseeds, Vol 3- Dreaming into the Future”. This book, curated by Radhaa Publishing House, is a collection of writings by global healers and creatives. I discuss how I began to “connect the dots” to create an approach to healing that involves connecting a client with their natural, internal healing movement. This approach to healing begins with Tapping to remove any thoughts that may inhibit the client from accessing their healing movement and from increasing their comfort level with vocalization. After the Tapping has been completed, the client is guided in a vocal meditation that includes movement. This aspect of the process opens the human energy centers of the body to allow Healing Through Movement to occur more easily. Finally, the client assumes the Healing Through Movement access position. Once this position is assumed, I bring the client’s awareness to their innate movements and encourage them to follow that movement. Each client moves differently. Healing Through Movement can look like rocking, shaking, swinging, jumping, or even small movements of the hands. It’s an individual process, but it is whatever the client needs. I present 3 styles of music to enhance Healing through Movement, and they can be from Aerosmith to Solfeggio Tones. Sessions generally conclude through the use of deep breathing.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most important thing I can do to continue my success is to embrace my true self and follow my heart fully. That sounds weird, but I believe this with every ounce. The path to success is knowing yourself, the good and the bad. If you don’t like the bad, release the emotional and mental patterns keeping you there. I always say people are “humanputers.” If you have a program that is not working well for you, remove it and replace it with one that does. We all can create our dream life, but we must get out of our way first. Don’t let anyone tell you you can or can not do something. Set yourself a goal and go for it. I always say, “I know a lot of people who regret following their mind, but I have yet to meet someone who has regretted following their heart, even if the result was not what they were expecting.”
Pricing:
- Tier I-Integrative Bodywork $150
- Tier II-Healing through Movement $175
Contact Info:
- Website: myofascialstl.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/myofascialstlplus?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090182350604
- Other: https://truckingthroughlife.com/
