I have always been fascinated by the communication that takes place when I do body work. When I am working on another person, myself, or an animal, I am frequently amazed. Massage is very much an art. I love the fluidity of movements and the way I feel. It engages conversation on a level beyond where words go.
The feel of stone touches my life. I appreciate it’s density and texture. My mind explores it’s form and I notice how this makes me feel. It’s presence comes from it’s weight and temperature but also from something more. I remember as a child thinking something special is required to sculpt in stone because there were so few people that did it. I see it as sacred or noble. I see these tools as sacred works.
In 1988 I was in my 3rd year of massage practice. A client asked if there was something she could use, some sort of tool for doing massage on herself and her husband. She would go home and try the same movements on her husband that I did on her, but she was just not strong enough. I looked at what was available to recommend as the best tool for her. The more I thought about it, and the more I looked at other tools, I understood what was missing.
After several years of imaginering and playing with shapes and materials I created this form and chose stone as the medium for it. My goal was to make available something that would enhance the way that we most naturally want to interact with the body. My intention has never been to replace the hands as an instrument for healing, but to aid in the creative process like a painter’s brush.
The shape itself has evolved over the years as I spend more time using them and teaching others how to use them. I have also learned more about stone, how to work with it, and what is possible. I first created and applied the shape but many people have contributed their time and energy to take Body Rocks from an idea to reality. The interest, enthusiasm, support, and just plain hard work that others have given has surpassed anything I had imaged. I am forever grateful to all of you.
