Allow me to introduce myself....

My name is Dawnette aka, Sputnik, by my Papa who thinks anything I do is amazing;
 Likkle but Tallawah, surprisingly strong for such a small being;
Bgirl Patience, personal massage therapist to bboys and bgirls; 
and my newest favorite, Muscle Whisperer, thanks to Mrs. Bev.

I hadn't always wanted to be a massage therapist. In fact it's a career I stumbled upon one day while discouraged and frustrated in college. I was majoring in Biology at Xavier University of Louisiana with the hopes of becoming a doctor of some sort. Yeah, I hadn't planned that far ahead. I just knew I that I wanted to help people that were injured and/or sick. But, the path I was taking through college wasn't as fulfilling as I'd hoped and I had to finally be honest that I didn't really want to be a doctor. It was a childhood dream that my family kept alive in me. I didn't want to disappoint them and I thought I'd find a career in the medical field that I could love and that they would be proud of. 

Despite my fears, they were all VERY supportive of my decision to pursue massage therapy. My Auntie Gaye even bought my first massage table when I graduated from Delta College!

So, how DID I become a muscle whisperer, you ask? 
**Alright, this will be a bit lengthy, but please bare with me!**

Right time. Right place. I saw an ad for massage therapy school and it just all seemed to come together. Out of all my biology courses, Anatomy and Physiology was the one I excelled in and was most captivated by. Then, reflecting on my childhood and adolescence, I realized I've been a massage therapist in the making! 

As a child my mom would often beg for foot rubs and I would happily oblige her, receiving much praise and then a sense of pride as she fell peacefully asleep. My father, the hardest working man I know, always came home sweaty and beat. And being the daddy's girl that I was (and still am), I'd massage his shoulders without hesitation and walk on his back at his request.

Then came my grandparents. I didn't know this until recently, but all those head massages I'd give my Papa and the head oiling and combing I'd give my Grandma were to ensure they knew where us grandkids where when they babysat us. And here I thought it was because I had a magical and relaxing touch at such a young age. I still think it was a bit of both. :)

They always dozed off and I would still happily massage and comb their hair.

Through middle and high school I was quite the athlete and joined the track & field team. I then found myself giving back and shoulder massages to my teammates during track meets and receiving an abundance of thanks and praise. It didn't hurt that during the off season, the football players would also join the track team and required the use of my budding massage talent as well. It was all for the good of the team! ;)

 

With the realization that I had an affinity for giving, an immense interest in A&P and received satisfaction from others alleviation of stress and discomfort, I heard a whisper in the back of my mind and felt the strongest state of awareness....
I KNEW I COULD DO THIS!

I could be a massage therapist.

I could make people feel better. 

I could comfort someone with something as simple as a touch.

I could make someone drift off into unconsciousness and forget about a stressful day or event. Even if for a little while.

What I didn't realize, is that it would eventually become more than that. Much more. And much more rewarding. After close to eight years of being a massage therapist. I wake up every morning and go to bed every night thankful for what I do. And most of all, grateful to those who trust my skills and knowledge when they're at their most vulnerable.

I hope that you will share in this experience with me. I want this blog to be more than a technical narrative about massage therapy. You can easily Google those inquires for yourself. However, I want to be more of a voice about my experiences and insight as a massage therapist, sprinkled with helpful info and product reviews.

For those of you that survived reading this novel, thank you and congrats!
And, I look forward to sharing more with you!

.Dawnette.
Muscle Whisperer