How near death can change your future and those you serve

How near death can change your future and those you serve By Stephanie Garcia

Iam often asked what made me get into massage therapy. I did not grow up knowing this would be the path I would follow. I did not know anyone in the field. I had not even had a massage before I decided to make it my career.

I was born and raised in Southern California, the youngest of an eclectic bunch of six kids. My parents both worked hard and still managed to put a home cooked meal on the table for all of us.

We spent weekends at the beach and on our sailboat. I was a good student and very social. I loved—still do—live music, along with the average weekend hangout with my best friends. I was also in Business Academy in my senior year. We developed a virtual business as a class. We were assigned to execute every detail besides a physical structure. We went to trade shows and trips to businesses similar to our virtual ones.

Being that business was a Day Spa, we visited Glen Ivy Hot Springs. I immediately loved the feeling. It was raw, natural and revitalizing. One part of the spa had a “Massage Under the Oaks,” an outdoor massage space with several rooms that had oak doors and walls, but open ceilings to the oak trees above. I felt a real connection. Too bad I was not listening to the little voice in my head.

I applied to colleges, assuming that was the right next step. Some of the ones I applied to where in hopes of going with my best friend. I was not sure what I was going to do when I grew up, but going with the motions, I planned to attend Cal State University for a music Business major.

I was the last to leave the nest. My parents planned to retire and move out to Washington State after I graduated. I was welcome to join the move, but the thought of leaving California, leaving my best friends, was absurd to me.

Sometimes the universe needs to force you in the right direction. In 2010, about two weeks until graduation, I was

Stephanie Garcia

forced to listen. I was passing classes, hanging out with my best friends and maybe partying more than I should. I was focused on everything but my body. I remember having back pain and thinking nothing of it. The pain felt more like the flu. I stayed home from school for a few days until my parents made me go to an urgent care.

Upon walking into the building, I went into convulsions. The physicians said they could not help me and that I needed to go to the ER. I was taken by ambulance, which I have no recollection of. The hospital was maybe a mile from the urgent care.

I woke up some time later. I do not know exactly. Time was all mixed up. I was in the hospital for seven days, most of which I spent out of my body. Physicians determined I probably had a UTI that I did not listen to which spread to my kidneys. I also had a kidney infection that spread to my blood, causing me to go septic. My core was temperature was 109 degrees and my body was dying trying to fight the infection. The doctors prepared my parents for brain damage— if I survived the Sepsis.

I recall everything like it was yesterday, especially the being out if my body part. It was like I was a fly on the wall watching the doctors and nurses pack my Gurnee with ice and asking me questions trying to solve the problem. My eyes were open, but I was not there. A lot more happened to me while I was in that in-between place, out of my body. Most of those experiences I will keep to myself or save for another story. The most important part was that I met the healer within me. I was changed. Near-death experiences have a way of doing that to you.

I survived and I am just fine. I lost a lot of memories from that time. All of my siblings dropped everything to come to the hospital during that week. I do not remember seeing them at all, but I felt them there, which helped pull me out of it.

I was raised to be independent, hardworking, and to have class while doing it – I hold those values close. I absolutely love what I do and where I am going!

Meanwhile, I missed the graduation that I worked so hard for. My friends went on to graduation night and into summer having fun while I was home for two weeks with a PICC line for my antibiotics. I had a lot of time to think. A lot of time to listen.

I felt called to do something better. Life threw me down so I could I learn to listen to my body. I needed to help others listen, too. I decided I was going to go into massage therapy. I decided to leave California and move to Washington. There just so happened that there was an amazing school, Port Townsend School of Massage, nearby. That school will always have a special place in my heart. I hope to go back to teach sometime.

I learned that massage therapy is only the start. Our bodies are such intricate designs of which massage is a way to facilitate our network of healing. I needed a team of passionate health and body workers to work together. That is why I decided that I would own a Wellness Collective one day.

In 2012, I moved to Arizona to work for Elements Massage for several years, while also doing in-home massages for a few clients on my own. I slowly grew my business without much conscious effort. I had the clientele, but no brand or network yet.

In August 2016, I began to branch out of Elements. I was fully on my own by March 2017. Since then, I have continued to expand in network, space and clientele. Word of mouth and networking with like-minded professionals have been a key source of marketing. I am part of an amazing team—GFIT Solutions—that is only just beginning to build the Three Point Collective brand. Things continue to fall together naturally.

Perhaps my true passion and fascination for the human body, as well as listening to my intuition, is what makes me successful. We all are born with strong intuition, but we grow up and tend to stop listening. That is the goal of my work, to help people listen to their bodies. And If I have done that. I am successful.

I was raised to be an independent and hard-working, while having class while doing it. I hold those values close. I absolutely love what I do and where I am going. I also am a natural homemaker at heart. I am busy, but I would be bored otherwise. I love to cook and make a cozy home for me, my dogs and supportive man. His 4 year old not only keeps my schedule busy, but makes things fun.

Life and our bodies are in a constant need of balance. So I take a deep breath, work hard and enjoy the moment.

Stay classy ladies.