Shelter in Place Week 2 - Yanked out of Bed

Around 6:30 a.m. Monday, March 23, 2020, I felt like I was yanked out of bed like a marionette being picked up by an eager puppeteer.

Oh. M. G! The ideas were flowing and I needed to get them out of my head ASAP. I definitely could have used about eight to 10 arms to help in that endeavor but instead, I created a list and then tried to prioritize. However, each day presented new opportunities to reassess the list and tweak it as necessary. (And, yes, that included impromtu naps.)

Let’s back up a bit to 2019. In July, I became a Reiki Master. Soon after, I signed up to take a class to learn to teach yoga. I felt my life was in a bit of a crossroads and actually had been preparing for it for some time.

Again.

Crossroads Pt. 1

After all, we all experience crossroads at any and every given moment, right? Burger or Chinese food? Ford or Toyota? Bowling or mini-golf? Freeway or backroads?

Sigh. Let’s go back a bit further -- I became a massage therapist in 2004 after a decade of being in the news business.

I had been having nose bleeds.

Apparently, all the stress from the high energy, fast paced, go-go-go all the time environment and insomnia-infused sleepless nights were manifesting into bloody noses. First, they happened at night on my pillow or when I blew my nose in the mornings after my shower. Then they began happening in the car trip to work or an assignment and, ultimately, at my desk at work.

Holy.

Shit.

Mom, God love her, by the time I told her about the nose bleeds, they had been going on for several months.

“YOU COULD HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR!,” she screeched over the phone., “GO TO THE DOCTOR!”

I did.

Manifesting Stress

My doctor took my blood pressure and asked several questions. The last one being, “How’s work?” She knew what I did for a living. I told her my schedule and the demands from the job.

“Stress,” she said.

The nose bleeds were from stress.

Are you shitting me?

I knew that stress can lead to ulcers and heart attacks, but nose bleeds?

Turned out a co-worker was going through health issues as well, but it was her jaw that was ailing her. She had developed a really night jaw or issues with her TMJ muscle. In fact, she was about to have surgery for it when she thought to herself that she was not happy at work and would quit to prep for the surgery. She figures she'd grab a new life at a new job when she healed.

Guess what? Her jaw healed itself after she quit working at the newspaper and she cancelled the surgery.

Jaw drop. No pun intended -- or maybe it is.

In any event, I knew I needed a career change. If I am having nose bleeds now, what lies in store for me down the road?

Crossroads Pt. 2

But what else is there? I’m not a suit and make-up kind of gal, so public relations and other office gigs were not for me.

And what field could I go into that wasn’t going to require another degree?

Long story short, massage found me. I enrolled in a school that was affordable and had a schedule that I could work with. I was hooked from day one.

This was my calling!!!!!

Massage therapy. Goosebumps, I tell ya.

Fast forward to about 2018. I had quit working for a high end spa and started working for myself about a year and a half prior. I have great clients, all of whom are friends, people I have met along the way at various jobs or referrals. My clients were my marketing agents. I had no website. My business was as organic as you could get.

Life was great. Great, until a few very regular clients had indicated that they weren’t sure where they were going to be in about two to three years.

That set off some serious wheel turning in my head: what do I want for my business? Do I want to advertise and have to fund a marketing budget? Do I want stranger danger -- people I don’t know coming for massage and then behaving inappropriately either sexually or by being pains in the asses? Um. No!

Crossroads Pt. 3

That’s when I started thinking hard about the next phase of my business. During this time, my rent went up a couple times by over $1,000, as I do not live in a rent control area. So, I started looking at buying a home. In my area, that's impossible. Just about every dwelling -- large and small, short and tall -- is In the $900,000 and up range. But what if I bought outside my area? What about becoming a landlord? Thus, began my quest to be a real estate investor. I took a couple of those free classes that travel around the country seeking folks to work with them for a fee. They detailed all sources of funding, highlighting the importance of thinking like a venture capitalist and not a consumer -- use other people’s money for your investment. The premise is to get a high interest loan, buy and renovate properties, the rent or flip them to pay back the loan. You’re out some time but should make a profit.

My goal is to rent the property but not seek a loan. I’m a single mom who has had quite a bit happen over the last few years that drove me into debt. Having more debt is not an option.

That, then, got me to thinking -- how do I make more money?

Doing more massage is not possible. There are only so many hours in the day.

How about retreats? Reiki, yoga, meditation. Everyone needs inner peace and they need to know that there are many different ways to meditate. Let’s do this!

