Adapting in a Changing World

​Hey Friends.

MacDonald Bodywork is closed. 

Kinda.

I’m sure this is somewhat expected; Massage Therapy is not an industry considered essential by local legislature, but even if it was, I don’t think it would be ethical to continue to practice - not with the death toll as high as it is, and climbing every day. I have not been seeing clients since the beginning of the year, and, well… Rent for an office doesn’t pay for itself. 

You’ve heard it a million times: We’re living through something unprecedented. The shared trauma and stress we are experiencing is something profound and terrible. If you’ve been a client of mine, you know that I believe strongly in the restorative power of bodywork, and it pains me to not be able to offer it when we are all, perhaps, more in need of therapeutic touch than ever. 

But I can’t, in good conscience, put any of my clients (or my family) in danger. I’ve lost two friends to Covid-19 personally. I don’t plan on re-opening for hands-on bodywork until we have some established protocol for containing the pandemic - whether that’s a successful vaccine or a long enough period of genuine quarantine - even if the local government gives the go-ahead tomorrow. 

So… If we can’t see each other in person, what can we do?

Well, a few things.

1: I’ve offered in-person instruction in Qi-Gong for a few years now, and right now I’m setting up an online curriculum for Qi-Gong classes via video conference. I’ll update the website once everything is good to go and we have a start date, but I’d love to see you there. While not a replacement for bodywork or touch-based therapy, Qi-Gong can be a great way to reconnect to your body, your mind, and your environment - something I think we could all use right now.

2: I am hoping to offer short video conference consultations for individuals. If you’re experiencing a persistent issue, I may be able to offer some exercises or self-massage practices that may help. If you are fortunate enough to be quarantined with a partner, friend, or family member who’s touch you trust, I can offer some limited instruction for the both of you on simple massage techniques that you may use to help each other. While not the same as seeing a bodyworker, these sessions can hopefully give you a few tools to engage in your self-care, and the care of those around you.

3: My email and phone are always here- if you’ve got questions or concerns you’d like to talk about from a TCM-based perspective, I’m always happy to offer what advice I’m able to. I also know a number of wonderful practitioners of chiropractic and other healthcare modalities that are still able to see patients, and I’m happy to recommend you to them should you like.

Finally, I just want to extend a sincere thank-you to you all. Working in this field has been the most fulfilling and meaningful thing I’ve done, and I cannot possibly express my gratitude to you for allowing me to be a part of your journey, however large or small that part may be. 

We’ll be back, once we’re out the other side of this, whatever that side looks like.

And hey - you’ll get through this, too.

Deep breaths. 

Best,
Greg
​