Photo Story

Our final assignment was to create a photo story. I was lucky and found Danielle AhMaiua, a massage therapist who massages people with her feet.

Danielle AhMaiua, 31, stands in front of the entrance of her home, where Tibetan prayer flags hang above her. These prayer flags, which AhMaiua brought over from during her time in the Peace Corp in 2003, are intended to bless AhMaiua’s home and those who enter it, she said. They help bring a sense of peace, calm and wisdom, AhMaiua said.

AhMaiua is the owner of Bodywalk Massage, where she performs ashiatsu, a form of massage where feet are used instead of hands. AhMaiua began her practice in 2009 after originally attending Western to get her Master’s in Teaching.
“I originally wanted to be a college professor, I got my degree in psychology,” AhMaiua said. “I left Western after two quarters. I decided I wasn't ready to do a program with very little income paying out-of-state tuition, so I began my practice again in January of 2009”
AhMaiua first discovered ashiatsu after working at a day spa in Ashland, Ore. when a fellow co-worker decided to practice on her, she said.
“Once I received the work, I knew I was going to specialize in it,” AhMaiua said. “I signed up for the next training.”

In order to control her balance and apply steady pressure to the client’s back, AhMaiua holds onto wooden bars that are attached to the ceiling. With these bars, AhMaiua said she is able to move across the table easier and go as deep as she needs to give her clients the proper work they need.
“Specializing has helped me get busy faster,” AhMaiua said. “It is also like a dance. I get to dance on people, which is wonderful too.”

Here AhMaiua demonstrates on a client the specific muscles surrounding the wrist and elbow, while also showing how to massage those areas. Usually, AhMaiua said she will be demonstrating on a single person, while a small group of three or four people will stand close and observe. AhMaiua only holds lessons during the winter season as that has seemed to be the only time people attend her classes, she said.

In between appointments, AhMaiua often performs yoga at her work place. As a massage therapist, yoga helps her exercise and maintain the proper dexterity and flexibility needed to perform ashiatsu, AhMaiua said. Yoga also benefits AhMaiua mentally as much as it does physically, she said.
“Yoga helps calm my mind and get my body ready for meditation,” AhMaiua said. “I liked the calming effects yoga has on my mind, thus for me it is more than just exercise. “

After the work day ends, AhMaiua tends to her garden filled with a variety of plants and vegetables. She began to garden as a hobby to relieve the stress from owning her own business, but soon realized the benefits from it, AhMaiua said. The price to grow fruits and vegetables is not just cheaper, but they also taste much better grown fresh, AhMaiua said.
Being a massage therapist, performing yoga and tending her own garden have helped AhMaiua be in the proper state mentally, physically and emotionally, she said.
“Before I became a massage therapist I wasn't nearly as healthy in mind, spirit, or body,” AhMaiua said. “My work and my spiritual life overlap now. This keeps me on my toes and always learning. Furthermore, working for myself brings unique challenges that sharpen my ability to discern and strengthens my independence. “
After practicing ashiatsu for a few more years, AhMaiua hopes to go back to school and get a degree teaching in a specialized field, she said. Her goal in life is to heal others and teach others to maintain their overall health.