After finishing my Reiki Master, I enrolled into yoga teacher school at Almaden Yoga. Even before graduating, I was working on getting yoga clients and setting up retreats. An old friend from high school runs a camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains, called Camp Cruz, and another friend from my television news days worked at Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos.

Bridging the Crossroads

Two weeks before the shutdown, I was teaching yoga two days weekly at a CPA firm I performed chair massage for during tax season and had arranged to teach at my neighborhood community center three days weekly. I advertised my classes there via Next Door and Facebook.Life was golden.

Then came Covid-19 and, just like my massage business, that all ended.

POOF!

When I woke up Monday, March 23, I was super-charged. WHY DOES "IT" HAVE TO END? IT DOESN’T!

Time to morph!

Wonder Twin powers, ACTIVATE! Except, I'm an only child. Still, you get my drift. I was feeling pretty super and quite changling-esk.

That’s when I started offering my services online. Right before the shut down, I was awarded the LLC I had applied for under the new business name of 3D Healing Arts. I created a Gmail account so I could create a YouTube channel bearing the new business name. I also started a TikTok account, which allows videos up up to a minute in length. Then I started shooting massage, yoga and meditation videos, and uploaded them to those two formats, I then posted the links, plus a blurb about my biz to every Facebook group I was a part of and the NextDoor social media app.

Here are a few samples:

* Jan. 19

Yoga at the New Almaden Community Club

Good morning neighbors,

I am set to graduate from yoga teacher training next month and am looking into teaching yoga at the Community Club. My focus will be gentle restore, a session that will provide some strengthening with stress relieving poses. Classes would be an hour long. Props would be provided for ths various body types and abilities. You would just need to bring a yoga mat, pillow and blanket.

Question: if you were to attend a class, which day(s) and time(s) work best for your schedule? I am hoping to start with once weekly sessions at 9 a.m. on Sundays starting in March, then expand from there.

Cost would be $10 for adults; $5 for seniors and children under 18.

I also am interested in offering yoga and meditation retreats down the line for deeper inner growth and change.

What do you think? I am open to ideas and suggestions.

Thank you so much!

~Ramona

* March 25

Customized Online Yoga, Meditation and Reiki

Good morning everyone,

My name is Ramona and I am a former News Journalist, turned Massage Therapist, Reiki Master, Yoga Instrutor and soon-to-be Guided Meditation Coach. I've been certified in massage for 16 years, Reiki for three years, and became a Yoga Instructor last month.

Let me help you host your own personal Virtual Retreat via Zoom, Facebook Video Chat, Duo or Hangouts. Simply message me, tell me about yourself -- goals, worries, ups and downs, etc. -- and I will create an individualized session for you.

The cost is free but feel free to give what you feel your session is worth. Payments accepted include Venmo, PayPal and Square Cash.

I'm here for you.

Note: I post positive information and self care news you can use on Facebook @3DHealingArts.

♡♡♡ Nama-Stay Healthy ♡♡♡

* March 29

Who needs a massage?

Hi all,

I am a massage therapist of 16-years and this pandemic means no work for me until the coast is clear.

How many of you wish you could get a massage right now? Lol. I wish I could see each and every one of you.

But until then, here are a couple YouTube videos I shot to help your loved ones give decent back rubs that are the best dang 30-seconds to 2-minutes ever.😁

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/Do6XiMYV72g

https://youtu.be/NLVokripyso

Meanwhile, I will be teaching yoga for all levels via Zoom Monday-Friday at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. ID #167-449-382.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

* April 2

Introducing: Reiki-Infused Manifest Coaching

Via Zoom, we will use Reiki and Meditation to clear your energetic blockages. This will allow ideas to flow more freely, thus plans -- and most importantly -- implementation of those plans will come about more easily.

$42/hour

Spiritually, the number $42 is a message from your guardian angel(s). It means progress and stability after making big, life-changing decisions. Basically, those who are watching over you are saying the plans you have in mind are fruitful, and will bring you joy and success.

Message me to book.

Namaste

* April 6

Welcome to your 50-minute meditative-yoga retreat. This session includes breath work, meditation, positive affirmation, strengthening, relaxing, and inner peace-promoting gentle-restorative yoga.

I hope you like it. Let me know in the comments♡

Have a great day and stay healthy!

(P.S. Donations accepted via VenMo @ramona-turner)

https://youtu.be/W4Jcd67pnZA